Until now.
He released her mouth and, with a dip of his knees, feasted his way down her throat to clamp his lips around a distended nipple through the silk of her blouse.
“Bed.” She quivered beneath his hot mouth.
“Bed.”
His hand dove beneath the hem of her skirt to ride her thigh to her hip, then around to mold one cheek of her behind, left naked by her barely-there thong underwear. On a tortured groan, he shuddered as his widespread fingers squeezed her flesh. A storm raged in his eyes. He recaptured her mouth, pulling her flush against him and lifting her off her feet. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on.
“God, you’re sweet.”
His rumbling murmur bathed her lips while he moved in the direction of the suite’s bedroom.
“I’m hot.” She said the first thing that popped into her head, but it was true. She was burning up!
He stopped. Lowering her to her feet, he chuckled. “Yes, you are.”
Embarrassment and desire combined, flaring through her in waves.
He fingered the squared neckline of her blouse. Eyes darkened by desire twinkled down at her. “And I have no desire to cool you off just yet, but getting you out of this may help.”
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
He chuckled. Without a word, his fingers went to the buttons of her blouse, disbursing three before she found her voice again.
“The truth is, I’ve never done this before, so I’m a little off balance. I say stupid things when I’m off balance.”
His fingers stilled on button number four. Alarm flashed in his eyes. “What do you mean, you’ve never done this before?”
“Oh, no.” She briefly squeezed her eyes shut. “See, that’s exactly my point. I didn’t mean I’ve never had sex.” His tensed shoulders relaxed as she hurriedly added, “What I meant was, I don’t sleep with guys I’ve just met.”
His chest expanded on a deep breath, his nostrils flared and his chin rose a notch. If he thought she’d changed her mind, he didn’t make it easy for her. Guided by his hands, the blouse slid from her shoulders, down over her arms, until her breasts, encased in lace, were exposed.
“I’m humbled you’ve broken your rule for me.” He pushed the slippery material down over her hips, then put his arms around her and flicked open the button at the back of her skirt. The zipper held no challenge for his talented fingers. Skirt and blouse floated to her feet on a whisper. Taking her hand in his, he propelled her forward so she stepped clear of the puddle of silk. “And I promise to handle your trust like the gift it is. We’ll slow this down, if that’s what you need.” His gaze dropped to caress the flesh above the lacy barrier of her bra. “Just, please, don’t change your mind.” His desire-darkened eyes lifted to meet hers. “If you do, you’ll make me cry.”
The smile teasing the corner of his mouth contradicted his claim. She tugged her hand free. Never one to dismiss a dare, which his smile surely was, she crossed her arms, purposefully plumping up her breasts until her flesh threatened to spill from its lacy covering. She smirked when his eyes followed the action.
Take that, buster!
His Adam’s apple bobbed on an audible swallow, and the last of her nerves scattered like fallen leaves on a brisk breeze. “I’ll make you a deal.”
He matched her stance, arms crossed; his heated gaze slid up to meet hers. “I’m listening.”
“You have me at a disadvantage.” She jerked her chin in his direction and let her gaze climb from his glossy boots to the Stetson covering his dark hair. “Lose the hat and suit, and I promise not to change my mind.”
The hat flew across the room, ripping a delighted laugh from her. The suit jacket followed. Before it hit the floor, he reached for his tie. She’d never seen a man move so quickly. In less than ten seconds, he dropped to the edge of the bed to pull off his boots, then peeled off dark socks and rose to his bare feet. The socks, along with his dress slacks, joined the heap of clothes on the floor. Tight, dark blue briefs failed to hide his interest in the game.
He stepped close. “Better?”
Oh, yeah. And oh my!
She dropped her arms to her sides and stared. Gabe Sutton was drool worthy in a thousand-dollar suit or in those ranch duds he sported in his bio picture, but the body the clothes covered belonged on a canvas. Trim, without an ounce of fat, his limbs were cleanly muscled with understated strength. As for the core of his body…marketing teams would kill to use his wide shoulders, broad chest, tapered waist and rippled abs to sell their products.
“Uh-huh,” was the best she could manage.
He grinned and palmed her neck, massaging the tightened tendons until she wanted to purr. “This is me slowing down. Shall we have a drink?”
The purr rumbled up and out of her throat. Her eyes slid shut on a rush of pleasure, and she rolled her head against the pressure of his magical fingers.