Worth the Risk: A Contemporary Romance Bundle, page 30
"What’s wrong?" He didn’t let go of her.
Lila managed to slide off his body so she was no longer in full contact. Not that moving away cleared her mind at all. The scent of him still clung to her, and his taste still tingled in her mouth.
"I don’t want you to stop."
Tom smiled. "I don’t want to stop."
She felt stupid and amorous all at once. Lila shook her head. "I am not in the habit of having casual sex."
But oh, boy, did she want to.
He nodded. "You may not believe me, but neither am I."
She wanted to believe him and searched his face carefully for any sign he might be lying. She saw none, not even the hint of a grin that might show he was being facetious.
"I want you to be sure you know what you’re doing."
He chuckled softly. "I’ll try my best."
That wasn’t what she meant, but she didn’t have the willpower to keep arguing. Not with him, and not with herself. She wanted to make love to him. Her desire was an uphill ride on a roller coaster. She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut until the ride was over, but knew she was going to ride the whole way with her hands in the air, screaming with delight.
Tom, thankfully, didn’t seem to be as bound into thought as Lila was. He tugged her down to him again, seeking her mouth with a passion she soon eagerly matched. His hand came up to cup her breast through the soft wool of her sweater. Her nipple rose, instantly turgid beneath his fingers.
"Oh, Lila."
The whisper her name on his lips sent a ray of heat directly to her core.
She allowed him to slip the sweater over her head and unhook the simple bra beneath. Her hands went to the buttons of his oxford cloth shirt and slipped them open with far more grace than she expected to have with shaking hands.
His chest was smooth, with just one patch of crisp, curling dark hair in the center. His stomach was ridged with muscle, and another line of the same crisp hair led down past his navel to disappear beneath the waistband of his trousers. Lila wanted to see where that line led. It was the way his hips moved beneath her fingers that prompted her to at last undo the button. His urgency was feeding her own, chasing away the last doubts and reservations she had.
He kissed every inch of her bare skin, moved his mouth along the soft curve of her stomach and smoothed the elastic waistband of her knit pants over her hips. They were both naked before she knew it, and she was on top of him again. His erection nudged her lower belly, and his chest hair tantalizingly scraped at her over-sensitized breasts until, gasping, she had to pull away. The firelight lined him in gold and orange and shone in his hazel eyes. It bathed his body in the colors of autumn leaves.
She sat up, wanting to see all of him. Tom lay back and propped his head on one of the sofa cushions. His gaze caressed her. In the flattering firelight, Lila didn’t feel self-conscious. His touch had made her bold at last, and she refused to speculate on whether her thighs looked heavy or her breasts too small.
She took him in her hand and slowly ran her fingers up and down the length of him. His cock thrummed in her grasp, and the sharp intake of his breath made her smile a little.
"Lila." His voice was hoarse, filled with longing.
Suddenly, he tugged her away from him and rolled over her. When she was cradled in his arms, Tom pushed her back gently until her head rested on the cushion. He pressed a rapid line of kisses down over her breasts and stomach. When she saw what he meant to do next, she stiffened.
"Wait." She hadn’t prepared for this. Hadn’t prepared for any of it, in fact, but the thought of his tongue on her made her feel faint. It would be too much. She would be lost.
He didn’t listen to her, pushing away the hand she’d pressed to the top of his head. Firmly but gently, he parted her thighs and pressed his lips to the soft patch of hair between her legs. The pressure of his mouth made her bite back a cry. Then, too soon, he found her clit. Tom first kissed the sensitive spot, then stroked it with the tip of his tongue.
Lila flung an arm across her eyes, unable to watch and not wanting him to see the passion she knew contorted her face. He slipped one finger inside her, and her hips rose helplessly to meet his tongue as it danced along her clitoris. A familiar tension coiled in her belly, growing tighter and tighter until she at last had to gasp his name.
"Tom!" Lila was nearly mindless with the pleasure his tongue and fingers were working on her.
