It Had to Be You (Chicago Stars #1)(59)

He gazed at her. “A virgin?”

She dropped her eyes, mortified at what she’d revealed. “Forget it. Forget I said anything. Let’s just do it.”

“Phoebe, darlin’, what’s going on here?” He brushed his index finger over her lips.

“There’s nothing going on.”

“You can tell me. I’m sort of like a bedroom priest; I’ve pretty much heard it all. Have you ground out so many miles between the bedposts that you want to turn back the odometer a little?”

“Something like that,” she murmured.

“I don’t have a whole lot of experience with virgins to draw on. Matter of fact, I don’t recall that I have any. Still, I s’pose I could use my imagination.” And then his eyes narrowed. “I don’t have to pretend that you’re sixteen or anything, do I, because that kiddie stuff turns me off.”

“Thirty-three,” she whispered.

“That old?”

He was teasing her, and she knew it, so she tried to sound offhand. “Why not? Maybe one of those dried-up women who’s secretly afraid of men. Somebody like that.”

“Now this is getting kinda interesting.” His thumb brushed along the very top of her breasts, just above the edge of the bedspread. “I don’t suppose a woman like you would let me have another look at what you’ve got hidden under here?”

“As long as you don’t say anything nasty about them.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“You did. You told me to show you my—”

He pressed his finger over her lips. “That wasn’t me. Only a real jerk would talk like that.”

She loosened her grip on the spread. Slowly, he lowered it, letting the cover fall to her waist.

“Now a man like me would appreciate a sight like this.” Despite his words, he didn’t even look. Instead, he was studying her face.

Before she knew it, she was the one touching him. She ran her palms over his arms and along his shoulders. She was entranced with the contrast between his iron-hard muscles and the gentle way he nuzzled her neck. He trailed kisses along her jaw, nibbled her chin, the corner of her mouth. Finally he drew back and looked down at her breasts.

They had been painted by Flores and viewed by multitudes, but she felt as if they were being seen for the first time. He touched her. Just the pads of his thumbs on the very tips of her nipples, and the feeling was so exquisite that she sighed, an expression of desire and pleasure that spread all the way to her toes.

“Lean back,” he whispered.

She sank into the pillows. He continued to touch her like that, just the very tips of her nipples, until she didn’t think she could bear it any longer. She had never experienced desire like this, so warm and liquid with no place for fear. He slipped his hand farther into her panties.

“Stop.”

He immediately withdrew.

She smiled. “I want to see you.” Going up on her knees, she reached for his zipper, then found the courage to slide it down over the heavy bulge that strained the denim.

“Hold on a minute, darlin’.” He stilled her hands before she could go further and got up from the bed to disappear into the bathroom. He reappeared a moment later.

Her lips curved as he tossed a handful of foil-wrapped condoms on the table at the side of the bed. “What an ego.”

“How would a maiden lady like you even know what those are?”

“Public television.”

Now he was the one with the grin, and she realized this was the first time she had ever laughed in bed with a man. Until this moment, she had never imagined that laughter and sex could go together.

“Where were we?”

She was amazed at her own boldness as she reached for the open V of his jeans. “Right here, as I remember.” She couldn’t believe how urgent her need was to see him. Instead of being afraid, she was experiencing a heady mixture of curiosity and lust.

“Don’t faint on me.”

“I’ll try not to.” She pushed the denim away and then swallowed hard as he sprang free from a pair of white cotton briefs.

“Oh, my.” Her gasp wasn’t feigned.

He chuckled. “Take deep breaths.”

“Maybe it’s just because your hips are so narrow. The contrast . . .”

“That’s one way of looking at it.” He smiled as he pulled off what was left of his clothing and stood naked before her.

She couldn’t take her eyes off him. His shoulders were broad and powerful, his hips narrow with an almost concave abdomen. One of his knees was scarred, as was his opposite calf.

“This peep show works two ways, you know.” He nodded toward the part of her still hidden beneath the spread that had settled in her lap.

“I’m too shy,” she replied, sinking back on her heels.

“I guess I can understand that. Considering your inexperience and everything.” The mattress sagged as he settled down on the edge. “What I’m going to suggest is this. Since you’re a maiden lady, you might be less embarrassed if you just reached under the cover, slipped off what you’ve got left, and handed it out”

Lowering her eyes, she leaned back into the pillows and did as he suggested. As she dropped her panties at the side of the bed, she could barely control her excitement over this crazy, unpredictable seduction.