“You need to get into bed.” He reached around to her back and pulled down her zipper. The movement felt too intimate, and he had to try and suppress his reaction to her proximity. “You’ll feel better after a good sleep.”
“You’re so nice.” Her voice was just a murmur, and she shuffled closer to him, her head nuzzling into the crease between his shoulder and neck. “And you smell great. You always smelled great, even in the mornings. It’s one of the things I miss most about us.”
“You miss the way I smell?” He tried to turn it into a joke, but she started to peel her dress away from her body.
He was instantly hard.
“Close your eyes, I just need to change.” Her command was pretty weak, and more than a moment too late. He did as instructed, anyway, digging his fingernails into his palms, trying to stop himself from touching her. If he saw the soft, pale arc of her breast, he’d be done for.
The bed undulated as she struggled with her clothing. He stayed as still as he could, battling with the incredible urge to open his eyes. Did she look the same as he remembered, all soft skin and gentle curves? Or had the last five years changed her on the outside as well as within?
He’d never thought of himself as the type to cheat. He was engaged to a woman who trusted him implicitly, and he wanted to deserve that trust. The thoughts whirling around in his mind were completely indefensible. He felt like shit.
“I’m decent.” Hanna lay back on the bed, her hair fanning out across the white cotton pillowcase. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” Even as he spoke, he could see her starting to flag, her eyelids fluttering as her face took on a peaceful expression. He reached out and smoothed the hair away from her eyes, feeling her smooth skin dimple against the hard pads of his fingers. She sighed gently, and he felt his erection harden further, as he stared at her flushed, swollen lips.
Just a taste.
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, and her soft breath bathed his skin. Her eyes flew open and she stared at him. She threw her arms around his neck, and pulled him against her, crashing her mouth to his. Every inch of him was dazzlingly awake, pleasure shooting
from his balls to the tip of his toes.
Moving his hand down her body, brushing his fingers against her breast until she started to moan, he allowed himself to feel the most frightening emotion of all.
Hope.
IT WAS LIKE everything in the room exploded into brilliant Technicolor, sobering her faster than a bucket of ice water. The moment his lips brushed hers, she knew she’d reached the point of no return. He was the sun and she was in orbit; circling, attracted to him. Everything about him made her burn.
The mattress dipped as he rested above her, hips scraping against hers, and she couldn’t help but gyrate, feeling his hardness grind against her stomach. His fingertips brushed down her side in light, feathery strokes, making her nipples hard and her thighs damp.
“Hanna.” He exhaled against her cheek. She closed her eyes and tried to stop herself from responding. She tried to distract him by grinding again.
It seemed to work.
“Let me—” He didn’t wait for permission. He pushed her tank up to her neck, baring her breasts, and as he stared down at them, his tongue snaking across his lips, Hanna could feel his dick twitch against her once more. His fingers teased, making her nipples pebble, and the pleasure shoot down to her groin.
Her inner monologue started to distract her. The fear they were really going to do this was swiftly replaced by the agony they might not. Somewhere, deep inside, she knew doing this was wrong, but she repressed the thought, buried it under the intense need shooting through her nerves.
It was hard to look him in the eye. Hanna wasn’t sure what would be there, wasn’t even certain what it was she wanted to see. Desperation, perhaps, or maybe a need reflecting hers? What she feared was regret, sadness, or a hint of pity, and she knew if she saw any of that, she would curl up and weep.
She didn’t want to cry. She felt too good for tears or for regret. She’d waited far too long to feel his mouth pulling at her nipples, bathing them gently before scraping his teeth on her flesh.
She needed to get her mind to shut the hell up.
Sensing her fears, Richard cupped her chin with his hand, lifting her face until she couldn’t avoid meeting his stare. When her chocolate eyes met hunter green, she knew she was completely wrong.
They flashed fiercely, narrowed and dark, and the way he stared made her feel breathless.
“I need—” Like Richard, she couldn’t finish her sentence to let him know what she wanted. She didn’t have to. His hands cupped her ass, fingers pulling at her shorts until they were softly dragging against her thighs, leaving her exposed and desperate. Cool air met damp skin, making her buck a little, trying to create friction from a vacuum. Her thighs were sensitive and clammy as he dug his fingers in, gently prising her apart.
That felt so good.
His fingers dipped, caressing the damp skin in the crease of her thigh. He pulled her apart, until she was more exposed than ever, gliding against her, then pushing until her body released, inviting him in. This time she moaned; a low, pleading half-breath, flexing her hips until his fingers were inside her.
Richard moved down her body, his lips finding her core, tongue pointed and strong, dragging against her and making her buck in time to his rhythmic movements. The dizziness in her head had nothing to do with the wine she had consumed, and everything to do with the sensations he was creating. Her hands ached to touch, and she let them flutter toward him, sliding them into his hair, tugging until she could feel him groan against her.
Hanna’s eyes opened wide, her mouth wider, and she let out a noise somewhere between a scream and a cry. Richard pushed a third finger inside as she began to clench against him, intensifying the pleasurable sensation until her knees began to quake.