He pulled away, and she found the courage to look at him. His eyes were glazed, but he smiled at her. He moved up to cover her body with his own and pressed deliciously against her.
"This isn’t the best time to mention it, but I didn’t come prepared for this."
For one moment she had no clue as to what he hinted. Of course. She would have felt like an idiot, if his fingers weren’t still tweaking her nipples and making her shift restlessly beneath him. He meant about protection.
"My bag." She pointed. He raised a brow at her, and she recognized her expression on his face. "It’s not what you think."
"At this point, Lila, I don’t care to think about anything." He rolled onto his back and stretched out one long arm until he snagged the handle of her handbag with one of his fingers.
Lila shuffled in its depths for a moment and pulled out the small container that had once held a travel-size pack of disposable wipes. She opened it and took out the small foil package. Just because she wasn’t in the habit of picking up men didn’t mean she intended to ever be unprepared.
Tom didn’t let the moment turn awkward. Deftly, he took the condom from her and opened it, slipping it on with no self-consciousness at all. Then he was on top of her again, kissing her mouth and neck, whispering her name over and over.
"Thank you." Lila was glad he hadn’t made an issue of wearing the condom, and even more relieved she’d had one available.
Tom propped himself on his elbows and searched her eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
She had never been more certain about anything. She had never wanted a man so badly. "Yes."
He reached his hand down between their bodies—his palm brushing once more against her in just the right spot. Then he had positioned himself and was inside her with a smooth, gentle motion that made her moan aloud.
She wasn’t embarrassed this time. Tom answered with a soft groan of his own. Lila reached up to wrap her arms around his back, running her fingers over and over the smooth skin and down to the first curve of his strong buttocks. They clenched beneath her touch as Tom set a slow, strong rhythm of thrusts.
The pace quickly became faster as she urged him on by pushing upward with her hips. With every thrust, he rubbed against the most sensitive part of her. He buried his face in her neck, both of them moving in tandem.
Her climax was perilously close. The scent of him washed over her and mingled with the fire’s smoky smell. They were moving together in perfect harmony, so perfect tears sprang to her eyes with the intensity of her coming orgasm.
"Lila."
The sound of him whispering her name pushed her over the edge. Her nails dug furrows into his back as the ball of sensation inside her compressed further and further until, at last, it broke apart with a shatter. Splinters of ecstasy filled every part of her.
Above her, Tom made a soft cry through clenched teeth and captured her mouth again. When he pulled away, it was to bring his face to hers, to look deep into her eyes. He thrust a final time inside her and shuddered. She felt the throb of his climax inside her, and it sent her once more into spasms of rapture.
Tom held onto her so tightly, she was almost unable to breathe. Lila found she didn’t care. In his arms, she had never felt more wonderful.
Chapter 4
Steam filled her narrow shower, wreathing him in fog, but Lila couldn’t miss the gleam in Tom’s eyes. The water cascaded over his dark hair and smooth skin, and Lila put up a hand to brush his bangs out of his eyes.
"That’s a devilish look." Lila let her fingers slide across his cheek and down to cup his jaw. He tilted his head and caught her fingertips in his lips and sucked gently, sending a thrill of sensation through her body.
Tom cupped one breast, letting his palm caress her erect nipple. "Me? Devilish? Nah."
His hand felt so good she arched her back to urge him silently to caress the other one, too. He did without hesitation, then pulled her closer and let his soap-slippery hands glide over her skin. He bent to kiss her while the water pattered down all around them, and she closed her eyes to keep the spray from blinding her. They’d kept the bathroom lighting dim, and now, with her eyes shut, Lila’s world became heat and water, and Tom’s hands on her skin, his mouth on hers. The stiffness of his erection stroked her belly, and she parted her thighs to let him rub against her there. His hands found her buttocks and held her close.
He left her mouth to kiss and nibble along the curve of her jaw and then to her neck. He found the super-sensitive spot at her neck and shoulder, which made her wiggle.
