Wild and Willing! (20 page)

‘We’ll have to stop that,’ he said, joining her. The kiss was an elemental thing, as was the light expression on his face. When he lifted his head she stared at him
breathlessly. Her lips felt bruised and swollen and her whole body was throbbing from his touch, aching for him. ‘You’re not laughing.’

Adam had to impose fierce constraints upon himself not to tear off her clothes and take what she was offering. He’d been deeply moved by her confession. She held nothing back; he’d never known anyone like her. Her darkest secret had only served to emphasise how innocent and vulnerable she really was. Her self-sufficient exterior could be very misleading at times. He was determined to show her what lovemaking could be like.

‘I’m not sure I’m breathing,’ she gasped faintly.

She touched his chest. The fabric of his shirt was damp with the same sheen of sweat that covered his brow. She could feel the rasp of light hair that covered the muscled hardness. The smell of him in her nostrils was wildly exciting—everything about Adam was exciting. She gave a deep shuddering sigh.

‘Oh, you are,’ he assured her. ‘See?’ He placed his hand on her heaving breast to illustrate the point. His fingers curled against her breast where the soft fabric was stretched. Her back arched as he suckled one thrusting nipple through the material. ‘I think you’re a little overdressed,’ he purred. His tongue circled the damp patch left by his mouth, and her fingers curled deeply into his hair. ‘Should we get rid of it?’

‘Yes, please.’ The dress came up over her thighs, and she gave a swift wiggle as he manoeuvred it over her behind, over her raised arms, and the garment hit the opposite wall with a silken slither.

‘Dear God!’ he breathed raggedly.

She was sitting, he was kneeling, and all he had to do was reach out. Touch me, her eyes screamed, touch me! Her entire body was vibrating with an acute need.

‘Do you know when you smile one corner of your mouth goes down, like this?’ He touched his thumb to
her mouth. ‘I’ll never forget the way you smiled at me… I’ve tried to. You were laughing at me with your eyes, such beautiful eyes,’ he groaned throatily. ‘I couldn’t believe anyone could look so damned sensuous without trying really hard. I thought, Who the hell does she think she is? Why does she look so damned pleased with herself when I feel as if I’ve been poleaxed?’

‘I wanted you to laugh with me, Adam, but all you did was look down your nose at me.’

His nostrils flared as she held out her arms to him. The gesture was as graceful as every move she made. It moved him as deeply as a special piece of music or a beautiful painting, but this work of art inspired him with a blind, erotic desire. His hands moved to her hips and his fingers hooked in the waistband of her pants, cut high on the hip, a silky scrap of material which, along with the lacey-topped hold-ups, was all she now wore. She leant forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, revelling in the strength of his shoulders.

‘I wanted to do this then,’ he rasped, jerking her to him, crushing her breasts against his chest. He kissed her with a fierce desperation, driving all the air from her lungs. ‘I want to stroke every inch of you.’ His gaze dropped to the sway of her breasts. The rosy tips swelled visibly under his hot scrutiny and he let out a hoarse gasp before dipping his head to taste the lustrous, soft flesh. ‘Taste every inch of you,’ he continued, his husky voice muffled against her skin.

Anna felt as if she was drowning in the heavy, hot tide of sensual delight. His skilled hands moved in erotic arabesques over her spine even as his lips at her breasts drove her frantic.

‘I’d like to taste you,’ she admitted huskily.

The half-apologetic comment brought his head up. He correctly interpreted the desire for reassurance in her flushed face. ‘You don’t need to ask permission,’ he assured her, his fingers moving to the buttons of his shirt.
‘You can do whatever you like,’ he promised her throatily.

A thrill of excitement trickled through her trembling body. ‘Then let me do that,’ she said with a surge of confidence.

She’d expected her fingers to be clumsy, but the remaining buttons melted under her touch. Revelling in her newly discovered power, she pulled the material back from his broad chest. The tension of the muscles in her belly tightened to a painful level. God, but he was beautiful! She slid the shirt off his shoulders and pressed herself against him, luxuriating in the sensation of flesh against flesh. She winced as the buckle of his belt drove into her belly.

