Last Resort (58 page)

he sajd, bringing her mouth back to his. As his tongue found hers again his arms tightened around her, crushing h r to him.

She could feel the masculine beauty o/ his body beneath her hands, the firmness of his muscles, the tautness of his skin, the coarse hair on hjs arms, the commanding pressure of his mouth. The incredible scent of him stole into her senses and the taste of Jyjn inflamed her; her whole being was alive with his touch.

He led her into the casita, then drawing fter to him again he pressed himself so hard against hej- s[ie moaned aloud at the exquisiteness of the urgency ar j pain.

It wasn't easy for her to tell him she loved him, but once she'd found the words she repeated theni over and over, kissing him frantically, tearing at his shift, ripping open his jeans and gasping at the consuming need that engulfed her as her fingers encircled him.

"Jesus, Penny,"

he groaned, his head falling b#ck as she tightened her grip. His hands were on her shoulders and she looked down at the solid, dark power of his erection straining in her hand. Every part of her actigj with the need to feel him inside her, but as his finge found her buttons she suddenly drew back, turning avvay from him.

"Penny?"

he said, trying to pull her back,

"fertny, what is it? Did I hurt you? Penny, look at me."

"I can't,"

she choked.

"I just..."

She couldn't gp on. The shame of what Christian had said the night before had suddenly found her. She hated herself for letting it come between them now, was furious that she st ld even allow it to matter. But she was terrified that rjavid too would compare her with Gabriella. And if he jjd, would 453

he find her lacking too? She couldn't bear the humiliation and as her chest heaved with the misery she knew she couldn't tell him what was wrong. She didn't want him to remember too.

"I'm sorry/ she said, taking a breath as she wiped away the tears.

"I love you, David. I love you so much, but..."

"But what?"

he prompted gently.

She tried to make herself smile, then dropped her head in her hands.

"Oh God, it's no good,"

she cried.

"I can't do this. I can't bear you to see me ... 1 don't want you to

/

"Hey, hey,"

he interrupted, half laughing, half serious.

"If you're saying what I think you're saying then you're a bit late for such modesty."

"Don't mock me, David, not now."

"Who's mocking?"

he said, his eyes softening as he stroked his fingers over her cheek.

"Who do you think bathed you? Who do you think washed your hair and dressed you in one of his shirts?"

She looked up at him, desperate to know, despite the gentle tease in his eyes, what he had really felt when he'd seen her naked.

His smile widened and, rolling her eyes, she started to laugh.

"How do you always manage to make me feel such a fool?"

she said.

"Even at a time like this."

"Beats the hell out of me/ he grinned, taking her hand and putting it back where it had been.

"Can we turn out the light?"

she said, feeling as ridiculous as she knew she sounded.

"Uh-uh/ he said, shaking his head.

"I want to look at you. I want to see you when you'

"No, David, please ..."

Tes/ he said.

His hands moved carefully, peeling away her shirt, lowering her panties, caressing her, then kissing her in all the places he had touched. When finally she was

454

naked, he slipped out of his jeans, then led her to the bed and laid her down.

"I love you/ he whispered as he lay down next to her.

She gazed at him, her heart too full to speak.

Then he propped himself on one elbow and, making certain she was watching him, he moved his eyes lingeringly to her breasts, to her navel, and down over her thighs, before returning slowly back to her face.

"I love all of you,"

he told her,

"and one of these days I'm going to make you see how beautiful you are."

As her throat tightened she turned her face away. The memory of Christian's words wouldn't leave her, the image of Gabriella's beauty was still diminishing her, and though she detested herself for it she seemed unable to banish it.

"Listen to me,"

he said, turning her head back and kissing her gently on the lips.

"I love you, Penny Moon. I love you more than I know how to say and I want you right now like I've never wanted anyone in my life. But if you don't want to do this, then we don't have to. OK?"

She looked long into his eyes, half expecting him to laugh, but he didn't. It felt suddenly strange to be lying here like this with him. It was all happening so fast; the trauma of what she had been through was still stalking her. Yet she wanted him, she wanted him so badly.

His eyes remained on hers as he lifted a hand to stroke the hair from her face.

"How about we make love without having sex?"

he whispered.

Despite herself, Penny laughed. "That's not possible,"

she said.

"Sure it's possible. Want me to show you?"

Tes,"

she whispered as his lips came back to hers.

He rolled her gently on to her back, exposing her to his touch. His fingers trailed a slow, tantalizing path from her neck to her breasts. He lifted them in turn, circled each hard, rosy nipple with his tongue, then pulled it tightly into his mouth.

455

'Watch me/ he whispered, slipping an arm under her shoulders to raise her.

"Watch my hands touching you."

His words ignited such a fire of lust in her that any lingering inhibitions she had were instantly forgotten. All she wanted now was for him to do with her whatever he wanted, to go on and on until she could take no more. She watched his dark, masculine hand caressing the white, velvety softness of her flesh and moaned aloud at the exquisite sensation of her nipples between his fingers.

"Do you want me to make you come this way?"

he

murmured.

Weakly she shook her head. She didn't doubt that he could, but she wasn't ready for that yet.

Making sure she was still watching him, he lowered his hand to the gentle mound of her belly and circled it out over her hips, pressing his fingers into the abundant, creamy flesh, then trailing them down over her thighs. She was too far gone by now to care any more about their fullness: she just wanted him to go on touching her

for ever.

His hand came back to her face and horned it to him. He sucked her lips between his own.

"Open your legs,"

he

whispered.

Obediently she parted her legs, then watched his fingers move into the dark thatch of her pubic hair. His eyes were on her face as she followed the path of his hand over the insides of her thighs, then back to her pubic hair. She gasped and turned her face into his neck as his finger found her clitoris and began to slide gently back

and forth.

