Second Chances (21 page)

"Never."

With a glint in his eyes, he hopped up, reached into his wallet and tucked several large bills into the waiter's hand. The two men spoke quietly for a moment before the waiter hurried off into the kitchen with their plates. He was back with a large paper bag by the time Brian had hauled her to her feet and tossed her sweater over her shoulders.

Karina didn't look once at the scenery on this return journey. She kept her heavy-lidded eyes on the magical man beside her. She felt like a seductive, sexy feline, sure of her own attraction and the reaction from her man.

She loved it.

The Porsche skidded over the gravel in the driveway before coming to a spitting stop.

He hastened around to her side. Reaching down he offered her his assistance to slide out.

She accepted his hand, the epitome of a lady. However, it was a pure seductress who slipped past him, brushing her breasts slowly against him on her way.

"Are you coming?" She tossed the question over her shoulder as she walked into the living room. Her husky laugh underlined the double entendre clearly.

"I have high hopes," he muttered beneath his breath.

Brian strode into the living room, heading directly for the fireplace. Squatting down, he held a lit match to the wood. As the fire caught, he blew gently on it, coaxing the flames to burn brighter.

Watching him, Karina empathized with the flames. He'd taken embers buried deep within her and coaxed them into the raging fire that now burned within.

***

Crouched in front of the fire, Brian struggled to slow the heavy pounding of his blood.

For all her sexy-kitten act, he knew it would take just one wrong move to make her run. And that was the last thing he wanted to do. God, he wanted that feline in his bed again. Shudders coursed through him, shaking his control once again. A groan was desperately trying to escape, and just as desperately he was doing his best to hold it back. She always assumed that he was in control, that he knew what he was doing. If she only knew that when it came to this relationship, he was just as lost as she was.

He was still reeling from experiencing depths of emotion that he'd never thought would exist for him. He didn't understand it, but he was happy to accept it—somewhat. Being in new territory was an unnerving experience. And damned if he didn't feel possessive towards her.

She was such an enigma. Every night, she had bad dreams, yet, she almost never spoke of them. While she was caught in her nightmares, he was consumed with wanting to help her, but afterwards, when she lay peaceful and calm... Oh yes, he'd noticed every silken curve.

He smiled at the thought of her unruly curls. They behaved no better at night than they did during the day. Calling to him, tantalizing him—in truth, they tormented him night and day.

Karina was such a special woman. She accepted any compliments that came her way, but she took them in stride, not really believing in the truth behind the words—that she was devastating.

Karina was his and he was hers.

He'd been patient, using everything he'd learned over the years to give her time and space. But no longer.

It was past time to reclaim his own.

K
arina watched Brian give the fire one last poke before standing up and turning to face her.

"Wine?" he asked.

She didn't know if this was a delaying tactic or a stoking of the fires pulsating between them, she didn't need the latter and wanted no part of the former.

"Why don't we share a glass?" she suggested, as a tiny smile played at the corners of her lips.

With complete understanding, he pulled out the bottle of white wine that he'd put in the fridge to chill earlier. Karina leaned against the counter watching as he triumphantly pulled a brandy snifter out of the cupboard and turned to show her.

"A sacrilege for any connoisseur," he said. "But it serves our purpose beautifully." He poured several inches into the bottom of the glass.

"Come and sit down." Brian patted the couch cushion beside him.

Karina curled up next to him, snuggling warmly against his chest. He held the balloon glass to her lips, inadvertently dribbling cool droplets onto her chin and on down to her silk top.

"Wait," he said, forestalling her attempts to wipe off the drips. Cupping her chin, he sipped the droplets already warmed by her skin.

Her breath caught and a gasp escaped, her heart racing at the touch of his lips.

Gently, so gently, he completed his ministrations. As he reached for the large glass again, he said, "You obviously need assistance."

Karina watched, butterflies in her stomach as he took a drink, then offered her the wine from his own mouth. Carefully, he sealed his lips to hers, trickling the cool liquid into her accepting mouth. Erotic energy flashed between them.

As the last drops disappeared, his tongue tangled with hers, delving deeper and deeper, searching for the last precious drops of nectar.

Brian pulled back slightly and headed into new territory, tiny licks and delicate kisses meandering teasingly over her jaw and cheek. At her ear, he delicately traced the pink shell with his tongue. Karina leaned into his tormenting caress, shudders wracking her tiny frame.

His hands cradled her head, holding her captive while he journeyed where he wanted. His exploration whispered across to her eyes, stopping for a moment to bathe her lashes in warm air, then carrying on again down the bridge of her nose for a quick kiss.

Karina had never known a feeling that was so confining, yet liberating, as Brian's lethal seduction. Willingly enslaved between his need and her own, she was suspended, caught, desired and revered. And so far, he'd only kissed her. She didn't remember this heat, this need, the last time, or his killer techniques, either. Then the ability to think at all slipped away and the ability to feel stepped up to center stage.

Brian's hands slowly moved on their tantalizing journey downward, inch-by-inch, finally coming to rest on the tops of her swollen breasts.

Her nipples beaded just below the weight of his hands—hands that stopped moving just an inch too soon. His lips returned to hers, caressing first the top one then the bottom one. His hands stayed heavy and hot on her chest and she wiggled, trying to shift them to where she needed them

But she couldn't.

Christ, she wanted him. She surged upwards, reaching to capture his mouth as he continued to play with hers. He pulled back playfully just out of reach.