"Careful," he warned. "Don’t slip."
Lila opened her eyes. "This shower is so tiny I don’t think there’s room for me go down."
She’d meant her words to have a double meaning, and waited for his reaction. William had never "gotten" jokes like that—but Lila firmly put William from her mind. Now was not the time. Tom grinned and gave a pointed glance toward the floor.
"Too bad."
Lila let her eyes slide coyly along his torso, down to where his erection jutted up between them. "Then again, maybe I can find a way."
She knew she didn’t imagine the flicker in his dark eyes. Tom swallowed so hard she saw the bob of his Adam’s apple, and then he licked away the water from his lips. "Maybe you can."
Never taking her eyes from his, Lila dropped slowly to her knees. The cushioned bath mat kept her knees from hurting as she settled herself. Now his cock was at eye height, and though the lighting was dim, Lila had no problem seeing all Tom had to offer.
His penis was just as perfect as the rest of him. She’d never much cared about length and girth, as long as the unit in question was put to good use, but there could be no complaining about the size and shape of his erection. Soft, curly hair, as dark as that on his head, surrounded the base and tufted the scrotum beneath. If there’d ever been a more perfectly proportioned prick, Lila had never seen it, in real life or in pictures.
For a second, a wave of self-doubt washed over her. The man in front of her was truly an earth-bound god, sheer physical perfection, any woman’s dream come to life. The sex downstairs had been fast and hard, but glorious, and she had no doubts that the sex in the shower was going to be just as fantastic.
So, why was he doing it with her?
"Lila? Are you all right?"
She looked up to see him looking down, standing so the curtain of water parted around them and didn’t splatter her in the face. "I’m fine."
"You don’t have to, if you don’t want to."
He meant using her mouth, she realized. Lila blinked and shook her head. "No, really, I’m fine."
The fact he’d been willing to forgo this pleasure if it made her uncomfortable made her more interested in providing it. She smiled, forcing herself to put away the doubts and enjoy the moment, however brief it might turn out to be. "Fair’s fair, Tom."
He grinned and put his hand on her head. "Only if you want to."
She answered him by taking him into her mouth as far as she could, which proved to be all the way. Looking at his erection, she’d thought there would be no way she could possibly take him so far without choking, but this proved again how perfect he really was. She slid him out, then in again, concentrating on giving him the same amount of pleasure he’d given her downstairs.
His groan and the way he wrapped his fingers in her hair rewarded her efforts. The sound of his arousal fanned her own, and Lila slipped a hand between her legs to stroke herself while she sucked him. His strong thighs bunched and flexed as he began to thrust. Her hand moved faster, fingers sliding over her erect clit, already slick with her own juices. The pounding of the water around them merged with her rhythm and the beating of her pulse in her ears, like music.
Orgasm rippled through her, making it hard to keep a steady pace, but Tom didn’t seem to notice. His thrusts had become ragged, his moans louder, and when he said her name it sent her crashing over the edge. She lost her grip with her gasp of ecstasy, and his cock came to rest, hot and throbbing against her cheek. She grasped it with her other hand, stroked, once, twice and he spasmed in her palm.
The world swam from the heat and steam and the force of her climax, and Lila had to blink and take a deep breath to clear away the threatening faintness. Tom leaned over her, hands braced against the small shower stall’s back wall, feet pressed against the front wall. She still held him, and she took him into her mouth again, alternating with her lips and fingers until he cried out hoarsely.
Another small burst of climax made her clit throb and she answered his cry with one of her own. He sighed. His body relaxed.
It took her a minute to notice his teeth were chattering, and to feel the water had gone ice cold. His body had shielded her from the frigid spray. Chagrined, Lila got to her feet and reached for the faucet, then grabbed a towel and held it out to him.
"Ran out of hot water," Tom said unnecessarily as he rubbed his face dry, then peered at her over the top of the towel. His eyes twinkled. "Probably about five minutes ago."
