Jeremy let her look. But only for a moment before he stepped toward her. “Screw this, Bella.”
There was only so much one man could take and Jeremy had completely reached his limit. He’d been patient while she undressed him—purposely taking her time to torture him, he was certain. But he let her do it while she herself remained completely clothed. Hell, her winter parka was still zipped up. He’d given her her moment. He’d let her feel as though she were perfectly in charge. Just the way she had been when they were kids. But dammit, by the time she’d stripped him almost completely naked without so much as removing one article herself, he’d reached his breaking point.
“Screw this, Bella.”
The half-smile she’d worn on her sexy red lips as she’d taken in her fill of him disappeared as he took two steps toward her and picked her up around the waist, tossing her easily over his shoulder. She squealed in protest, but Jeremy cupped one hand over her ass to hold her in place as he walked across his small apartment to his bedroom.
He flicked on the bedside lamp, giving him just enough light to see the beautiful body he knew she was hiding under all her layers, and tossed her gently onto the bed.
When she looked up at him, the look on her face was one of shock mixed with an overwhelming desire. It took all of his strength not to jump on the bed and rip her clothes off right then.
But no. He wanted to take it slow. He needed to.
Having Bella on his bed, even fully dressed, was quite literally a dream come true. Sure, he hadn’t actively fantasized about this moment since he was fourteen—at least, not until lately—but still. It wasn’t a moment he was going to rush through.
Hell no.
“You have entirely too many clothes on.”
Bella leaned back on her arms. “You didn’t really give me a chance to take them off, now did you?”
“Oh, I gave you plenty of time.” Jeremy stalked toward the bed and stood at the end, looking down on her. He couldn’t touch her. Not yet. “Take off your coat.”
She froze, his bossiness catching her off guard.
“Now, Bella.”
She hesitated, and for a moment Jeremy wondered whether he’d gone too far. But then a small smile played across her lips; her tongue darted out between them and disappeared just as quickly, leaving him quaking with need but determined to let things play out. With a torturously slow speed, Bella moved her fingers to her zipper and slid it down until she could shimmy out of her parka.
The tight sweater she wore underneath stretched across her breasts as they heaved with the breath she couldn’t seem to fully catch.
But he needed more. “And the sweater.” Jeremy did his best to look unaffected by her slow motion striptease. But despite his best efforts, he was also aware that his throbbing, incredibly hard erection totally gave him away.
He didn’t care.
He swallowed hard as she pulled the sweater up and over her head to reveal full, luscious breasts wrapped in the tiniest slip of lace. Bella’s hard, pink nipples stood at attention, begging him to suckle them between his lips.
But not yet.
Bella’s breath came in quick bursts as she once more leaned back against her forearms, thrusting her breasts up toward him.
He nodded toward her leggings, but she shook her head in response. “I think I’ll need a little help.” Her voice was thick with need. “Would you mind?”
As much as Jeremy was enjoying their game, he didn’t need to be asked twice. He moved to kneel on the bed and slowly crawled up so he was directly over top of her. He kissed her, pulling her bottom lip between his teeth until she let out a low moan.
Jeremy moved his attentions down her neck, nipping and sucking until he was between her breasts. He inhaled the sweet scent of her, letting it fill him, and then he finally did what every fiber in his body had been yearning for: he moved his mouth over one perfectly plump mound and, through the scrap of lace, sucked her nipple into his mouth.
Bella’s body vibrated beneath him. She tilted her neck back and moaned, long and low. Jeremy almost completely lost control at her erotic response. He stilled himself for a moment before turning his attention to her other breast, cupping and massaging the full globes as he went.
Damn.
After a few moments, Jeremy forced himself to keep moving. He trailed kisses down her body until he hit the waistband of her leggings. He slipped his hands past the elastic and moved them down her firm, toned legs, taking the fabric with him, leaving her completely bare. When she was shed of her leggings and boots, Bella reached around her back and unclasped her bra.
She moved backward on the bed, leaned back on her arms and bent her knees, welcoming him to join her.
“God damn, you’re beautiful, Bella.”
Wanting to keep the situation fair, Jeremy tugged his underwear down and when he stood up again, Bella was licking her lips like a cat about to get her reward.
“You’re not too bad yourself, handsome.” She crooked her finger, beckoning him to her. “Now get over here and kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Chapter 8
It was late when Bella finally pulled herself from Jeremy’s bed. Her body ached all over in the most delicious way as she made her way to the bathroom. Their lovemaking had been…explosive. Bella could have laughed at herself for even thinking it, but there was no other word to describe it. Their coming together had been thirteen years in the making, since those first few fumbling kisses they’d shared when they were kids. And it had been worth every single minute of those years.
Bella took a moment to examine her naked body in the mirror. She’d always been confident about her appearance and her sexuality, but now, as she took in her reflection, it was different. Being with Jeremy had brought out something different in her. She couldn’t even begin to explain it, especially because she knew it would sound ridiculous even to her own ears, but she felt as though something had shifted.
Never before had she been with a man who’d worshiped every inch of her body the way Jeremy had. Every touch, every kiss—it was full of...feeling and desire on a level she’d never before experienced.
Bella finished up in the bathroom and crept back into the bedroom. Jeremy was asleep, but she was too wired to sleep. Not yet. She needed a glass of water, and she should probably check her phone in case her grandfather had tried to call. She hadn’t intended to stay out so late. She glanced at Jeremy again. He was sprawled on his stomach, one arm tucked under the pillow, the other outstretched to her side of the bed, where she’d been lying wrapped up in it, only a few moments ago. Her body warmed at the memory. It had been nice to fall asleep with his arm around her, tucked in and protected. Loved.
She watched him for another moment before finding her coat on the floor and fishing out her cell phone. Before she left the room, she grabbed a flannel shirt off a nearby chair and as quietly as she could, padded out to the kitchen.
The shirt smelled of Jeremy and it was almost as good as having his arms around her.
Almost.
She helped herself to a glass of water and powered up her phone. The screen lit up almost instantly with dozens of missed texts and calls. But they weren’t from Papa.
They were almost all from Kyle. The band leader of her…well, her former band.