The Way You Look Tonight (The Sullivans #9)(50)

Before she left Colbie’s store, she’d bought not only the gorgeous lengths of silk, but also the prettiest—and sexiest—lingerie she’d ever seen. She’d bought it with thoughts of how Rafe would react when he saw her in it, but as she pulled the exquisite lace and silk out of the shopping bag, she realized it would thrill her just as much to wear it. She’d never given too much thought to her undergarments before, but after spending a little time in Indulgence, she had to wonder if this could be yet another way of letting out her wild side, with sensual secrets that only she and her lover would know were waiting there beneath her clothes.

She was wearing her secret beneath a simple blue cotton summer dress and had laid her other purchase out over the pillows when she heard Rafe walk in the front door ten minutes later. But as she walked out into the living room, and he met her halfway to tug her into his arms, she immediately forgot about secrets and her day in Seattle.

All she could think about was how good it felt to be back in his arms.

Chapter Eighteen

God, he’d missed her today.

When Rafe had heard Brooke drive up, he’d wanted to drop his tools, pull her out of the driver’s seat, and kiss her senseless, but he’d forced himself to give her a few minutes to decompress first.

Four days ago she hadn’t been in his life.

Four days ago he could have made it through a twelve-hour stretch without longing for her.

Four days ago he hadn’t had the slightest clue just how much his life was going to be completely rocked by a beautiful girl with innocent eyes and soft curves that went on forever.

Brooke’s hair was still just the slightest bit damp from the shower she’d taken. He could have stood with her and breathed in her sweet, fresh scent for hours.

"How were your meetings?"

"Good." She lifted her face from his chest. "I missed you today."

His heart squeezed. The women he’d been with before Brooke had either played hard to get, or had pressured him for more than he’d had any intention of giving. But he knew she was simply telling him what she felt, with no ulterior motives.

He lowered his mouth to hers and told her with his kiss just how much he’d missed her, too. And yet, though all he could think about was taking her to bed for a repeat of their earlier lovemaking, he made himself pull back. "You must be exhausted from your trip."

"I was," she admitted, "but now that you’re here, I’m not anymore."

Sweet Lord, all he wanted was to drag her into the bedroom, tear her clothes off, and take her fast and hard. Instead, he asked, "Are you hungry?"

Her lips curved up into a small smile. "Yes."

Damn it, somehow he was going to have to make it through a meal without losing what was left of his mind.

But then she was pressing her body against his and saying, "Hungry for you."

How could he do anything but love her mouth the way he wanted to love the rest of her? When he finally let her up for air, and both of them were panting, she licked her lips, already damp from his tongue.

"There’s something I want to show you."

Rafe warned himself it could be anything. Pictures of her new storefront. A new style of box she’d found to package chocolates. Even, possibly, the contracts she’d signed today. But the way she’d said the words There’s something I want to show you had Rafe only able to think about sexy things.

Dirty things.

When she slid her hands into his and took him back into the bedroom, he immediately noticed several strips of colored silk draped across the pillows. To the naked eye they looked like scarves. But Rafe knew exactly what they were for.

They were sensual bindings meant for a woman’s naked skin, and he went a little crazy just thinking about using them with Brooke.

"Where did you get those?"

As she picked up the silks, sweetness shimmered in her eyes alongside a budding wickedness that kept surprising him, over and over.

"In a really fun store in Seattle."

The vision of Brooke browsing through sex toys had Rafe nearly bursting the zipper of his jeans. But this was just the kind of thing he’d sworn he wouldn’t do to her. She’d been a good girl before him, and he doubted she would ever have walked into the store before they’d started sleeping together.

Forcing himself to shove aside the too-clear vision of using the scarves to bind her to the iron head- and footboards, her beautiful body naked and open to him, he said, "I already told you we don’t need props."

Though his voice was rough, when he pulled her back into his arms a moment later, making silk fall from her fingers as her hands slid over his shoulders, his lips were gentle over hers. She sighed into his mouth, making one of her little sounds of pleasure that had been playing on repeat inside his head all day long.

He gathered the fabric of her dress in his hands and pulled it up. But when he got to her hips, he had to smooth his hands over her hips and thighs. Lace and silk and soft, smooth skin met his palms and fingertips. She pleased him, every part of her, so much that he couldn’t wait any longer to strip her dress all the way off. Only, once her dress was on the floor, Rafe had to try like hell to pick his jaw up off it, too.

Strips of see-through white lace and silk crisscrossed her body, leaving her at once covered and naked...and so damned beautiful that he was stunned senseless.