Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss (Pregnancy & Passion #3)(4)

She relaxed and melted into his embrace. Her body hummed. Her pulse thudded against her temples, at her neck and deep in her body at her very core. She wanted this man. Sometimes she felt like she’d been waiting for him forever. He was so…right.

“Devon,” she whispered.

He pushed far enough away that he could see her, but he still held her firm in his embrace.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

Her heart fluttered at the endearment.

“There’s something I need to tell you. Something you should know.”

His brow furrowed, and he searched her eyes as if gauging her mood.

“Go ahead. You can tell me anything.”

She swallowed but felt the knot grow bigger in her throat. She hadn’t imagined it being this difficult to say, but she felt suddenly silly. Maybe she shouldn’t say anything at all. Maybe she should just let things happen. But no, this was a special night. It needed to be special. He deserved to know.

“I—I’ve never done this.” She gripped his upper arm with nervous fingers. “What I mean is that I’ve never made love with a man before. You…you’d be the first.”

Something dark and primitive sparked in his eyes. His grip tightened around her waist. At first he didn’t say anything. He kissed her hungrily, his lips devouring hers.

Then he pulled away, savage satisfaction written on every facet of his face.

“I’m glad. After tonight you’ll be mine, Ashley. I’m glad I’m the first.”

“Me, too,” she whispered.

Some of the fierceness in his expression eased. He leaned forward and kissed her on the brow and held his lips there for a long moment.

His hands ran soothingly up and down her arms, stopping to squeeze her shoulders. “I don’t want you to be afraid. I’ll be very gentle with you, sweetheart. I’ll make sure you enjoy every moment of it.”

She reached up on tiptoe to wrap both arms around his neck. “Then make love to me, Devon. I’ve waited so long for you.”

Two

Ashley stared up at Devon, unsure of what to do now. He didn’t suffer any such problem. Dropping another kiss on her brow, he bent and lifted her into his arms and carried her to the large master bedroom in the corner of the apartment.

She sighed as she laid her head on his chest. “I’ve always dreamed of being carried to bed when the big moment came. I probably sound silly.”

Soft laughter rumbled from his chest. “Glad I could fulfill one of your fantasies before I even get you naked.”

She blushed but felt a giddy thrill at the idea of him undressing her. That was number two on her fantasy list for when she lost her virginity.

After listening to so many girls in high school and college talk about how utterly unremarkable their first times were, Ashley had vowed that her experience would be different. Perhaps she’d been too picky as a result, but she’d been determined to choose the right man and the right moment. So she was feeling pretty damn smug because it didn’t get any more perfect than Devon Carter right here, right now.

He set her down just inside the doorway and she glanced nervously around his enormous bedroom. A person could get swallowed up in here. And the bed was equally huge. It looked custom-made. Who needed a bed that big anyway? Unless he regularly hosted orgies and slept with ten women.

“I’m going to undress you, sweetheart,” he said in a husky voice. “I’ll go slow and you stop me if you feel uncomfortable at any time. We have all night. There’s no rush.”

Her heart melted at the tenderness in his voice. He seemed so patient, and she warred with appreciating this unerringly patient side of him and being frustrated because she wanted to be ravished.

It’s your first time only once.

She could hear herself issue the reprimand. And she was right. She had plenty of time for down-and-dirty, hot monkey sex. But she would only have this night once and she wanted it to be a night she’d always remember.

“Turn around so I can unzip your dress.”

Slowly she turned and closed her eyes when he gently moved her hair over one shoulder so he could reach the zip. A moment later, the light rasp of the zipper filled the room and the dress loosened precariously around her bust.

She slapped her hands over the strapless neckline just before it took the plunge down her body.

Devon’s hands closed around her bare shoulders and he kissed the curve of her neck. “Relax.”

Easy for him to say. He’d probably done this a hundred times. That thought depressed her and she made herself swear not to dwell on how many bed partners he may have had.

He turned her back around, his smile tender enough to melt her insides. Carefully he pried her fingers away from their death grip on her dress until it fell down her body, leaving her in only her panties.

She flushed scarlet. Why, oh, why hadn’t she just worn the strapless bra? She felt like a hussy for not wearing anything but it wasn’t as if she had a huge amount of cle**age and the dress fit tightly over her chest so she hadn’t been in danger of flopping out of it.

And it wasn’t as if she knew she was going to be seduced tonight.

She’d hoped. But then she’d hoped every time Devon took her out. She’d given up on trying to predict when or if the day might come.

“Very sexy,” Devon breathed out as his gaze raked up and down her body.