Her heart was pounding all over the place when his mouth left her neck and then he was suddenly dipping behind her. At first she had no idea what he was doing. She started to twist toward him, but stopped when those fingers caught the hem of her panties and dragged them down.
Oh God.
“Step out them,” he ordered, his voice harsh in the quiet apartment.
Julia obeyed, placing a hand on his counter to balance herself as she lifted one leg and then the other. Within seconds, the panties were forgotten on the floor and he was rising once more, dragging those hands up her legs. His stomach was to her back once more. One hand stayed at her bare hip and the other made its way to the collar of her dress.
“How pissed are you going to be if I ruin this dress?” he asked.
“Not . . . a lot.”
“Perfect,” he murmured, and then he gripped the front of her dress. Her body jerked.
Julia could barely breathe as her entire body pulsed in response to the sound of the material tearing. She looked down as cold air washed over her chest. Her bra was exposed between the gaping material. Thank God it was cute, a lacy black one that gave her amazing cleavage.
And he seemed to like what he saw over her shoulder. “Damn, these are beautiful, Julia.” He let go of her dress and the material gaped even more. “You’re beautiful.”
Her head fell back against his chest as his hand slipped under the cup of her bra. She watched through narrow slits as he pushed the cup aside, baring one breast.
Taylor’s groan sent another bolt of lust through her. “You watching?”
She didn’t want to answer.
“Julia?”
She wet her lips. “Yes.”
“Good.” His hand folded around her breast. “I don’t want you to miss a second of this.”
No way that was happening.
She couldn’t look away as his thumb dragged over the rosy, puckered skin and then over nipple. There was no stopping the moan this time, and the sound turned into his name. She was beyond reason as he stroked her breast before he moved to the other cup. He did the same, pushing material aside and baring her breast.
His arm curled over her stomach and this time his fingers found one aching nipple. He caught it between his thumb and forefinger, then did something that caused her entire body to jolt and a rush of wet warmth to pool between her thighs.
“Oh God,” she gasped.
“Mmm.” His mouth coasted along the skin of her neck again. “You liked that.”
She didn’t need to answer, because he knew. He did it again, and her hips moved on reflex as a whole different kind of ache blossomed. Taylor must’ve sensed it, because using one powerful thigh, he nudged her legs farther apart. Every muscle in her body tensed as his hand traveled off her hip and over her inner thigh.
“You’re holding your breath,” he said into her ear.
She was, she so was.
“Cute.”
A tremble rocked her body as his knuckles brushed against the very center of her. Then she felt the lightest touch, lazily trailing back and forth, teasing and taunting. “You’re very wet, Ms. Hughes.”
Beyond being embarrassed or shocked by the rawness of his words, she could only whimper out something that sort of sounded like an agreement.
“We’re going to have to do something about that,” he advised as his thumb got involved, circling a very sensitive part. “What do you think?”
Panting for breath, she got her tongue working. “I think . . . that we do.”
Taylor rewarded her answer by pressing down on the bundle of nerves. Crying out, she arched against his hand. He cupped her, hauling her back against him, and oh Lord, there was something so hot about that. She could feel him throbbing against her lower back, and she was drenched, drowning.
Just as his teeth caught the lobe of her ear, he slipped one finger into her. A strangled sort of sound left her. One hand moved over her breast while the other slowly, torturously moved in and out of her.
Her heart thundered in her chest and she was breathless at how easily he’d taken complete control of her body with just his hands, his fingers. And she was astonished by how quickly she let go, how fast she stopped thinking.
Julia’s body moved, pushing back at his hands, and she gripped each of his wrists with one hand, hanging on and holding him to her. When he eased another finger into her, he groaned. The stirrings of release built deep inside her. Her hips were moving faster.
“That’s it.” His voice was a hot whisper against her ear. “Ride my fingers.”
Her heart rate skyrocketed as those sinful words carved their way in as deep as his fingers were going. Julia’s eyes fell shut as she did just that, grinding down and back against him. He picked up the pace as he tipped his chin down, burying his mouth in the crook of her neck.
Tension coiled, spinning tighter and tighter until it became too much. “Oh God, I can’t . . .” She pulled at his hand.
“You can.” He kept going, refusing her plea. “You will.”
It was too much, too intense, and there was no escaping the maddening rush. Julia was burning up inside. Lava was flowing in her blood, and just when she thought she would surely erupt into flames, he hooked his fingers deep inside her and the tension exploded.
“That’s it.” His voice was gruff and thick.
“Oh . . . oh God,” she cried out, her entire body shuddering as a startling release powered through her body. It was like bottled lightning in her veins, blowing out of every nerve ending.
It was agony of the sweetest kind and it slayed her, scattering her thoughts as the release rippled and eased. Sated and stunned, she slumped against his chest, breathing heavily. She might’ve fallen right to the floor if he hadn’t circled an arm around her waist.
Julia’s head lolled to the side and for a few moments, she was still, feeling the pounding of his heart against her back. His fingers were still in her and when he slowly eased them out, she felt another deep, pulsing throb.
She swallowed hard. “I . . . that was amazing.”
Taylor was quiet as he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck and dragged his hand out from under the skirt of her dress. Then he was still again, and she could feel him against her lower back. The realization there was more to come nearly bowled her over. If he could do that with just his fingers, what could he do with that?
Oh God.
He was going to kill her in the best possible way.
But then he did the strangest thing. He fixed her bra and then turned her around, facing him. Her eyes fluttered open, finding those peculiar blue-green eyes focused on hers. “Taylor?”
Lifting his hands from her body, he cupped her cheeks. A thumb tugged over her bottom lip as his gaze flickered over her face. He leaned in, his warm breath following the path of his gaze, dancing over her cheeks and her eyes before settling on her lips.
Finally, he was going to kiss her. Anticipation swelled again and her eyes drifted shut. If he kissed like he touched her, she would combust right there.
“Thank you,” he said, and a slight frown pulled at her brows. He was thanking her? Then he kissed her—kissed the center of her forehead.
Julia’s eyes flew opened.
The lopsided grin returned and for several moments Taylor just stared at her. She had no idea what was happening, but he lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered something that she couldn’t have heard right, because it didn’t make any sense.
And then he was letting her go and he was backing away, his gaze trained on her, and Julia was still standing there—as he opened that door and walked out.
Gone.
Her brain still mush from an amazing orgasm, all she could do was stand there and stare at the space he’d been in moments prior. Taylor was gone without him, well, getting off. And he was gone without an exchange of phone numbers or a kiss, but not without goodbye.
Julia thought he’d whispered “until next time” in her ear, but that made no sense. None. He had to have said something else and her brain was too useless to decipher it correctly. Not that anyone could blame her for that, because—
Wait.
He’d said her last name. More than once.
Julia slumped against the counter, eyes squinting. Unless Anna had told him her last name, how in the world had he’d known it?