Hot to Touch (Kimani Romance) (7 page)

E
mma came out of the light doze with a start, jumping out of the cooled water, her eyes snapping open.

The knock she’d heard grew louder, and she glanced around, searching for the radio clock she’d placed near the tub.

“God, I must have been tired,” she groaned, noticing the time. It was after midnight and she’d been in the tub for nearly an hour.

Quickly draining the tub, she rose and grabbed the towel on the chair, scrunching up her nose as she glanced down at her prune-like, wrinkled fingers.

After coming back from the club with Shane, she’d had her world turned upside down and sideways, and she still didn’t know what in the hell had happened.

She’d quickly found Jake and gave a rushed expla
nation that she wasn’t feeling well and needed to leave. When he’d offered to take her home, she assured him she could make it back to the station on her own, encouraging him to enjoy the rest of the night and that she’d already called a cab, which was now waiting for her.

She’d met Shane at the door and followed him outside to his truck. The drive back to the station had been quiet, the conversation forced, at best. The air of expectancy and the tension were so thick her gut had twisted into a series of knots. Finally she’d given up trying to come up with conversation, instead staring out the window as he sped along the nearly deserted streets.

When they’d reached the station he’d dropped her off at her room, saying he would see her in the morning, leaving Emma at her door, bewildered and more than a little frustrated, wondering what had happened.

After the way he’d opened up to her…and, God, the way the man had kissed her, she had been fully prepared for…

She shook her head. She didn’t understand him. Period.

One thing she did know was that his on-again, off-again treatment was getting real old, real fast. She sighed, pushing the depressing thoughts away, and rose from the bath.

She swiped an oversize towel from the hook and brushed it over her body before donning the flimsy robe near the hook, slipping her arms through the sleeves.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Not bothering to try
and locate her slippers, she hurried from the bathroom while cinching the ties to the robe tightly around her naked body.

She opened the door a fraction, peeking through. Standing on the other side of the door was Shane, his broad back facing her. For a minute she was tempted to slam the door shut. Her emotions—or her libido, for that matter—couldn’t take another dose of Shane Westwood tonight.

“I, uh, just got out of the bathtub. And it’s late…is this important?” she asked, ready to close the door.

At the sound of her voice he turned, facing her. His eyes went to her mouth. Emma felt the heat instantly flame in her cheeks. Against her will, she felt her nipples surge, beading against the thin fabric of her robe.

She knew he couldn’t see her well through the small crack, yet she clutched the lapels of her robe, bringing the ends tight against her throat.

“I know. I won’t take much of your time. Can I please come in, Emma?”

Wary, she paused, before nodding her head and opening the door for him to come inside.

When Shane walked in, his gaze swept around the small room before he finally turned and faced her.

“Look, I came here to apologize. I can’t explain what happens to me whenever I’m around you. It’s like I become an entirely different person. I—” He stopped, at a loss for what to say next.

He took a step closer to her and stopped when she stepped back.

“Can we start over?”

Earlier tonight, he’d disclosed things he never had with anyone else to her. She’d gotten got inside his head more than anyone, and he was still trying to figure out how.

He felt like a rookie on his first live fire mission whenever he was around her. Ready, but his gut tied in knots.

He moved closer, until he was less than a foot from her. This time she didn’t retreat.

His gaze hungrily brushed over her body. Her smooth, rich chocolate-colored skin glistened with dew from her recent bath, the dark color beautiful against the flaming-red robe she wore.

The amber glow from the small lamp on her bedside table highlighted her, clearly outlining her perfect, nearly naked body. His body hardened to a nearly painful degree when he noticed her dark nipples jut beneath the robe, poking against the thin fabric.

His lust for her was getting out of control. He reached out and brushed the backs of his fingertips over one satin-covered breast, over the nipple that extended, growing harder beneath his fingers. As though in a trance, he leaned down and covered her breast with his mouth through the silky material.

She exhaled a long, sweet sound that blew over his senses like warm rain as he pulled her tight little nub into his mouth. Through the thin, silky fabric, he felt
her nipple, hard against his tongue. He finally released it and had to steady her as she swayed on her feet.

“Shane…” His name came out low and husky. He dragged his gaze away from her perfect breasts and sought her eyes.

“God, you’re beautiful.”

Her lips parted and her tongue swept over the full bottom rim. Shane dragged her unresisting body close and felt the steady thump of her racing heartbeat against his chest. He leaned down, running the side of his face against her neck. Her scent, a unique feminine mixture of soap and flowers and woman, assaulted his nostrils, surrounding him.

He pulled away, brought his hand to her face, stroking the soft skin of her cheek, his fingers trailing down the line of her throat. He stopped at the lapels of her robe. He held her gaze, the two of them locked in a sensual web, the air around them growing thick, heady, palpable with lust and need.

