“It can,” he admitted. “But it doesn’t have to change shit. We can decide that it will bring us closer. We can choose to make this the first night of forever.” He paused. “That is if it’s what you want.”
“It’s what I want,” she admitted. “It’s all I ever wanted.”
As if to prove just how sure she was of her action, Nora pulled her tank top over her head and tossed it over her shoulder. Her little demi-bra barely covered her strawberry-colored nipples. Jack pulled the material down the second the creamy skin was exposed. He growled low at the puckered nubs waiting for his attention.
He closed his mouth on one, sucking deep before twirling his tongue around it. He moved to the other breast, giving it the same level of attention. Nora arched into him, her hands tangling in his hair.
“Jack,” she moaned. “Oh, Jack.”
He wanted to say her name, but his mouth was full, and he was reluctant to let her go. He continued to lav her breasts with all kinds of attention as his hands fumbled with the ties of her pants. He eased them down over her hips, taking care to leave her underwear on. If she wanted to take them off, she would make that choice herself.
He wouldn’t push her.
But his woman was feeling every bit the vixen, judging by the way she tugged at his shirt, pulling it over his head. He pulled away from her willingly, momentarily leaving her chest alone to hug her close. Feeling her bare body on his was so damn delicious that he had to make sure to keep his hips away. He was in danger of making a fool of himself if he didn’t slow things down. He hadn’t been this affected by a woman since he was a teenager, untried and pure.
There was something about Nora that made everything new. Better.
She cupped his erection in her hand, making him summon all of his self-control. He wanted to tell her to be slow and easy, but he kissed her deeply instead.
He didn’t know how, but soon, they were both completely nude on his couch, their bodies painted in gold hues from the flames dancing in the hearth.
Nora was a beautiful woman, but in the glow of the fire, she was a goddess laid bare for his pleasure. Rather, she was there to be pleasured by him, and he would do everything in his power to make this the best damn night of her life.
“I am going to make the wait so good, love,” he whispered. “I don’t mean the wait to have sex, Nora. I mean, I am going to make it up to you tonight.”
“What?”
“That you had to wait so long for me to clue in that you were mine. I am going to make it up to you tonight.”
She shivered in his arms, giving him permission to lead this dance of theirs right into oblivion.
SIXTEEN
NORA
Holy shit! I am about to lose my virginity to Jack Hayes.
If younger Nora could see her now, she wouldn’t believe what was about to happen, but it definitely was.
Nora lay on the couch in Jack’s living room, naked as the day she was born and in his arms. He was also nude, but he kept his hips away from hers, leaving her to arch without that sweet, sweet release of rubbing against him.
Her entire body was on fire, desperate for the man who looked at her like she had hung the moon and stars. He pushed her hair over her shoulders before kissing her deeply. His tongue explored the cavern of her mouth while his hands kneaded the soft skin of her thighs.
Jack avoided touching her sex, but she didn’t know why. He had his fingers and tongue there before, but perhaps tonight was different.
He probably felt like she did … that something was going to change between them.
Everythingwas going to change between them.
They were going from innocently hanging out and kissing to crossing a threshold she had never ventured to. Nora didn’t care too much about the fact she was a virgin. Whatdidconcern her was that Jack had experience, and she did not.
He knew what to do.
She did, too, but to a lesser degree. There was only so much that romance novels and movies had taught her.
She hadn’t known just how heated she would get, how desperate she would get, how empty she would feel.
“Jack,” she purred between sips of his mouth. “I want you. I need you.”