Full Exposure: A Loveswept Contemporary Erotic Romance (21 page)

Tonight hadn’t been nearly as bad as he’d expected. It hadn’t been good—particularly with Steve and Marsha prodding him every ten seconds, expecting him to jump through hoops for the art patrons who’d shown up. More than once he’d been ready to tell Steve to go to hell, but then Serena would touch him. A hand on his shoulder, an arm around his waist, a kiss on his cheek. She calmed him without even trying, relaxed him in an environment that usually set his teeth on edge.

Not that he was dying to go to another opening anytime soon, but at least he’d made it through this one without incident. Something Steve and Marsha agreed would go into the record books. He smiled briefly, remembering his last gallery show. A group of
patrons had been standing around discussing the meaning behind two of his sculptures and doing a piss-poor job of it. He’d finally had enough and told them in no uncertain terms how stupid and unimaginative he thought their interpretations were before knocking a full champagne tray to the floor and storming out of the gallery.

His smile widened. Steve and Marsha had had to do a lot of cleanup on that one, which in his mind made the whole thing even sweeter. The fact that over fifty pieces had sold that night just proved what he’d been saying all along—it really was all about the art. Nobody cared if he was suave and sophisticated or brash and backward. The art was the important thing.

But there had been no such outbursts tonight—no flaring tempers, no need to escape. Serena had calmed him, centered him and he’d found himself, if not enjoying his time at the gallery, then at least tolerating the forced interaction with others.

The water in the adjoining bathroom stopped running and his entire body tightened with anticipation. He might only have Serena for a little while longer, but he was going to put every minute of that time to good use. She’d seduced him last night—now it was his turn to return the favor.

He got up and dimmed the lights. Lit the candles he’d asked room service to deliver. Answered the knock at the door indicating their late-night snack had arrived. He tipped the waiter and ushered him out of the room just as Serena opened the bathroom door, wrapped in a brown silk robe he’d never seen before.

Her dark chocolate eyes found his across the shadowy room and clung, even as she tightened the robe’s sash around her waist. She looked … nervous, he decided. Good. He liked knowing that he unsettled her, that he could break through her cool reserve without even trying.

“Champagne?” he asked, reaching for the open bottle behind him.

Her eyes widened as she saw the table that room service had set up. “Where did that come from?” she asked.

“Steve’s not the only one who can work a little magic.” He filled a champagne flute before holding it out to her. “Are you hungry?”

“Starved.” She accepted the glass, her body brushing against his as she reached for a strawberry. “It’s been a long day.”

“Tell me about it.” He grabbed the lapels of her robe, pulled her close for a kiss. Their lips met, clung. What he’d intended to be sweet turned wild in an instant.

Serena moaned and pressed tightly against Kevin as her body ignited. No one ever made her feel the way he did. No one even came close. He’d shaken her up with his talk of the future earlier, but she was sure she could get around him. Convince him that the present was the only place that mattered. Talk him into enjoying what they had as long as they had it.

His lips sipped tenderly from hers. His tongue lightly stroked her bottom lip. His hands skimmed gently over her back, as if afraid of pressing too hard on the bruises that had formed on her delicate skin.

“Thank you,” she murmured against his mouth.

“For what?” His lips skimmed across her forehead, over her cheek, down her neck.

“For saving my life. For holding me when I fell apart. For taking such good care of me.”

“I’ll always take care of you,
bebe. Je t’aime
. I love you.”

Serena shook her head, shut out the incredible sweetness of his words. Unable to answer Kevin, she returned his sentiments in the only way she could. Pulling his mouth back to hers, she nibbled his upper lip before sliding her tongue against his. And in an instant, what she had intended to be fast and frenzied turned soft and sweet.

Moaning low in her throat, she closed her eyes against the sudden, insistent sting of tears. She took a deep breath and inhaled the familiar, musky scent of him. She licked her lips and tasted him there. Reached out her hands and felt his smooth skin, his hard muscles. How could she walk away when the book was done? How could she give him up when all she wanted to do was hold on forever?

But happiness was fleeting and there was no guarantee on human life. She’d learned that lesson early and well. Determined to enjoy the time they had left, she slowly unbuttoned Kevin’s shirt before pushing it off his shoulders.

