Lying in Your Arms Page 9

  When they moved on to a salad filled with exotic greens, they’d talked politics. Only a bit—enough to confirm they were both the same shade of light purple, i.e. a little of this, a little of that. Neither of them were militant on any point, though it seemed important to her that he agree with her on civil rights and gay marriage, which he did.

  They didn’t talk much when the grilled mahi, marinated beef skewers and crisp vegetables arrived, too focused on the perfection of the meal. And afterward, when the waiter delivered enormous strawberries freshly dipped in chocolate, he couldn’t find anything to say. He was too busy watching the way those full lips of hers looked drenched in chocolate, wondering if she cooed like that and closed her eyes with pure, visceral pleasure when she had sex.

  He was going to find out tonight.

  Their eyes kept meeting. Their hands touched when they both reached for the butter or the water. Their legs brushed. And minute after minute, the pleasurable tension rose. He felt it. She felt it, too. She broadcast it with every flick of her tongue across her lips, every intentional tilt of her head, sweep of her lashes and the tiny sighs she couldn’t contain when he leaned close to taste something off her plate or when she reached over to brush a crumb off his shirt.

  Tension. Oh, such delightful tension.

  “Would you like coffee?” the waiter asked after he’d cleared away the last of the dishes. The chef had already departed, after they’d extended their sincere thanks, and the musician was packing up his guitar.

  “That would be nice, thanks,” Madison said. She pulled her wrap around her shoulders. The sun had begun to set, the evening air gaining more of a chill.

  After serving the coffee, the waiter walked out from under the canopy to light some tiki torches that had been planted in the sand. When he returned, he said, “Please enjoy the sunset. Staff will be down to clean up later tonight. It’s been a pleasure serving you, and again, the management extends its sincere apologies for today’s inconvenience.”

  “Thank you,” Madison replied, and Leo echoed the sentiment.

  Then the man departed, the guitarist following him. Leo and Madison were left alone on the tiny beach.

  Without a word, he rose from his seat and extended a hand. When she took it, he helped her stand and led her to the plush lounger. Pulling her with him, he sat down on it, spread out, and helped her tuck herself in beside him. She was on her side, her head on his shoulder, one thigh lifted and curled between his, her hand traipsing lazy circles on his chest.

  The sun slipped farther, ever farther, and they remained quiet, washed in the glory of it. There was no need for conversation. They both simply knew, somehow, that the moment deserved utter silence, the only sounds those of their beating hearts and the churning waves.

  Red and orange beams chased each other over the surf as the massive golden orb descended toward the horizon. They began to dance across the water, sent forth from some far-off, mystical place, thousands of lines of light riding the waves and landing close to their feet. The entire world seemed to be made of glistening light, every droplet of water in the spray turned into a jeweled rainbow.

  Against his chest, he felt Madison stop breathing, and understood the reason. He found himself holding his breath, too, as that globe dropped what seemed like inches into the vast blue. Farther. Farther. Until at last, with a final wink and a flash, it fell off the edge of the world.

  She exhaled in a rush. “Beautiful.”

  It had been. “A once in a lifetime sundown.”

  Which seemed appropriate for the once in a lifetime night they were about to begin.

  * * *

  AFTER THE SUN had descended beyond the horizon, Madison remained curled up against Leo, content to relive the beauty of the moment in her mind. She’d never seen a more glorious sunset.

  Leo remained quiet, too, content to watch, and to stroke lazy circles on her back with his fingers. Her shawl had slipped down and there was nothing separating his fingertips from her sensitive skin, which grew more sensitive with each gentle stroke.

  But despite being gentle, there was nothing simple or innocent about it. The same rapt attention she’d paid to the sunset now shifted and turned, zoning in on the feelings he was arousing in her with that deliberate touch. Every time his hand moved a tiny bit lower, pushing closer to the back of her sundress, she shimmied up a little, wanting those fingers to push the material away, to bare her to the cool evening air and the heat of his touch.