One finger toyed back and forth across the soft, smooth skin at the crest of her breasts before he retraced his path—his hand snaking around her neck, his fingers tunneling into her hair—and lowered his head. A whispery breath of need escaped her partially opened lips seconds before their lips touched.

With a low groan, Shane pulled her tight, molding her sweet curves to his. His hands moved down her body, past her waist and over her rounded hips before skimming the silk-covered surface of her behind.

Impatiently, he placed his hands beneath her robe, pushing it to the side and exposing her, his hand moving
past the skimpy material of her panties and cupping one round, firm cheek.

He swirled his tongue around her welcoming mouth before hollowing it and lapping it against hers. A sharp, aching hunger for her rose, sharp and immediate. He stroked the satiny skin of her bottom as he explored the slick heat of her willing mouth. She released a whimpering cry that echoed within his mouth.

His erection strained against his jeans, growing thicker, harder, the longer they kissed. When he felt her nipples tighten and spike beneath the skimpy robe, felt her frantic tugging on the back of his head to draw him nearer, he pulled away.

He rested his forehead against hers, both of their breathing labored.

“No…wha…what?” Emma cried, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck, trying to pull his head back down to hers.

He opened his mouth and covered hers, briefly licking the seam, end to end, tugging on her luscious full lips, before pulling away again. Her minty breath mingled with his and he groaned huskily and spoke against her mouth.

“If we don’t stop now, Emma, I don’t think I can. And as much as I want to pick you up and do all kinds of carnal things to this sexy body of yours—” He stopped, drawing in a deep breath. “I don’t want you to think I’m trying to manipulate you, trying to—” He closed his eyes. “I just don’t want to screw this up. I—”

When she placed a hand over his lips, his eyes opened to see her staring up at him.

“You’re not manipulating me. I know exactly what I’m doing. I know exactly what I want.”

He drew in a harsh breath when her small hand reached between their bodies to stroke the front of his pants, cupping his bulge through the thick fabric of his jeans.

“And what I want is you. Now.”

Shane knew there was no way in hell he could walk away from her. He’d tried chivalry. He had tried dropping her off back at her place alone. Hell, he had even just tried to give Emma another chance to call it quits before this whole thing got started. But she didn’t, and they were both in for a long night.

A
s she stared up at him, the lids of her eyes were low and sultry while her focused fingers molded themselves around his shaft. His gaze was drawn to her lips, full, red and swollen from his kisses, begging for him to touch them, to kiss her until their gasps were so intertwined that they breathed as one.

Growing uncomfortably thick in his jeans, Shane knew if he didn’t get away from her soon he’d have her on the bed, spread out, with him between her legs in two seconds flat.

“Are you sure?” he asked, and held his breath.

When he felt her nod of assent, he wasted no time. After quickly removing his jeans and shirt, throwing them on the floor next to the bed, he lifted her in his arms. Carrying her the short distance, he lowered her
on the bed before gently letting her down, covering her body with his.

He placed his hands on either side of her face, lowered his mouth and kissed her, groaning when her tongue eagerly reached out to meet his, inviting him inside.

Emma moaned into his mouth her body on fire, as he ground against her, the tip of his naked shaft hot and hard against her thigh. She ground right back against him, welcoming him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him even closer.

When she felt a dewy, sticky moisture on her thigh, a measure of sanity prevailed, and she placed her hand against his chest.

“What?” he asked huskily, running his mouth along her jaw.

She groaned when his tongue snaked out and licked the area his lips had caressed. But again she placed a restraining hand against his chest, moving him away.

“Protection…” She blew out a frustrated breath. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her. But she couldn’t make love to him without protection.

“I—I’m sorry Shane. But, I can’t. Not without—” Her words were cut off by his lips on hers. He pulled away, a sheepish look on his face.

“It’s okay. God, I can’t believe I almost forgot.”

Shane couldn’t believe he’d been seconds away from pushing into her, with no thought to her protection.

Not once—from the time he’d even been sexually involved with a woman until now—had that
ever
happened. Damn…he’d think about the significance of that later.

Right now, he needed to take care of her so they could pick up where they left off.

He moved away, snatching his jeans from the floor near the bed. He removed the foil-wrapped package and tossed the jeans to the side, ripping into the foil with his teeth and glancing over at her.

For a quick second he paused, wondering what she thought of him, condom in his wallet, as though this were something he did regularly. He was by no means a saint, yet he was discriminate in who he had sex with. He didn’t have to wonder long, because soon Emma’s hand reached out, covering both his hand and his erection. He paused, glancing over at her.

“Let me,” she said, using her soft hand to gently push his away, taking over the job for him.

