Authors: Elle Kennedy
The fork fell out of his hands and clattered onto his plate. He swallowed hard. “That’s probably not a good idea.”
“Why not?” She gave a wry smile. “Isn’t sex always a good idea, according to guys?”
He coughed at the word
sex.
“Most believe that,” he admitted. “But we’ve only just met, Marley.”
He was right. She’d known him less than a week. But already she felt a connection to him. When he looked at her, she felt light-headed and vulnerable and so totally aroused. What would be so wrong about falling into bed with this man? She was old enough to know that sex didn’t equal love and marriage. Sometimes it could just be about two people who were wildly attracted to each other, taking pleasure in what the other had to offer.
“Do you always date for at least six months before you sleep with someone?”
“No,” he said. “But you’re different.”
“How so?”
“I don’t know.” His features furrowed with a hint of despair. “You just are.”
She looked at him, and there it was again, that streak of white-hot chemistry, threatening to consume her whole. She wanted this. No, she
needed
it. Needed to feel wanted and appreciated. Needed to lose herself in this one passionate moment and forget about the stress and headaches of the last three months.
She rose to her feet. “Are you attracted to me?”
“You know I am.” No hesitation on his part. She liked that. She also liked the way his eyes grew heavy-lidded, smoky with unconcealed desire.
“So let’s do something about it.”
Marley lowered her hands to the hem of her T-shirt. She brushed her fingers over the fabric, then lifted it just an inch, to reveal her midriff.
Caleb’s breath hitched. “What are you doing?”
She raised her shirt another inch higher. “What do you think I’m doing?”
He gulped. “Marley…”
“For God’s sake, Caleb, are you going to make me beg for it?”
Without waiting for an answer, she slid the shirt up her chest, over her head and threw it aside.
O
H
,
LORD
.
Caleb swallowed a few times, desperate to bring moisture to the arid desert his mouth had become. He couldn’t tear his eyes off her. All that smooth, golden skin. The luscious, full breasts covered by a lacy white bra with a little pink bow. Christ, that bow. So proper and innocent and downright sexy. It drove him wild.
She
drove him wild.
“Say something,” she murmured.
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Every muscle in his body was taut, tight as a drum and wrought with tension that could only be eased by the thrust of his cock inside Marley Kincaid’s sweet paradise. Oh, yeah,
paradise
was the word to describe her, all right. He could practically see her holding out the forbidden apple to him, her perfect skin and flat belly and out-of-this-world breasts taunting him to take a bite.
He stumbled to his feet and pressed his damp palms to his sides. Marley obviously took the action as a sign of assent because she moved closer, and closer, until they were mere inches apart. He knew he shouldn’t be doing this. He was hunting her ex, for Pete’s sake. So why couldn’t he walk away?
His hand, of its own accord, touched her mouth, tracing the curve of her bottom lip. Her lips were red and swollen, the lips of a woman who’d just been thoroughly kissed.
Caleb smothered a wild curse. He’d been fantasizing about this woman for more than a week. He
craved
her.
But he couldn’t have her. He gritted his teeth.
Her lips parted as she leaned into his touch. “Don’t shut down on me,” she said, as if reading his mind. “I know you want this, too.”
He drew in a breath. Tried valiantly to resist the pure temptation she posed. Gathered up the courage to tell her he didn’t want it, that it would be a mistake.
But then she touched him.
Just the feather-light brush of her fingers across his cheek and he was a goner. He kissed her, pouring all his frustration and pent-up lust into the kiss, pushing his tongue deep into her mouth until she was gasping with delight.
“Close the drapes,” he choked out, pulling back.
She glanced at him in surprise. “What?”
“The drapes. They’re wide open. Any of your neighbors could see us.” One neighbor in particular. He wondered if AJ was watching. If he was shaking his head in disapproval.
“Shoot, you’re right.” She darted over to the window and shut the heavy drapes, officially closing out the world.
Closing out reality.
That’s what he ought to be clinging to, reality, but it was too late now. The fantasy had taken over, and Caleb knew he could no longer walk away. He needed her too badly. Marley Kincaid had gotten under his skin from the second they’d met. He
had
to have her. He felt like an addict, and this insanely beautiful blonde was his fix. The only cure to the uncontrollable desire running rampant through his blood.
Marley sauntered back to him, her firm breasts swaying at each step. Lord, that bra scarcely covered her nipples. He could see the edge of her areolas. Dusky pink. Just as he’d imagined.
She stood inches away from him, her blond waves cascading down her bare shoulders. A moan lodged in the back of his throat. Before he could stop himself, he slid his fingers down her neck to caress her collarbone. Her skin was hot to the touch. Her sweet strawberry scent seized his senses and wrapped him in a hazy cloud of desire.
Marley stepped closer, pushed her barely covered breasts against him and whispered, “Your touch drives me crazy.”