Lila laughed. "You should’ve said something."
"Couldn’t speak." He shrugged and wrapped the towel around his waist, then pulled her close for a long, lingering kiss. "I was busy thinking about something else."
She stepped back from his embrace, wrapped her own towel around her and squeezed the water from her hair. "Your lips are blue."
If he noticed her hesitation, he didn’t say anything. Instead, Tom went to the sink and filled his palm with some water, then drank it. He stretched out his arms, which looked impossibly long in her small bathroom, then turned and faced her with the same devilish grin he’d given her earlier.
"I think I could use that hot tea you offered earlier."
She put out a hand to touch his goose-pimpled arms, then shook her head and laughed again. "I think I can boil some water. Why don’t you get dressed? You’ll be warmer that way."
Despite the two fabulous bouts of sex they’d just had, walking around naked in front of him was a little too nerve-wracking. Tom tilted his head and pursed his lips, like he could tell the real reason she was suggesting he get dressed, but he nodded anyway. He ran his hands through that dark, silky hair, bent as though to kiss her again and nodded slightly when she turned her head so he met her cheek instead of her lips. Then he left her alone in the bathroom, and Lila pulled on her robe to go downstairs and make the tea. She studiously avoided her face in the mirror, not sure she wanted to see her own expression.
Lila woke to the sound of pans clattering from downstairs in the kitchen. At some point during the night, after the caffeine from the tea had worn off and the conversation faded into yawns, she and Tom had climbed the narrow stairs to the comfort of her room. Sleeping with him had been an uneasy luxury. While having his arms around her as she slipped into sleep had been lovely, waking to find his elbow in her ear had not.
Rolling over, she pressed her face against the pillow he had used. The scent of him still clung to the fabric, and she decided she wouldn’t wash the case until his smell faded. Nothing like acting like a junior high student, she scolded herself, but then snuggled into the pillow again.
She’d expected to feel awkward after making love. She’d assumed Tom would leave with some excuse about having early morning plans. She’d thought talking with him after they made love would no longer be as easy and comfortable as it had been before. She’d been wrong about everything. Tom made her laugh, which was more than any man had done for her in quite a while.
The sex had been great, but Lila discovered the conversation after had been even better. She’d pretended for a long time that being alone didn’t matter to her, for so long she’d forgotten how nice it was to sit with a man on her couch and watch the fire burn without having to make small talk.
More than just a one-night stand. The thought startled her into sitting up. She scrubbed at her face and rubbed her eyes, then crossed her arms over her chest. What was she thinking? Lust had gotten the better of her intellect last night, but in the light of day, she had to be smarter than that. She knew it was impossible Tom Caine could be anything more than just a fling. A man like him wouldn’t be satisfied with her for very long, and Lila had no intentions of setting herself up for more heartache. They’d had some great sex. He was eye-candy. He’d given her multiple orgasms, but that didn’t mean they were destined for…
For what?
Lila sighed, listening to the intriguing clang of pots and pans from downstairs. She’d had exactly one one-night stand in her life, and that had been unintentional. The experience had been so horribly, awfully bad she’d never gone on another date with the guy, who’d turned out to be a bigoted, self-righteous jerk. It had been a mistake.
Making love to Tom wasn’t a mistake, she knew. But believing there could be anything more out of this was. Lila shook her head to clear it of the late-night cobwebs. He was a nice guy, great in bed, but he got up way, way too early in the morning. And he stole the covers. And he left wet towels on the floor.
There. She’d thought of sufficient reason to convince herself that sex was all this was, and all it could be. Hadn’t she? I have to, she thought firmly. Bargain basement grab bags and all that stuff, remember, Lila? Remember William? And with that thought to sober her, she got out of bed and went downstairs.
She found the small table expertly set with the full array of her nicest dishes, silverware, and glasses. A vase held a single red rose. It was the velvet one that had come off the box of Valentine chocolates Darren had given her last February, but she smiled anyway.