"Do you want my fingers inside you?"

he asked, his

voice thick with his own desire.

"Yes/ she whimpered.

"Oh God, yes."

"Right up inside you?"

"As far as they can go/ she answered, her legs opening wider as he began pushing his fingers into her.

"Oh God,

456

David/ she cried as he entered her deeply.

She lay still, rigid with desire, feeling her body pulse to the point of explosion as he moved his fingers in and out of her while stroking her clitoris with his thumb.

"Feel good?"

he murmured.

"Mmm/ she answered, unable to say more.

Want my tongue there?"

"Oh David/ she groaned as lust eddied throughout her entire body.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes. It's a yes."

Removing his fingers, he knelt over her. She was so ready for him that even as his tongue found her she could feel the initial pull of orgasm beginning. He opened her wide with his thumbs and took her in his mouth, sucking her, teasing her, massaging her and penetrating her with his tongue. Her head rolled from side to side and her outstretched hands clenched at the sheets, twisting them around her fingers as the impossible sensations throbbed through her lower body until she could take no more.

"David/ she murmured. Her eyes were glazed as she pulled herself up, moving to him, reaching for his hardness and finding it as his mouth found hers. Her fingers enclosed him; the excruciating hardness felt as though it might erupt at any second. He groaned into her open mouth and tried to push her back against the pillows, but she was already moving away. And then her mouth , was where her fingers had been, closing around him, clenching him, sucking him and pulling him deeper and deeper into her throat. He was too big for her to take it all, but as her fingers massaged his balls, holding them, squeezing them, moving to his anus, pressing inside, she was driving him to the point of madness. He fell back against the bed, unable to feel or think beyond what she was doing to him.

It was only moments before his seed began its rapid, burning ascent that she let go and drew herself up to

457

f

look at him.

His eyes were watching her, steeped in love and lust. He lifted a hand and stroked it lazily over her breasts.

"You're blowing my mind/ he told her softly.

Is this making love without having sex?"

she smiled

shakily.

This is making love/ he answered.

Her eyes moved to the straining bulk of his erection, then back to his face.

"I want to be inside you, Pen/ he said gruffly.

"Which way do you want me?"

she asked.

"Oh, Jesus Christ/ he groaned. Then suddenly she was in his arms and he was rolling on to her, pushing his legs between hers.

"I want to see your face. I want to watch you come/ he said as she wrapped her legs around his

waist.

Lifting himself up on one arm, he reached down and guided himself to her. As she felt the tip of him probing her she whispered his name.

Looking at her, he said,

"I love you, Penny. I love you so god-damned much."

"I love you too/ she said, her eyes fluttering closed as she savoured every moment of the penetration. He pulled back, then pushed in again. The feel of her around him was exquisite. He waited for her eyes to open, moving himself gently in and out of her, but he could see that she was lost to the sensations of what he was doing. Then suddenly he slammed into her, penetrating her as far as he could. Her back arched as she cried out. Her hands gripped him; her legs tightened about his waist. His muscles were like steel as he hammered himself faster and faster into her. She was meeting each thrust, pulling him down to her, searching for his mouth.

T love you/ he said again, bruising her lips with his own. His hands slipped under her buttocks, urging her up to him. Then, raising himself on his arms, he looked down to where their bodies were joined and together 458

they watched his penis plunging into her.

She looked up at his face, saw the hard clench of his jaw and ran her hands over the solid strength of his arms. Then suddenly he changed the rhythm and movement of his hips. He caught her scream in his mouth as he drove into her, harder and harder, faster and faster.

"David/ she moaned deliriously.

"Oh my God, I can't bear it."

Her shoulders pressed hard into the bed and her arms fell away. She was too weak to hold him, too overcome by the sheer power of what was happening to her. He reached for her hands and curled his fingers tightly around hers. The relentless assault on her senses was pushing her to the point of frenzy. Then the surging power of her orgasm erupted around him in a blinding mass of sensation.

"David,"

she gasped.

"Oh my God, David!"

She felt so full of him, so utterly a part of him, that the sudden flood of his own release and the seething might of the contractions that seized them both drew him deeper and deeper into her.

"David!"

she cried.

"David, I can't."

"Stay with it/ he gasped.

"You're there. Just stay with it."

Her back arched and he grabbed her to him, holding her up and plunging into her as the final rush of his seed shuddered from his body.

"Don't stop/ she begged.

"David, please don't stop."

Only then did he realize that she was about to come again, one orgasm right after the other. He spun her over, sat her astride him and continued to pump his hips while using his fingers to manipulate her back to the edge.

At last, as the fervour of the spasms began slowly to subside, she fell over him, her breath ragged with exhaustion, her heart racing with spent adrenalin.

He held her close, stroking her and kissing her, as he waited for his own heartbeat to relax and his breathing to steady.

459

Their bodies were bathed in moonlight, their limbs entwined in an embrace of satiated love. They lay side by side, gazing into each other's eyes, silently marvelling at how long it had taken them to reach this when they should have known right from the start that it was where they would end up. It felt so right. Their bodies were so instinctively attuned to each other it was as though they had made love many times before. The initial coyness of lovers hadn't arisen, wasn't necessary for them. As she looked at his face she could only wonder at how she had ever imagined herself in love with anyone else, when just the depth of his blue eyes, the familiar scent of his skin, the dark shadow on his jaw, could turn her heart inside out. She had such an overwhelming sense of being where she belonged that her heart could barely contain it. He was the first man she had ever truly loved and it was only now that she realized how vulnerable a love as strong as this could make her. Her eyes closed as she thought of his wife, but she pushed the thought away. If he still loved Gabriella, then surely that was where he would be now.

"What are you thinking?"

he said softly.

Tm thinking/ she said, opening her eyes,