Emma lay on the bed, her body tingling, needy, on fire, wanting…needing to feel him back on her, covering her with his body. He’d made short work out of removing his clothes; jeans dispatched swiftly, shirt pulled over his head, shoes kicked off, and she had gasped when he turned, showing her what he was working with.

She’d suspected he was well endowed. She could tell from the hint of bulge discernible beneath his workout clothes. But dear God. She had no idea he would be this…beautiful.

His shaft resembled a perfectly sculpted piece of art. Smooth, the color was a shade darker than the rest of his body. Such a beautiful piece of masculinity.

She drew in a shaky breath.

It was so beautiful she needed to touch it. Had to touch it. Had to know what it felt like beneath her hands. Outline it with her fingers…

She pushed up onto her knees on the bed, and his surprised eyes met hers.

Emma pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she pushed his hand away. Taking the condom away from him, she placed it on the bed beside her and grasped his penis.

He drew in a shuddering breath when her fingers brushed over him, feathering along the thick, dark vein that ran beneath his shaft, from the top of the smooth mushroom head to the stem and back again.

She wiped away a dewy bead from the tip with the pad of a finger. She glanced up at him from beneath lowered lashes, a small smile tipping the edges of her lips up as she noted the fine tremor of his hands, clenched at his sides.

She circled the thick length between her fingers, scoring his shaft before carefully grasping his heavy sac that hung like ripe plums behind his shaft.

When he groaned, she raised her eyes to meet his.

“God, Emma…baby…if you keep touching me like that, this won’t last long,” the words sounded strangled coming from his throat.

She grinned, allowing the heavy orbs to fall from her hand, lifting the condom from the bed beside her.

“May I?” she asked, raising her eyes to meet his. When he groaned this time, she laughed lightly, enjoying the way her touch affected him.

When she raised her soulful brown eyes to meet his, the look in them was a heady combination of innocence and seduction, and he nearly came on the spot. Every nerve ending was on fire, his body trembling with her innocent, hot touch. It only increased as he watched Emma pick up the condom beside her and remove it from the package.

In one smooth move she rolled it over his straining erection and lowered herself back down on the bed.

He rubbed the tip of his shaft back and forth between the lips of her moist folds. Her skin was soft, silky. Feminine perfection.

She drew in a gasping breath, her body arching off the bed with his playful swipes between her sensitive lips.

“Please…oh, please…” she moaned. The sweet sound of her cries rang out when he brought his mouth down to claim a breast.

Shane wanted, needed, to take his time with her. Needed to explore every inch of her decadent curves. Make love to every part of her.

He had to do whatever it took to end the feral need in him to claim her. Because once he claimed her, his fascination with her would end. At least that’s what he told himself.

He drew a dark brown nipple deeply into his mouth, running his tongue over it before clamping his teeth down lightly.

“Shane…” she moaned again, this time her voice was sharp, piercing as she drew out his name. Her slightly
husky voice echoed in the dark, quiet room and slid over his body like a warm silken caress.

The wet sound of her nipple smacking out of his mouth as he released her was hidden beneath the sound of her mewling cries as he inserted a finger inside her heat, testing her readiness.

He added another finger, stretching her slowly. He barely held back the need to spread her legs wide and push into her warmth when her walls tightened on his finger, clamping down.

Withdrawing her moisture, he brought it to his mouth. Keeping his eyes on hers, he licked his finger clean of her essence. Her eyes glittered with a wildness that mirrored his need.

It was time to end the tension that had been brewing between them. He inhaled deeply, taking in her unique smell, which tangled with his senses and made him go rock hard, from zero to a hundred miles in two seconds flat.

“Are you ready?” he asked, whispering the words against the corner of her mouth.

Emma went weak at the knees. She felt her own essence run down the side of her legs when his warm breath moved from her mouth to trail along the side of her neck, the slightly scratchy feel of his day beard setting off a sizzling, achy sensation along her body.

She was so ready that she was delirious.

“Mmm,” she moaned, arching her body off the bed and gasping when he nosed the side her neck and
nuzzled the sensitive skin directly beneath her earlobe. “Yes…”

The lids of her eyes drooped low as he grasped both of her wrists within one of his big hands and brought her arms up, above her head, causing her breasts to press against each other.

“Keep your hands, there. Don’t move them,” he instructed, and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming out.

He snaked down her body, grasped each of her thighs, and moments later his mouth touched the inside of her leg, nibbling the sensitive inner skin.

Butterflies fluttered violently in her stomach as she shut her eyes tightly and squirmed on the bed. He gently pushed her legs apart when she tried to clamp them together, her action an instinctual feminine defensive move against what he was making her feel.

“Oh, God, Shane,” she moaned, her breath coming out in hitched puffs of air. She felt his rumbling, low laugh against her inner thigh.