‘Let me get rid of these,’ he said, swinging around to sit on the side of the bed. His back to her, he stepped out of his trousers and then the pants followed suit. His back tapered sharply towards his waist and hips and his buttocks were taut. The muscles that ran smoothly down his thighs flexed and bunched as he took a couple of steps before turning around to face her.

Prepared as she had been for the flagrant image of a man in the grip of primal passion, seeing him still stunned her. Wild thoughts ran through her head. Could it be her own dimensions were not as normal as she’d imagined or was he…?

‘I don’t think it’s possible,’ she gasped, staring at him with an awed fascination. ‘Could be I’m not adequate for the occasion.’ She tried to joke, but her voice was hoarse and weak.

‘Do you trust me?’ he asked, rejoining her. A musky male scent rose from his heated body. There was a measure of tenderness in the passionate glow of his eyes.

‘Yes,’ she said, not having to think.

The pleasure and savage satisfaction of her unthinking response were clear to read in his face. ‘Touch me,’ he
commanded, bracing himself above her, almost grazing the quivering flesh of her belly.

She trailed her fingertips over his chest, where the slabs of muscle were sharply delineated, down his flat belly.

‘That’s right, sweetheart, don’t stop…’ he encouraged huskily. His hoarse cry encouraged her tentative exploration. Lower lip caught between her teeth, a faint moan emerged at regular intervals from her throat as she felt him respond to her ministrations. When he caught her hand firmly in his and rolled to one side she made a sound of protest.

‘I’m not losing you on a technicality this time,’ he said, breathing hard.

She gave a breathless laugh even though her earlier doubts had not quite left her. The sound was drowned as his mouth covered her lips. As he moved lower down her body his unerring tongue and hands discovered every vulnerable spot. He told her by word and gesture how beautiful and desirable he found her. When he’d worked his way down the gentle curve of her belly and she thought she’d gone through the whole gamut of possible sensations, he proved her wrong yet again.

‘I think we can dispense with these.’ The silky pants were discarded, and he knelt between her legs to slowly slide the stockings down over her thighs until her legs too were bare.

There was nothing between them now. The erotic thrill of seeing him kneeling over her drowned out her fear of inadequacy. ‘Please, Adam, please,’ she pleaded brokenly.

‘Not yet.’ She could have wept at his firm response. Frustration was gnawing at her; she wanted to feel him, feel him inside her.

His hands were moving over her thighs, gliding over the silky hot skin. She gasped as his tongue tasted the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. The last remnants of
control deserted her as his questing tongue moved higher, following the path his questing fingers had already made to the damp, hot core of her frustration.

She was moaning his name as her body twisted from side to side. It was way beyond anywhere any dream had led her.

The torture stopped as unexpectedly as it had begun. ‘I need you, Adam,’ she half sobbed.

‘I need
you
,’ he growled firmly. Kneeling between her parted thighs, he effortlessly lifted her upwards until she faced him sitting across his knees. She felt the thrust of his desire against her lower belly and moved feverishly to increase the contact. She clutched with painful determination at the flesh of his shoulders.

‘That’s it…’ Altering the angle of her body, he slowly and carefully entered her. She opened up like a flower turning to the sun. A series of measured thrusts left her frantic to increase the pressure that brought her such delicious pleasure.

‘Is this what you want?’ His muscles bunched as he pushed deeper into her receptive moistness to be absorbed by the heat of her.

‘Yes!’ she screamed triumphantly. Her hands curved around his muscular buttocks and her legs locked around his back as they moved together as one.

The sudden spasm of release was shocking in its strength. She lost all co-ordination as the waves rippled through her. His release swiftly followed her own, and together they fell back onto the bedclothes, which felt cool under their heated flesh.

‘Adam…?’

‘Mmm?’

‘I’m glad you didn’t let a technicality ruin that.’

‘I’m moderately pleased with myself,’ he confirmed smugly, his teeth grazing her shoulder as he burrowed down onto her breasts to fall asleep.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’

Half in the act of sliding out of bed, Anna stopped. ‘I’ve got to go,’ she said softly, leaning over to kiss his shoulder.

‘You can’t,’ he said in a determined voice. He reached for her and she leant away from the touch, sure that if she didn’t she’d never get away. It had been hard enough to force herself out of the warm cocoon as it was.