Her head dipped and she traced the strong lines of his chest with her tongue. Kevin groaned, fisted a hand in her hair and tugged her face up to meet his.

“Tonight we do it my way.” He traced the soft, outer shell of her ear. Ran his
tongue over the hollows of her throat. Skimmed his lips over her chest until he found one ripe, raspberry nipple and pulled it into his mouth.

Serena’s knees went weak as her awareness shrank to encompass Kevin and only Kevin. Her hands fisted in his glorious hair and she arched her back, offering him everything that she had, everything that she was. To hell with the future and to hell with the consequences. She wanted him, needed him, and for this brief moment of time he was hers.

Kevin eased her onto the bed, untying her robe as she went so that she was bared to him. He stretched out beside her but didn’t touch her. Serena moved restlessly, frustrated and aroused nearly beyond reason. He was close enough that she could feel his breath against her cheek, but whenever she turned toward him he moved just a little farther away.

“Kevin!” She sounded petulant, demanding, but couldn’t stop herself. Her breasts throbbed and her inner thighs ached. She wanted him to take away the pain.

“Serena!” The word was low, mocking and his voice was filled with laughter. “Do you want something?”

“Yes.” She reached a hand toward him, but once again he moved beyond her grasp.

“What do you want?”

“You know.” She kept her voice low and her eyes averted.

“I don’t.” He waited until her eyes lifted to meet his. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“Kevin!”

He skimmed his lips over her shoulder, then pulled away abruptly. “What do you want, Serena?” His voice was hoarser than it had been, but she was too aroused to notice.

Rising up on her elbows, she glared at him with hot eyes. “You! I want you.” Her eyes narrowed even as she rubbed her leg against him. “But that could change at any second.”

He merely laughed at her threat and for a moment she was afraid her concession hadn’t been enough. But then he leaned over her and licked a slow, hot path from her collarbone to her navel. She gasped, arched up, clutched at him desperately. He laughed again, and her stomach tightened as the sound vibrated over her abdomen. “Somehow I
doubt that,” he murmured, continuing his trail from her belly button to the top of her well-trimmed pubic hair.

Serena wailed his name before she could stop herself. “Fuck me. Please fuck me.” The words poured out before she could stop them.

“How?” he asked. His mouth was hot against her, his tongue poised over her clit.

Her hips arched involuntarily, and she gasped with relief as his tongue swept over her. Once, twice. He pulled away and she nearly sobbed with disappointment.

“You didn’t answer me, Serena.
How
do you want me to fuck you?” His voice was an aroused growl and she took solace in knowing that she was driving him nearly as crazy as he had driven her.

“You know.” She wanted to beg, but some vestige of pride prevented it.

“Tell me anyway.” He leaned over her, his blue eyes burning brightly, darkly. “Where do you want my cock?” He ran his tongue over her suddenly dry lips. “In your mouth?” he asked, before licking his way to her breasts. “Between your tits?”

She whimpered, bucked against him as her need shot out of control. “Yes,” she gasped. “Yes!”

He straddled her, his eyes gleaming. “But I haven’t finished listing your choices.” He kissed her breasts, drew first one nipple and then the other into his mouth as his talented fingers rubbed teasingly over her breasts.

He rolled her over, worked his way down her spine one delicious lick at a time. Without warning, his teeth sunk into her ass, nipping her before his tongue soothed away the sting. Straddling her, he grabbed a wrist in each hand, spread-eagling her before she knew what was happening, holding her in place while he explored every inch of her back.

“Is this what you want?” His black-magic voice was darker, more seductive than usual, as he traced the line of her ass teasingly. “Do you want it here?”

He followed the line around until he found her, hotter and wetter than she’d ever been. He pulled her onto her knees, slid his hand under her to get better access to the slick, hidden folds, his fingers running back and forth against her slit over and over again. Dipping inside just enough to make her crazy, rubbing her inner lips just hard enough to have her gasping for breath and pressing back against him.