His pulse began to race. The fog in his brain deepened, making it impossible to form a coherent thought. His cock throbbed relentlessly, so stiff he could hardly move. He trailed his index finger up Marley’s arm, stroking her shoulder, running his knuckles along the curve of her neck. She shivered.
“You have the softest skin I’ve ever felt,” he murmured, then lowered his head to kiss the hollow at the base of her throat.
He looked up to see desire reflected in her deep-brown eyes, punctuated by her sharp intake of breath. “You’re teasing me,” she squeezed out.
He pressed his lips to her jaw, tongue darting out for a brief taste. “Do you want me to stop?” he asked in a rough voice.
“No.”
Trying to ignore the heat flooding his groin, he moved his lips over hers. Softly, a mere hint of a kiss. She sighed into his mouth, rubbing her body against him like a contented little cat.
Capturing her bottom lip with his teeth, he swirled his tongue over it, then moved to lick her earlobe. He kissed the tender lobe, then her cheek, her jaw, her shoulder—everything but her lips, which were plump and moist and begging for attention.
She licked them, whispering, “Please,” and finally he gave her what she wanted. What
he
wanted.
He claimed her mouth, and a rush of warmth assaulted him, pumping through his veins and making his pulse quicken. She tasted like heaven. As he possessed her lips, his hands cupped her mouthwatering breasts. He squeezed, then dipped his fingers under her lacy bra. Toyed with her nipples, pinched them, made them hard and stiff and watched as her eyelids closed and a moan of pleasure slid out of her throat.
“Please,” she pleaded. “More.”
Her hips moved restlessly, her pelvis sliding over the aching bulge in his pants. “More, Caleb, I need more.”
He knew exactly what she meant. He needed more, too. So much more than he’d ever dreamed himself capable of wanting.
Swallowing, he reached between them and hooked his thumbs under the waistband of her pants. It was too late to stop this. Any of this. He was too far gone. And he knew that at this point, there was nothing he could do but hang on for the ride.
M
ARLEY’S ENTIRE BODY
was on fire as Caleb peeled her pants off her legs and whipped them aside. That same fire smoldered in his blue eyes, the heat of it penetrating her bare skin. Something else flickered in his eyes, too. Wonder, maybe, and a hint of hesitation.
She reached out for him but he stepped back. “No,” came his hoarse voice. “Just stand there for a second. Let me look at you.”
Marley’s arms dropped to her sides. Her cheeks warmed, but she didn’t feel embarrassed. Caleb’s gaze roamed every inch of her body, and each time he lingered, she grew hotter. Wetter. Nobody had ever looked at her like this before. As if she were the most beautiful thing in the world. And he was pretty damn beautiful at the moment, too. His eyelids were heavy, his handsome features creased with blatant sensuality. His breathing sounded labored. So was hers. In fact, if he didn’t touch her soon, she feared she’d stop breathing altogether.
As if he’d read her mind, he moved closer and with the softest of touches, grazed her collarbone with his thumb. “You’re stunning,” he murmured.
“You’re exaggerating.”
He shook his head, dead serious. “And you’re underestimating yourself.” He looked vaguely embarrassed. “I’ve fantasized about you since the day we met.”
She swallowed. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” His fingers skimmed down her arm, then traveled toward her breasts, which tingled the second his strong hands came near.
He cupped her breasts and squeezed gently, eliciting a soft moan from her throat. Then he ran a finger under the edge of her bra and teased one rigid nipple. “Do you like this?” he asked quietly.
Pleasure coursed through her body, so strong she couldn’t find her vocal cords. So she just nodded, her head lolling to the side as he continued teasing her.
Caleb reached for the front clasp of her bra and popped it open to expose her aching breasts. He sucked in his breath, the passion in his eyes darkening to midnight blue. “Tell me what you like, and what you don’t.” His voice was soft, his face slightly rueful. “I don’t want to be too rough with you. I’m not always gentle.”
He sounded genuine and awkward and she couldn’t help but smile. God, who was this man? In her experience, men didn’t usually take the time to find out what she liked. They just did what
they
liked.
She leaned her bare breasts into his waiting palms and said, “I like everything you do to me, Caleb.”
A fleeting smile lifted the corner of his mouth, and then he lowered his head and pressed his lips to one throbbing breast, making her gasp. The heat of his mouth enclosed her nipple, his tongue darting out and swirling over the aching bud. And then he started to suck, so hard she nearly keeled over from the overwhelming wave of pleasure that crashed into her.
Caleb steadied her, rested one big hand on her hip while the other squeezed and fondled her chest. He shifted his head and tongued her other nipple. Sighed against her flesh as if he’d just discovered a treasure he hadn’t believed existed. By the time the hand he’d placed on her hip slid to the juncture of her thighs, she was so wet and so hot and so ready she exploded almost immediately.
