Chasing Forever (The Forever Series #1)(41)

Walking up behind her, he placed his hands on her tense shoulders, rubbing lightly before moving to her upper arms trying to help her to relax. His arms drifted lower until his hands rested on her hips. “Yes,” he whispered, bending his head until it was next to her neck. “Is your neck still really sensitive?” he asked, his lips grazing her skin with so much unsaid emotion and sensuality, her knees wobbled.

Her breath hitched as she leaned into him, and she could feel his lips curve upward against the sensitive skin of her neck. “I thought so,” he murmured.

With indecent slowness, one of his hands wandered from her hip to her stomach and finally to her breast, cupping it lightly through the fabric of her dress. Her muscles simultaneously tensed and caught fire beneath his fingertips. Belatedly, she realized he was cataloging every twitch, sigh, or exhalation and comparing it to her responses six years ago.

“What are you doing?” she asked absently.

“Getting reacquainted,” he said as his fingertips slipped into the top of her bias cut dress stopping at the scalloped edge of her lace bra.

She leaned back into him even further, circling one of her arms around his neck as she teetered ever so slightly on her nude colored heels.

Pulling his hand from the front of her dress, he pushed her hair to the side and reached for the zipper at the back of her dress. “May I?”

“Please,” she practically begged as she stood absolutely still. She didn’t want to give him a reason to stop or delay. She craved his hands and mouth on her bare skin and more of that scalding intimacy she’d experienced before dinner.

“Thank God,” he mumbled so softly she could barely make out the words. She felt a tug at the back of her dress and cool air hit her skin as it fell open, exposing the top of her back. Then he bent his head and his mouth traced the descent of her zipper. His warm breath traveled down her spine making her tremble, stopping only when he reached the skin above her panties. He dipped his finger just under the top of her panties moving it leisurely from side to side.

Then he stood up, and she finally took another breath. Slowly, he slipped one cuffed sleeve of her dress off her shoulder, then the other. She tried to turn around, but he held her in place as he slid the fabric of her dress over her breasts, down her stomach, over the curves of her hips, finally letting it pool on the floor around her heels.

For a few seconds, she stood breathless and untouched facing his bed, her back to his in nothing but her bra and panties eagerly waiting for his next move. Under normal circumstances, she would feel uncomfortable standing in a brightly lit room in her bra and panties, but the only thing making her uncomfortable was that he still wasn’t touching her. Did she need to beg? She was losing her mind.

Then, as if he heard her thoughts, he placed his hands on the top of her shoulders, causing an electric current of heat to sizzle through her body as he turned her around to face him.

“You’re so insanely beautiful. It makes my heart hurt,” he murmured as he ran his fingertips from her neck to her waist, his heavy lidded sinful stare imploring her to rip his clothes off. “I’ve missed this freckle,” he said, his fingers dipping just under the top of her panties.

Reaching for him, she started unbuttoning his shirt, her eyes never leaving his. She didn’t want to look away. The expression on his face held her captive. “Your turn. I’m not doing this alone this time. Once was enough.”

“Alone?” he asked, smothering his laugh as he watched her unbutton his shirt. “I hope you’re not referring to earlier this evening because I distinctly remember being part of the pre-dinner activities.”

“Maybe, but not as much as I wanted,” she responded feeling bold as she pushed his shirt off his shoulders, running her hands along biceps. Unable to stop herself, she leaned forward to kiss his chest and then looked up at his face. He was smiling, not his fake nice to meet you smile, but his real smile, the one that showed his dimples and caused her heart to thump in her chest.

“Hmm…that was just the appetizer so you knew what I had in mind for this evening, but if you didn’t like it I promise to entertain you more this time. I don’t want to disappoint you.” Leaning forward, he pushed her hair away from her face, then his lips began exploring the sensitive skin near her neck, nuzzling his way to her throat, his tongue tracing every curve and she was overcome with longing as her body lurched forward brushing against him. Electricity rippled between them, and she stiffened in shock.

Stunned, she let out a nervous laugh trying to ignore the tightening in her lower stomach as his lips traveled to her shoulder and the top of her breasts. Taking a step back, she motioned to his pants. “And the rest,” she demanded, pointing at his pants.

“Anything for you,” he responded with a devilish smile. Once he kicked off his shoes, he undid his belt and his pants, before sliding them down his narrow hips and stepping out of them. He stood before her, completely at ease and what a sight it was.

Her eyes traveled over every inch of his bronzed, perfectly sculpted body, unable to look away. The soft yellow glow of the overhead light highlighted the perfect angles of his face. He was gorgeous. There were no words to describe him adequately. She stepped forward touching the sides of his hair that were just starting to curl over the tops of his ears and the nape of his neck. He needed a haircut.

He wrapped his arms around her back and skillfully unhooked the clasp of her bra, his eyes burning holes into her body as her breasts tumbled free. Bending forward, he kissed her slow and searching as if he had the entire night and maybe he did. They had nowhere to be until tomorrow afternoon.