“This is what you want, isn’t it,
bebe
? You want me right here, between your
thighs.” He thrust one finger inside of her hard, followed it with another and another. Her inner muscles clutched at the fingers greedily and Serena screamed at the pleasure he brought her.

“That feels so good,” she gasped, moving her hips in rhythm with his questing fingers. “
You
feel so good.”

She looked over her shoulder at Kevin, saw a dark intensity shining in his eyes that she’d never seen before. For a minute he looked wicked, wild, and she knew that she should be afraid. Afraid of the passion and the darkness inside of him. Afraid of those same qualities he brought alive within her. But she was too far gone to worry about it, too aroused to do anything but ride out the unbelievable sensations he drew from her body without any effort at all.

“It’s about to feel better,” he murmured, shifting so he lay beneath her, her legs on either side of his head.

His tongue—talented, terrible—darted out, caressed her inner folds again and again. Serena spread her legs wider, seeking something more, something deeper. With a groan of ecstasy, he clutched her ass, spread her legs as wide as possible and thrust his tongue deep inside her.

She came instantly, screaming and bucking wildly against his mouth. He held her in place, his iron grip unbreakable as he continued to lick and suck her through the first climax and into a second before he relented.

Serena settled herself next to Kevin with a low, satisfied moan. She was focused inward as aftershocks of incredible ecstasy continued to rack her body. She kept her eyes closed as she savored them, one after the other. Sweat gleamed on her brow as she sucked air into her oxygen-deprived lungs and her hips moved restlessly against the bedspread, searching for Kevin.

He was right next to her, smiling, as he reached a hand out to stroke her hair. To toy with the pearl necklace she still wore. “I couldn’t get it off when I undressed.” She answered his unasked question as she stretched against him. Her smile was lazy, her voice content even as she reached for him. “Your turn.”

“Not yet.” He shook his head, his eyes as turbulent and mysterious as the ocean she could see from the hotel balcony.

Her hand found his erection and she pumped gently as she ran her thumb back and forth over the tip. “Now.” She leaned forward and took him in her mouth, savoring his low groan as much as the feel of him against her lips, in her mouth.

His hands fisted in Serena’s hair before he could stop himself, anchoring her in place as she did the most amazing things with her mouth. He watched her lips sliding up and down his cock, watched her tongue swirl around him, pausing to flick at the drop of moisture he couldn’t stop. He hadn’t thought it possible, but he grew longer, thicker, harder.

He ran a finger lightly down her cheek, marveling at the delicate skin. She was so beautiful, so fragile, that he feared breaking her every time he put his hands on her. Even so, he couldn’t stop, couldn’t let her go. She was his and she would remain his.

Groaning as she took his entire length in her mouth, Kevin couldn’t stop the involuntary thrusting of his hips against her. But she didn’t mind—instead, she reached beneath him, cupped his ass and held him to her as her teeth lightly scraped the underside of his cock.

He took the incredible, mind-blowing torture as long as he possibly could. But when he was as close to coming as he dared get, he sat up abruptly and flipped her onto her back.

She looked up at him with passion-glazed eyes, licked her lips as if savoring his taste. Sweat trickled down his forehead and over his chest as he fought for control of his raging body. This night was for Serena, he reminded himself. There was plenty of time, later, to take care of his own needs. Besides, watching her come again and again was almost more pleasure than he could bear.

“Why did you stop me?” she asked, eyeing the rampant proof of his desire for her.

“When I come, it’ll be inside you.” His voice was harsh, rusty with need.

“Sounds good to me,” she purred, turning behind her to the nightstand and the brand new box of condoms that rested there.

He took advantage of her turned back, reaching up and unhooking her necklace before she realized it. She turned back, eyebrows raised. “What are you doing?” she asked.

His grin was wicked. “I have a better use for these.”

“Better use?” She frowned as she mulled over his words. He knew the exact second they sank in because her eyes widened in surprise. “Really? That’s not just a myth?”

“Definitely not. Now lay down.”

She followed his directions, her eyes both wary and excited as he began arousing her all over again. His lips were everywhere at once—her face, her breasts, the back of her knees, her shoulders, her ankles. Every place he touched caught fire and soon she was thrashing against him, as desperate for him as he was for her.