Dolby(22)
Author: Maryann Jordan

 

“Marcia.”

 

Her name falling from his lips sounded as though pulled from the depths of his lungs, and she had no idea what to say.

 

He swallowed, his gaze moving from her eyes to her mouth again. “You’ve gotta give me the words.”

 

Brows knitted together, she blinked, still not knowing what he expected.

 

“I want to kiss you,” he said, his breath wisping across her cheeks. “But I don’t want to fuck anything up. I need to know what you want.”

 

“I want that, too,” she whispered, not trusting her lungs to speak and breathe at the same time. “I want you to kiss me.”

 

She watched the resolve flee from his eyes a second before his lips landed on hers. He left no doubt he knew what he was doing with the soft kiss. His lips moved over hers before his hand glided through her hair and cupped the back of her head. He angled her just enough to seal their mouths together. His tongue darted out to trace the seam of her mouth, and she opened underneath his silken assault. Her body vibrated as lust coursed through each nerve. Her hands clutched his shoulders, fingers gripping until her knuckles were white, anchoring to something steady as the current of passion swept her away.

 

She’d written countless kissing scenes, but nothing had prepared her for the onslaught of desire. She never wanted the kiss to end. She’d had rushed, hurried kisses before. Years earlier, she was anxious to step into the adult world and mistakenly thought sex would ease the pain, only to find that with an uninvested partner, it barely sparked a light, much less a flame. But Jonathan consumed her with fire and made her want more.

 

This man could make her believe that someone would want to tenderly put back the pieces of her that had been broken so long ago.

 

 

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

 

 

Dolby had plenty of experience with flirting… both giving and receiving. But with Marcia, flirting just to tease or initiate sex had not crossed his mind. Since meeting her at the lighthouse, he knew she wasn’t fake. Shy. Cautious. Giving away little about herself. Now that he knew she was a famous author guarding her privacy, he could understand her reticence.

 

Yet he felt something else besides the desire for privacy that cast a haunted specter through her eyes.

 

With each moment they’d spent together, his attraction and interest had grown, but he had no idea if she felt the same. Not until she leaned closer, her gaze dropping to his mouth. On any other woman, he’d read the signals, but with Marcia, he desperately needed to hear what she wanted.

 

“I want you to kiss me.”

 

He wasn’t sure he’d ever been so anxious to hear a woman’s response before, and when he heard hers, all other thoughts flew from his mind. His fingers glided through her silky hair to cup the back of her head as their lips melted together.

 

The kiss began slowly as he felt her timidity, but then she leaned deeper into him, allowing him to take charge. He had no desire to plunder but, instead, wanted to give her everything he could offer in a kiss. In the ensuing moments, he lost all other thoughts other than to continue kissing her as his body reacted in ways he’d never felt before.

 

Oh, he’d expected his cock to react. Hell, that was basic biology. But it was as though every cell in his body was electrified as tingles raced along his nerves. Desire flashed like lightning behind his closed eyelids. He wanted to drag her across his lap, wrap his arms tightly around her, and continue kissing until neither knew anything other than the feel of the other's mouth moving in sync.

 

As his cock swelled, pressing uncomfortably behind his zipper, he refused to take things further. Not now. Not today.

 

Marcia was no fuck. No easy lay. No one and done. He knew that before he’d knocked on her door today, but then he also hadn’t assumed he’d be kissing her, either. But now that he had a taste of her kiss, he wanted to savor each sensation.

 

Unlike some men who preferred not to kiss, he didn’t avoid it. Granted, it implied intimacy but usually was nothing more than a precursor to sex. But with Marcia, the kiss had a life force of its own. If he did nothing more than kiss her, taste her, and memorize the feel of her lips and his tongue in the warmth of her mouth, he’d leave a happy man. But then, he also knew it would flame his desire to be with her more, and he could only pray she felt the same.

 

Nibbling her bottom lip, he pulled back slightly to see her closed eyes, flushed cheeks, and slightly swollen lips. Her eyes blinked open at their separation, filled with a hint of confusion mixed with lust. Jesus, she’s beautiful. Just as uncertainty shifted through her expression, he applied slight pressure with his hand to pull her mouth back to his.

 

She moaned, and he swallowed the vibration, anxious to keep hearing that little noise, wondering if she’d make the same sound when she came. He desperately wanted to find out but was willing to take things at a turtle’s pace if that was what she needed.

 

She shifted slightly on the small sofa, moving her body closer until their chests pressed together. With one hand still cupping the back of her head, his other hand slid down her back to her ass, digging his fingers into the flesh. Her arms encircled his neck, and he felt her short fingernails scrape along his scalp, sending tingles down his spine. His cock threatened to burst the zipper of his pants.

 

Wanting to touch her skin, he slipped his hand underneath her shirt and nearly crowed as his fingers glided over her silky-smooth back. Angling his head again, he took the kiss deeper, his tongue thrusting as it explored her warm mouth, tangling with her tongue and memorizing each taste, touch, and feel of this woman who’d captured his attention.

 

He wanted her underneath him in his bed, but more than that, he wanted her. But not this way because the last thing he wanted was for her to look at him with regret filling her eyes instead of desire and care.

 

Moving both arms so his hands were on her shoulders, he gently pushed her backward until their lips parted. Both breathing hard, they stared at each other for a long moment, neither speaking. Her eyes were seeking, and he never wanted her to doubt his desire.

 

“I didn’t come over here today to seduce you.”

 

Her tongue darted out, dragging the moistened tip over her dry bottom lip. Still breathing hard, she nodded. “When you walked in, I was surprised but thrilled to see you. But I never expected to share my private life with you.”

 

“I’m glad you did. I want this to be the start of something.”

 

She stared, blinking, then pressed her swollen lips together. “Something?” she whispered.

 

“Us.”