  Though the sun was gone, darkness certainly hadn’t descended. The sky was still awash with purple, orange and gold. Once it did grow dark, the torches would still provide enough illumination for them, though not for anyone standing high on the cliffs above them to actually look down and see them. Especially not beneath the graceful canopy.

  The scene was designed for private seduction. For intimacy. And while she couldn’t totally agree that the woman at the front desk was doing some matchmaking, she couldn’t rule it out, either. Because this setting was simply too perfect for sensual interludes to be accidental.

  “You warm enough?” he asked.

  “I’m perfect.”

  He shifted, rolling onto his side to face her, looking intently into her eyes. “Yes, you are.”

  Placing the tip of his index finger on her chin he tilted her head up, then bent down to brush his lips against hers.

  Madison had been in a state of high alert all evening. Hell, all day—ever since that wild, erotic encounter on the patio. She had been thinking of nothing else but being possessed by him—taken wildly, roughly, desperately.

  But now, she realized, she wanted it slow. Wanted a lingering, deep kiss that lasted at least a hundred heartbeats, and wanted it to end only because there was so very much more to explore.

  He seemed to read her mind. He kept the kiss slow, lazy and sensual, his warm tongue exploring her mouth thoroughly. He tasted every bit of her, breathing into her and taking her breath.

  A hundred heartbeats passed. At least. Or perhaps a thousand. Time began to lose its meaning as darkness fell and the night became lit by only those torches and the glow of moonlight they could glimpse through the fabric of the canopy.

  He finally moved his lips away, kissing the corner of her mouth. He moved to her cheek, tasting her jawline, and then her neck, until he was breathing into her ear, his tongue flicking out to sample the lobe.

  “I’ve wanted you from the minute you fell into my arms and fainted,” he whispered.

  “I’ve wanted you since I walked into the room and saw you standing there.”

  “Finest male ass you’ve ever seen,” he said with a laugh.

  “I can’t deny it.”

  She stretched a little, arching against him, sliding her bare leg up and down against him. Leo moved a hand down her arm, blazing a trail of heat against her cool skin, awakening every nerve ending. He was still focused on her neck, and he kissed his way down it, until he could bury his face in her neck. There he paused to inhale, breathing her in, as if intoxicated by her essence.

  She twined her fingers in his hair, needing something to hold on to when he resumed his slow study of her body. Without a word, he reached up to the elastic top of her dress and tugged it down, following the material, kissing every inch of skin as it was revealed. She arched toward his mouth, her breasts heavy, aching and desperate. When the top hem finally scraped across her nipples and popped over them, she moaned. Every stroke was intense, every sensation built upon the last.

  He leaned up on an elbow, staring down at her as he pulled the bodice all the way down, revealing her breasts. Even in the semidarkness she could see the hunger in his eyes, the way he had to part his lips to take a shaky breath.

  “Taste me,” she ordered, knowing he was dying to. He’d been dying to since they’d left her room.

  He reached for one breast, cupping it in his hand, plumping it and lightly squeezing her nipple. Heat sluiced through her, as if there were a wire between her breast and her groin,
and she jerked reflexively.

  Leo didn’t notice, he was far too focused on looking at her, studying her, as if he’d never seen anything more beautiful. The tension stretched and built, and she thought she’d die if he didn’t suckle her. When she’d almost reached the point of begging, he bent to flick his tongue over her sensitive nipple.

  “Oh, God, yes,” she cried, waves of heat washing ever downward.

  He needed no more urging, moving to cover her entire nipple with his mouth. His hot breath seared her, then he was closing tight, his lips capturing her, his tongue flicking out to taste. He sucked hard, making all her nerve endings roar.

  She reached for his shirt, desperate to feel him, and ripped at the front. A few buttons flew, enough for her to reach in and stroke his powerful chest, feel the sheen of sweat on his body that spoke of hunger and desire and need far more than the temperature of the air.