Marley cried out in a mixture of surprise and ecstasy as an orgasm that rivaled a category-5 hurricane slammed into her. Streaks of pleasure burned a trail through her body, growing more intense when Caleb rubbed his palm over her sex. She buried her face against his broad chest, shuddering violently, shamelessly writhing against his hand and taking every last iota of pleasure he could give her.
When she finally crashed back to earth, her pulse racing, her knees wobbling, she saw Caleb looking at her, his expression a combination of satisfaction and awe. Slowly, he slid her bikini panties down her legs, leaving her completely naked. And he was completely dressed.
“Gosh, you’re such a tease. Are you going to take your clothes off sometime this century?” she grumbled, her core still throbbing from release.
Chuckling, Caleb reached for his collar, bunched the material between his fingers and yanked the shirt over his head. The sight of his bare chest sucked the remaining breath from her lungs. Smooth, tanned skin. Hard muscle and sleek sinew. A six-pack that made it extremely difficult not to drool…
“Better?” he taunted.
“Not yet.” Her gaze followed the thin line of dark hair that arrowed down to the waistband of his jeans. “Take those off.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “If you insist.”
Marley watched, mesmerized, as he tugged on the tab of his zipper. Her mouth went dry in anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see him. All of him. Big and naked and—okay, so
big
was definitely the right word. Her thighs clenched at the sight of the long, thick erection revealed after he shucked his pants and boxers.
Caleb Ford was by far the sexiest man she had ever seen. His body was lean and solid, with muscular thighs, a trim waist and broad shoulders. She focused again on the impressive cock jutting toward her and before she could stop herself, she knelt down, bent forward and swiped her tongue along his tip.
Caleb jerked, a deep groan rumbling in his powerful chest. Emboldened, she took another taste, this time a long, slow lick along his shaft. He was velvety soft and rock-hard at the same time, and his salty, masculine taste made her sigh with pleasure.
“Who’s the tease now?” he asked, one hand restlessly stroking her hair.
She looked up at him with a smile. “I’m not teasing. I’m exploring.” Swirling her tongue over the pearly bead of moisture at his tip, she reached out and cupped his balls with one hand, squeezing gently.
This time his groan held a note of desperation. His grip on her hair tightened. He thrust his hips, his cock seeking her mouth. As little flames of excitement licked at her skin, she took him in her mouth and sucked.
“Yes,” he hissed out. “That feels amazing.”
His encouraging words sparked her confidence, inspiring her to take him in deeper. She purred against his hot shaft. She could feel him shaking, could feel the tension in his muscles, the raw passion building in his loins. His cock pulsed beneath her tongue. It thrilled her, knowing she was the one bringing him pleasure, the one stoking all that passion.
Caleb guided her head with his hand, groaning as she drew him in and out of her mouth, as she swirled her tongue over the tip of his cock at each upstroke.
She was just finding a rhythm, alternating between sharp pumps and long, lazy licks, when he made a strangled sound and withdrew. “I need to be in you, Marley.”
He hauled her to her feet, nudging her so that she could sink down on the sofa. Then he faltered. “I didn’t bring anything,” he confessed.
“My purse,” she squeezed out. “In the hall.”
Nodding, he disappeared from the room, returning a moment later with her bag, which he handed to her instead of rifling through it himself. She found the plastic wrapper in the zippered pouch where she kept her mini first-aid kit. As a nurse, she was always prepared for everything.
Including, apparently, hot and impulsive living-room sex.
A hysterical laugh bubbled in the back of her throat as she hurriedly unwrapped the condom and handed it to Caleb.
He sheathed himself, looking at her with such longing and desire that she forgot how to breathe.
“Spread your legs wider for me,” he whispered.
She obeyed him without question, as if spreading her legs for this man was just another requirement for survival, like food, water, oxygen. Never breaking eye contact, Caleb stroked her tender folds with his thumb. He made a ragged sound in the back of his throat, his features taut with barely restrained lust.
Her thighs quivered. Parted even farther. Anticipation coiled inside her, but rather than sliding his thick erection where they both wanted it to be, he got to his knees first and pressed his mouth to her aching core.
When he captured her clit between his lips and suckled, she cried out, shocked to feel another spontaneous orgasm gathering in her belly. Ripples of pleasure danced along her skin, an unbearable fire of need building between her legs.
“I need you in me. Now.” Her voice came out hoarse.
Before she could blink, his mouth left her, and his body covered hers. He positioned himself between her legs, then murmured, “Are you sure about this?”
She almost laughed. Her legs were wide open, his cock was prodding against her soaking-wet sex, and he was asking if she was sure? She wanted to say no, that she’d changed her mind, just to see what he’d do, but she had a feeling he would respect anything she said. Despite the fact that every muscle in his chest was straining with tension and his pulse throbbed in his neck, she knew he would stop if she asked, no matter how much pain he’d be in later.
