Sweet Temptation (The Sweet Trilogy #4)(98)

I swish the hair from my eyes, then feel her hands on the buckle of my shorts. I take her hands away, saying, “Not yet.” It’s been so long that I don’t want to test my self-control. Right now, I need to see all of her. I slowly reach behind and flick open the clasp of her white strapless bra. As it falls, she covers her chest.

“They’re . . .” She bites her lip and looks down.

I place my hands over hers. “I assure you, they’re perfect.” I gently pry her hands away and look down at Anna, exposed before me.

My breath hitches like I’m a lad. I have to close my eyes and gather my wits before I can look at her again. Every curve, peak, and valley . . . I can’t believe she’s mine. All mine.

“Like I said,” I grit out. “Just right. On the bed with you now.”

She obeys and I know she’ll do anything I say right now, because she trusts me, she wants me. It fills me with a masculine pride that makes me want to roar. I lie next to her on the bed and force her to stay on her back while I peruse every inch of her skin. Each time she attempts to touch me or pull me, or move closer, I stop her. It’s driving her mad, and the delicious power rush makes me want to go even slower.

Shoulders, collarbones, breasts—she lets me kiss her and taste her and learn her—waist, belly button, hips, stomach, every inch of her as smooth and sweet as the next. She squirms and groans, grabbing sensually at my hair. When I get to her panty line, and go lower, down to her thighs, she lifts her hips and I firmly push them back down.

“Please,” she whispers.

“Not yet.”

I know what she needs, and I know I can make it even better by building that need within her, just as my own is building. I flip her to her stomach and start at the top of her body again, moving her hair aside so I can kiss her upper back. She gasps and cries out when I get to the base of her spine. I smile to myself, having found one of her zones. And when I get to her arse—the most perfect, round bit of flesh to ever exist—I nearly lose my head and rip the tiny piece of lace from her body. A low rumble emits from my chest.

Anna takes advantage, saying, “Take them off.” I am too lost to drag this out a moment longer. I sit up and pull the knickers down her smooth legs. What’s left before me is my sexy little Anna’s backside, completely naked.

“My God,” I whisper. She’s more perfect than I imagined, and I imagined this a lot.

Anna turns over and I soak in the front image of her. . . .

Heaven.

She reaches for my shorts, but I grasp her hand and gently bite her naughty finger.

“I’m not done yet.”

She falls back with a moan as I make my way straight to her lower stomach again, this time with no barrier of fabric to block me. I kiss down her inner thigh, and Anna’s breathing goes ragged. I kiss her again, right where she needs, and my sight shatters into a myriad of white shards.

Within seconds Anna cries out and I tighten my grip on her hips. She overwhelms my senses. Anna is the scratching of nails in my hair. She’s the sound of high moans in my ears. The firm thighs against my unshaven cheeks. The sweet scent that surrounds us.

Her cries turn to tired breathing, and her grip on my hair relaxes. Only then do I relent and move up to place kisses on her flushed face and closed eyelids. I love knowing I’ve done this to her.

“You can nap, luv,” I whisper.

She sags further into the bed, murmuring. Then her eyes pop open. She pushes to her elbows and glares as if I’d said something offensive. I have to laugh. Her hair has gone a bit poofy in the back, and she’s a right gorgeous sight.

“It’s your turn,” she says.

Oh. I go still, wondering exactly what she has in mind. Inside, my body claps like a damn seal, but outside I’m suddenly too nervous to move. She leans forward and kisses under my ear. Ah, yes. That’s nice. She kisses my neck and I reach for her hip, pulling her closer.

“My sweet little vixen.”

She licks my earlobe, and a bolt of arousal forces me on top of her.

Anna is naked underneath me. All mine.

But she tsks and makes a little uh-uh-uuh sound, as if I’ve got it all wrong. She pushes me off her and continues pushing me until I’m on my back and she’s beside me on her knees, looking down at my body as I did to hers. She bites her lip. Her hands are shaking as her fingers trail over my chest and down my abs. I want to tell her she doesn’t have to do this, but she reaches for my belt, determined.

Oh, dear God. I could quite possibly make a terrible fool of myself right now. I grasp her hands and breathe out harshly. Her eyes fill with worry and I have to say something.

“Sorry . . . it’s just that . . . it’s been a while.”

“It’s okay,” she whispers. It’s as if she’s relieved that I’m showing weakness, though I am not at all happy about it.

Once I’ve taken several breaths, I release her hands and she continues to undress me. I lift my hips for her and kick off the shorts.

“Um, wow,” Anna murmurs. She stares so hard that I’m about to lose it. Damn it, Rowe, be cool, I chide myself as she takes her visual fill of me with an expression of awe and curiosity.

I close my eyes and swallow. I try to imagine non-sexy things, but it’s difficult when she’s hijacked all of my senses. I breathe, trying to regain control, but when Anna finally touches me, I have to wrap my hand over hers again.