  He continued to suckle her, reaching for her other breast, stroking and squeezing it, playing with her nipple until she shook.

  “Berries,” he murmured. “Sweet and so pretty.”

  As if remembering she’d invited him to taste far more than her nipples, he finally moved down and kissed a slow path over her midriff. He sampled each rib, licking each indentation, scraping his teeth across her skin as he pulled the dress out of his way.

  When it got down to her hips, she lifted up a little so he could pull it all the way off. Beneath it, she wore only a tiny, skimpy pair of panties, lacy and white, the kind made to be torn off by a hungry man. They might as well have been advertised that way on the package.

  “Pretty,” he said as he studied them. Closely. His mouth was beneath her belly button, his jaw rubbing against the elastic of her panties. She felt his warm breaths through the nylon, and arched up in welcome.

  He moved farther, placing his open mouth on her mound and inhaling deeply, breathing her in through the material.

  “Oh, God, Leo,” she cried, dying—just dying—for him to lick every inch of her.

  As if knowing she’d taken about as much as she could, he began to uncover her fully. But he didn’t tear the panties off, he merely tugged them, slowly, inch by inch, watching closely as he revealed her secrets.

  “Oh, man,” he whispered, his voice shaking as he looked at her.

  She smiled. He liked what he saw.

  He proved it, pushing the panties the rest of the way off, and then reaching for one of her legs. He stroked her thigh gently before pushing it, parting her legs, opening them so he could enjoy her in all her wantonness.

  There was no thought of shyness, no modesty, nothing but heat and desire, natural and earthy. He looked at her as if he’d never seen anything more beautiful and moved immediately to taste her.

  His mouth moved to her sex, his lips gliding against her in an erotic kiss that defied description. He licked her thoroughly, scraping his warm, wet tongue all over her outer lips, then slipping into the folds for more.

  A helpless, desperate cry escaped her mouth. It was carried off by the night breeze, and she wondered just how many more times the man would make her cry out tonight.

  “Beautiful,” he said, touching her, stroking her, gently plucking at each secret place so he could study her more intimately.

  He flicked the tip of his index finger over her clit, which throbbed with sensation, then moved his mouth to it and sucked it gently. As if he knew her body already, he circled his finger around the base while he flicked her with his tongue. Everything—all sensation, all desire, all need—centered there. It built and throbbed until it finally exploded in a climax that left her shaking so hard her teeth chattered.

  He noticed. Kissing his way back up her body, until he reached her face, he murmured, “Are you cold?”

  “Oh, God, no,” she replied, wrapping her arms around him.

  He kissed her deeply, his mouth tasting like sex and desire, and she reached again for his shirt, determined not to be stopped by a few buttons this time.

  Leo broke away long enough to take over the task, yanking the thing up and over his head and tossing it to the sand. She bit her lip, watching as he quickly undid his khakis, waiting to see that amazing erection she’d held in her hand just this morning.

  He rose onto his knees, pushing his pants down. He hadn’t been wearing anything underneath, and all her breath left her body in a deep, hungry groan.

  “I didn’t imagine it,” she managed to whisper.

  He didn’t say anything, but focused on pushing his pants all the way off. Then he returned his full attention to her.

  Madison parted her legs even farther in an age-old invitation to claim her. Fill her.

  “I’m on the pill,” she told him when he paused, opening his mouth as if about to ask her something. “And there’s nothing else for you to worry about.”

  “Or for you,” he said.

  Then there was no more talking. Nothing else to say. The only communicating they needed to do was with their bodies.

  He moved between her parted thighs, bracing himself above her and staring down at her face. Just to melt her heart a tiny bit more, to reinforce the goodness she’d sensed in the man from the beginning, he asked, “You’re sure? No second thoughts, no regrets?”

  She reached up and encircled his shoulders, drawing him down to her. “I’ve never been more sure about anything.”

  “Neither have I,” he admitted as he settled between her legs, nudging her sex with that massive erection that both thrilled and intimidated her.