She groaned in frustration. Only to moan under the new onslaught of sensations as Brian's mouth slammed down hard on hers, and he thrust his tongue deep inside. His hands slipped down to completely cover both breasts.

The double ambush caught her by surprise and had her shuddering uncontrollably. His hands caressed, stroked and teased, causing her nipples to pout and beg for more. She returned his kiss and demanded others. Half reclining, she pushed against his chest. Brian collapsed backwards willingly.

His shirt buttons slipped free easily and Karina could only stare in wonder at the muscles gleaming in the half-light. She smoothed her hands up his chest to slide the shirt as far down his arms as she could. He was so beautiful to her.

As Brian struggled to free himself, Karina placed a gentle kiss just below his navel, watching in wonder as lean muscles clenched and rippled in response. She stroked his skin at the belt line, a tiny smile on her lips as her touch made him shudder. Teasingly she slid one finger just inside the heavy denim and slid it from one hipbone to the other.

His answering groan combined with the startled catch of breath was infinitely satisfying.

"Witch," he moaned, but left her to do as she pleased.

"Really," she purred. Bending down, she flicked her tongue over his nipples, only to giggle at his surprised jerk. With a less-than-gentle touch and a whole lot of kitten, she bit the skin just beside the nub.

"Christ!" Brian bolted upright, catching her unawares.

He threw off his shirt then reached for the bottom of hers and flicked it over her head. Startled, Karina found herself lifted and shifted to one side, with her arms still trapped in her shirt above her head.

"Two can play this game."

He unclipped the front closure of her bra, but left her flimsy material in place, leaving the valley of skin open to his touch. Karina lay frozen, caught, trembling with anticipation as Brian lowered his head. Sensations exploded within as she struggled then arched, helpless against his tender onslaught. With his teeth, he flicked off one side of her bra to feast on her hard nipple, before drawing it deep into his mouth and sucking vigorously.

Karina reared high off the couch as fire flared between her legs. She moaned as he continued to plunder. When he finally swooped down on the other waiting breast, her control crumbled and she chanted his name.

He raised his head and looked at her.

"I have never seen a woman so glorious in her passion as you are right now." His voice was dark and colored with midnight dreams.

"I've never felt like this before," she admitted softly. She smiled up at him, tenderly and lovingly.

Letting her sit up, he helped her remove both her shirt and her bra.

He was unprepared for her to stand and step smoothly out of her slacks. Somehow, the socks went at the same time. She stood proudly before him in nothing but a lavender thong and a devilish smile. Deliberately, she bent down to the fireplace and tossed another log on the fire, exposing her firmly curved buttocks with a shadow of lace between.

"The fire could do with another log," she said.

"My fire doesn't need any more fuel," he muttered hoarsely. Following her actions he unbuttoned his jeans, preparing to take them off.

"Let me," she murmured walking over to him and laying her hands on his.

"I'm too combustible for that," he said.

She ignored him. Swiftly pulling the zipper down, she slipped her hands inside his jeans and shorts and smoothed them over his hips. His erection caught under the soft material of his shorts, and Karina gently released him.

"Damn. I'm not going to survive this."

Her husky laugh rolled free as she dispatched the rest of his clothing.

"You're the one overdressed now," he said.

"You mean this?" She gestured to the tiny triangle of material still shielding the last of her. "Well, that's easily taken care of." With one swift movement, she stood before him as he stood before her.

Perfect.

"You are so gorgeous," he murmured.

"As long as you think so, then I'm happy."

Brian opened his arms wide. Taking the first step toward him, Karina released her old self and entered into her new self, as though she were shedding a skin that no longer fit. The next step she took for herself, for Brian and for what they could become together.

This time there was no slowing down, no gentle teasing, because now they burned in a conflagration that nothing could extinguish. Their bodies melded in the firelight as he lowered her to the thick rug, watching the flames reflect off her skin. "God, I need you," he whispered shakily, kneeling between her parted knees. Stroking her silky skin, he slowly and surely blew on the flames that hadn't had any chance to abate.

Fire danced as he placed himself at the heart of her core, slipping just inside and then withdrawing, only to repeat the motion again and again. His hips moved gently, teasing her.

Finally, stretched out fully above her, he balanced his weight on his forearms, resting at her entrance, asking an unspoken question.

With a glorious smile, she wrapped her legs around his calves and tilted her hips upward, giving him her answer.

Slowly, carefully and reverently, he finished the next movement, sinking himself deep inside, finally coming home.

He dropped his forehead onto hers, both of them bereft of words. Karina stroked the heavily muscled buttocks, caressing upwards to his back. He was strong, smooth and sexy and now he was hers.

Brian lifted his head to take her lips in a hot kiss. His tongue plunged deep in tandem with his hips. Filled in all ways, Karina shuddered on the brink of heaven.

Brian took the lead in their intimate dance, showing her depths of passion that she'd never before reached. Deep and then deeper, strong and then stronger, fast and then faster yet again, Karina writhed beneath him, bucking and straining blindly to reach her goal.

The faint sheen of sweat made Brian's skin gleam in the flickering light. Shuddering with effort, Brian arched his back to lean down and pulled her pebble-hard nipples deep into his mouth.

Mindless with a height of pleasure she'd never known, with explosions wracking her soul and shudders wracking her body, Karina wilted beneath him.