Good thing she wasn’t asking.
Gripping his strong chin with her hand, she pulled his mouth toward hers. “I’m more than sure,” she said, and then she kissed him.
His tongue plunged into her mouth, and a second later, his erection followed suit and plunged inside her. His thick cock filled her, stretching her in the most delicious way.
“You’re so damn tight,” he mumbled. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”
Her heart did a little somersault. “I’ll be fine.”
She slid her hands down his back and found it covered by a sheen of sweat. The sinewy muscles there flexed beneath her fingers, tightening as he moved inside her with long, gentle strokes.
“You’re holding back,” she said, half teasing, half accusing.
His blue eyes flickered with uncertainty. “I’m too big for you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
A laugh squeezed out of her throat. “Would you quit asking me if I’m sure about things? I’m dying here, Caleb.”
His voice was husky as he said, “Me, too.” Then he started to move. To
really
move. Marley let out a wild cry as he drove into her, his thrusts frantic. She curved her spine to take him in deeper, hooking her legs around his taut buttocks. The couch squeaked beneath them, cushions bouncing as Caleb pushed his cock in and out in a reckless pace that made her mind spin and her body throb.
Her breasts were crushed against him, nipples tingling as they brushed over the damp hairs on his chest. “You’re amazing,” he gasped, each word punctuated by the sharp thrusts of his hips.
She met his eyes, floored by the emotion she saw in them. He was looking at her as if she were the most beautiful creature on the planet, as if he couldn’t possibly believe she was his for the taking.
Yanking his head down with her hands, she kissed him deeply, whimpering against his lips when he reached to where they joined and rubbed her clit with his thumb.
“Come with me, Marley.”
He quickened his pace, filling her so deeply, so completely, it wasn’t difficult to lose herself in another orgasm. As his fingers toyed with her clit, Marley arched her hips and toppled over the edge. Shards of light flashed before her, and her mind fragmented as a dizzying rush of pleasure flooded her body. Moaning, Caleb buried his face in the crook of her neck and shuddered as he gave himself over to a climax she suspected was as powerful as hers. His breath heated her neck, his cock twitching inside as he let go.
Their bodies were sticky with sweat, their breath coming out in ragged gasps. Marley wasn’t sure which one of them started to laugh first, but they were both chuckling when Caleb finally lifted himself up on his elbows and brushed his lips over hers in a tender kiss.
“Wow,” she said with another laugh. “That was…wow.”
Amusement joined the remnants of release in his eyes. “Yeah,” he laughed. “You’re right.”
Looking reluctant, he slid out of her, his gaze roaming over her naked body. She noticed a rosy blush dotting her breasts and moisture still pooled between her legs. She was amazed to realize she could go again. All he needed to do was shove that wicked cock back inside her and she’d be ready for him.
As if reading her thoughts, Caleb’s shoulders squared in determination, and then he gripped her waist and hoisted her up to her feet. She squeaked in surprise. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying you upstairs.” True to his words, he cupped her ass with one hand and lifted her into his powerful arms, holding her there as though she weighed no more than a feather. “Come on, we need a bed.”
W
HILE HIS HEART THUDDED
against his ribs like a pair of fists, Caleb rolled off Marley’s body and sucked in a gulpful of air. His cock twitched against his belly, throbbing from its third release of the night. He was still as hard as a slab of marble, and when he glanced at Marley, the haze of desire in her brown eyes told him she was nowhere near sated, either.
Hands down, he’d just had the best sex of his life. Three times. He couldn’t think of any past encounter that even compared to what he’d experienced with Marley. The sheer thrill of sliding into her tight core. The body-numbing releases. He almost felt cheated. He’d always enjoyed sex, but this…this was sex to the max.
“Do you want to spend the night?” Marley murmured. “I don’t have to get up early tomorrow.” She moved closer and nestled her head in the crook of his neck.
Caleb ran his fingers through her sweat-dampened hair and stared up at the ceiling. The bedroom was dark—his doing, of course. He knew how transparent those damn curtains of hers were, and the last thing he wanted was AJ catching any glimpses of what he and Marley were doing.
The thought of AJ brought a rush of guilt so strong he nearly choked on it. Lord, what was he doing? The implications of what he’d done settled over him like a thick cloud of smog. He’d lied to her. He’d spied on her. Videotaped her.
Slept with her.
He’d always considered himself a man of honor, a man with principles, but he’d thrown honor right out the window when he’d succumbed to temptation.
He had to give her the truth. Shards of pain pierced his stomach at the thought. She trusted him, damn it. He saw that trust glimmering in her eyes like diamonds. How could he possibly tell her she’d been duped—
again?