  She shouldn’t have worried. He was careful, gentle, and he’d aroused her to the point of insanity. She was dripping wet, soft, welcoming and so ready to be filled by him.

  He knew. And he began to fill her.

  He slid into her warm opening, the passage easy and smooth. All the feminine parts of her reacted and responded the way they were supposed to, with utter surrender to pleasure. She clenched him, tugging him deeper, both with her arms and with her sex. Leo groaned, letting himself be taken in, still careful, but obviously starting to lose himself to sensation.

  “Yes. Take me,” she pleaded, tightening her arms around his neck, nipping at his throat. “Take me now.”

  That drove him onward. Without another word, he arched his hips and plunged, driving into her more deeply than she’d ever thought it possible to go. She let out another cry of pure, utter satisfaction, and focused on savoring the sensation of heat and power and such wonderful, delightful fullness.

  “Are you...”

  “I’m fine,” she said, moving her mouth to his and licking his lips for entry.

  They kissed hungrily, tongues entwining, and he slowly pulled out of her, only to sink again. She arched up to meet the slow thrust, curving her hips upward, wrapping her legs around those lean flanks.

  “Madison,” he whispered, still cautious.

  “More,” she demanded, knowing why he was being so careful, knowing he was afraid to hurt her. “Don’t take it easy on me, Leo, I want it. Give it to me.”

  She tightened her hands in his hair, gripping him, almost at the point of begging him to pound and thrust.

  And then he began to pound and thrust.

  He pulled out and drove back in, going deeper and deeper. The walls of her sex wrapped around him, taking everything, greedy for more. Her heart pounded wildly and she found it hard to catch her breath. She couldn’t think, couldn’t focus, could only be.

  Leo had obviously thrown off the last of his restraints, because he suddenly rolled over onto his back, pulling her with him. He sat her up, impaling her on his cock, holding tightly to her hips.

  “Yeah, baby, please,” she groaned, digging her fingers into the crisp hair on his chest.

  He encircled her waist with his hands and thrust up, just as he tugged her down. The intensity was wild, and he bored a path even deeper into her. She let out a little scream, but when he paused, she glared down at him. “Don’t you stop. Don’t you dare stop.”

  “Not planning
on it, sweetheart,” he said between harsh breaths.

  The muscles in his chest and arms clenched and flexed and his jaw was like granite. His eyes closed and he dropped his head back as he thrust up into her again. And again. And again.

  Although she was on top, he controlled their every move, handling her as easily as if she’d been a doll. But she didn’t care. Every movement he made was for her pleasure. As if to reinforce that, he moved one hand between them and rubbed her clit, just to make sure she’d climax again when he was ready to.

  The heat began to rise again, the sensations spiraled. She was battered by the cool evening air, completely filled with his rock-hard cock, gripped and held and completely lost to pure sexual bliss.

  And when he finally gave a hoarse shout, indicating he’d gained his own, she followed him to an explosive orgasm, and then collapsed onto his body, boneless, weak and exhausted.

  8

  AS IT TURNED OUT, Leo hadn’t merely paid for an “all-inclusive” meal plan he didn’t need, he’d apparently paid for an unneeded room, too. After he and Madison had become lovers on the beach, they had, by unspoken agreement, gone back to her room and slept together in her bed.

  The sex was phenomenal.

  Sleeping together afterward just made it better.

  He liked drifting off with her head resting against his shoulder, her arm curled over his middle, their legs entwined. He liked it even better every time he woke up to find her warm beside him, ready for more.

  They’d spent the deepest, darkest hours of the night exploring each other in a slow, sultry orgy of lust that seemed to go on forever. Or, at least, as long as he could hold out. Madison had once again proved to be impatient, as greedy in bed as she was generous out of it. At one point, he’d been able to do nothing but laugh—and comply—when she’d demanded that he stop with all the oral sex and just fuck her into the headboard.