Licking and biting his way along one thigh, only to turn to the other, giving it equal, sweet, decadent attention, the slightly rough skin of his cheek rubbed against her mound, back and forth in a see-sawing motion. Seconds later, he parted the lips of her vagina, and his tongue snaked out to stroke between her moist folds. The kiss was hot, dangerous and lethal.

With mind-blowing precision, he catered to her, licking and suckling, ferreting out the small nub of her clitoris and pulling it into his mouth.

Emma’s head tossed back and forth on the pillow,
her body on fire with need. Ignoring his edict to keep her hands above her, she reached down to grasp his head.

Tunneling her hands through his silky strands, she pulled him closer, her body moving in sensual rhythm to the strokes of his talented tongue.

She felt her orgasm unfurl. Snaking though her body, a tingling sensation started in her toes and worked through her body, coiling though her senses before detonating.

The explosion was as intense as it was unexpected.

Emma shouted out loudly. No longer caring if anyone could hear them, she screamed her release, grinding her body against his mouth as he continued his sensual assault against her body.

Head thrown back, muscles straining, taut, on fire, her body arched sharply off the bed as she allowed the orgasm to wash over her.

He pushed her legs up so that her feet were planted on the bed, with him lying between her spread thighs. He grasped her hips, his fingers digging into their fleshy skin.

“Look at me.” His voice was layered with lust, need and wild desire.

When she glanced up and met his eyes at the sensual command, she felt the broad head of his shaft at her entry.

Licking her lips, her eyes trailed over his face.

Her glance moved down the flaring at the ends of his nostrils, to the tightness of his jaw as though he were holding back, waiting, his eyes darkened with lust.

“Now…I need you now.”

With her heartbeat thudding erratically in her chest, Emma gave him the permission he was waiting for.

Her breath came out in a long hiss when he began to enter her body.

Slowly, inch by decadent inch, he pushed into her, covering her body and claiming her mouth, pressing his tongue inside, deep.

Emma moaned against his mouth, squirmed beneath his body, trying desperately to adjust to his thickness; his unyielding invasion. One part of her felt trapped beneath him, afraid, like a wild animal caught, as he continued to feed her more of himself, stretching her so wide she felt every hot, torrid, unrelenting inch of him as he pressed deep inside her.

He cupped her buttocks and lifted her tighter against his body, swallowing her cry within the warmth of his mouth.

When he broke the kiss, he trailed his mouth over her face, until he reached her neck, licking the sensitive spot directly behind her ear.

“Emma…Emma!” Repositioning them, smoothly in one move, she straddled him, her legs on either side of his hips.

“I’ve wanted to feel you like this…” His hips rotated in slow, sure strokes deep within her, and Emma drew in a swift breath, clutching at his wide forearms to brace herself for the ride.

“To see you like this…” Another deep stroke and stars exploded behind her tightly closed lids.

The bed practically vibrated, and she opened her
eyes to see he’d lifted his torso into an upright position, their bodies in complete alignment. He palmed the back of her head, bringing her face closer to his, and immediately nuzzled the side of her neck.

“Since the moment we met…” His voice was barely more than a growl against her neck. His tongue swiped out to lick a hot path along her collarbone. “You taste so good. Feel so good…so damn good.”

“Yes…”

She turned into his caress, her body adjusting to his. The strain from his entry now easing, they established a smooth, easy rhythm.

“You, too. You feel…you feel so good…so good,” she chanted over and over in panting breaths and broken sentences, barely able to speak, much less form coherent words.

As Shane moved inside her, he couldn’t get close enough. It seemed like an eternity that he’d wanted to feel her, to taste her.

As he made love to her, every movement of her body, every moan she uttered made him want to beat his chest and go caveman on her, let the world know that it was he who had made her feel this good.

He gritted his teeth together, biting back the need to flip her on her back, to ride her harder until they both exploded.

As she grew comfortable to his girth, her legs widened, giving him easier access to her body. Gliding her body up and down along his shaft, riding him nice
and slow, she made love to him in a way no one woman ever had before.

Shane prided himself on his longevity. Easily outlasting lovers in the past, he always made sure their pleasure came before he took his own, but he wasn’t sure he could do that this time. Not with Emma.

As her hips rolled against his, their bodies in perfect harmony, he placed his hands along her bouncing bottom and grunted. “I don’t know how long I can last, baby…you fit me so snug—so damn perfect.”

He heard her breathless laugh before she replied, “Good, because I feel the same way.”

Several more thrusts into her warm sheath, her soft belly brushing against his with every bounce and glide, and he felt his groin tingle, and knew his release was seconds away.

He pulled away from her and flipped her on her back, eliciting a surprised groan from her, her passion-glazed eyes staring up at him.