‘I must, Adam. It’s five-thirty…’

‘Five-thirty!’ he groaned. He sat up and ran his fingers through his rumpled hair.

‘I promised to do the milking this morning,’ she admitted ruefully. ‘I don’t
want
to go.’

‘Couldn’t you stay a little longer?’

Anna shook her head reluctantly. She longed to accept the husky invitation. ‘I can’t.’

With a shrug which she found insultingly offhand he accepted this and fell back against the pillows. He put his hands under his head and watched her. Self-consciously she gathered her clothes together and pulled them on.

‘You can borrow my toothbrush if you like.’

With a shake of her head she refused this offer. ‘I’ll manage until I get home.’ No doubt there was a right way to deal with the morning after and to leave a man’s hotel room with poise and self-assurance, but she didn’t know what it was. Thoughts she’d been able to suppress last night refused to be silenced this morning. His next words confirmed her worst fears.

‘I’ve got to go back to London this morning and there’re things—’

‘Have a good journey,’ she interrupted. It was amazing, she reflected, that on the surface she could appear so calm. ‘Ring me,’ she offered calmly. That was it? That was all he had to say? God, what an idiot I’ve been! she admonished herself. She could see from the wariness in his eyes he was dreading her making a scene.

What did she expect? A declaration of undying love? Had he ever at any point mentioned love? A
revelation
? No, last night might have been deeply pleasurable for him, but he hadn’t broken down and admitted he really loved her. She had to accept that he wasn’t going to.

Jessica wasn’t about to disappear, because he didn’t want her to, she told herself bleakly. It suited Adam this way. The problem is it doesn’t suit me, she thought bleakly. At least I tried; I’d never have forgiven myself if I hadn’t done that. I don’t want to have an affair with you, Adam, she lamented silently. It’s too little and too much for me to cope with.

‘What, and we’ll
do lunch
?’ A spasm tightened his features.

‘Whatever,’ she said casually.

‘I think we should work out where we go from here. There are some things I have to tell you. Last night…’

‘No!’ Panic made her voice sharp. Did he want to officially appoint her the
other woman
? She didn’t want to know where she fitted in his life if she didn’t have a place in his heart. ‘I don’t think we have to go anywhere,’ she added flatly.

‘Anna!’ She ignored the sound of his voice as she slammed the door behind her.

‘We seem to be ships that pass in the night at the moment,’ Charlie Lacey observed as he carried his daughter’s case downstairs.

Anna smiled and opened the front door for him. ‘I won’t be gone long,’ she assured him as they walked to her car. She closed the boot after he’d placed her case inside.

‘How long?’

‘Well, Mrs Morgan is back next week but I’m not sure when Simon will be back, or if.’ She was keeping her fingers crossed for him.

‘Have you been getting enough sleep whilst we’ve
been away?’ he asked, touching her cheek with one calloused finger.

Anna suddenly felt very close to the tears she’d been holding at bay all day. ‘I’m fine,’ she lied cheerfully.

‘Thanks for holding the fort until this afternoon. Your mother did try and ring earlier on to let you know we’d be late.’

‘I must have flicked the “off” switch on the phone without realising it,’ Anna remarked casually. ‘At least you know I haven’t been running up an enormous phone bill.’ I’m getting quite good at this lying business, she thought wryly as she kissed her father goodbye and got into her car. It had either been ignore the phone completely or switch it off. She just hadn’t felt capable of coping with any communication with Adam just yet. It could be she never would.

She drove along wrapped in thought. She didn’t regret last night; it had been a deeply special experience for her and she would treasure the memory for ever. Only true love could have liberated such feeling in her; she was confident of that.

Had it been wishful thinking or just stubborn stupidity to believe that Adam would feel the same way? She hadn’t wanted to pressure him; she’d wanted whatever he said to be spontaneous. She groaned, recalling the things she’d said to him in the throes of passion. He hadn’t been fighting against love, just frustrated lust. She’d been
so
sure he was capable of love—of loving her!

I have to face the truth, and get on with life. Adam doesn’t love me. But I’m not going to wither and die, or anything equally pathetic, she told herself firmly. Angrily she wiped the wetness from her cheeks.