“I need you, baby.” The need to taste her again engulfed him, and he kissed her deeply and possessively, wishing a condom would magically appear on his cock so he didn’t have to stop. But magic was for fairy tales, and they were as real as the blood surging through his veins.
He reluctantly pulled away, uttering a curse that made her giggle, as he reached for his wallet. He pulled out a condom and went up on his knees to sheathe himself. She watched his every move, lustfully licking her lips. Fucking hell. He wanted her mouth on him as desperately as he wanted to be buried deep inside her. She was a festival of sexiness, and he didn’t want to miss out on any of it. But that would have to wait, because if he didn’t make love to her soon, he was going to lose his frigging mind.
He’d wanted this moment since their very first kiss, and he thought of all the things he wanted to say to her so she would know that this was as special for him as it was for her. But as he came down over her, the combination of trust and passion in her eyes brought his emotions rushing to the surface, stealing his ability to speak.
She rose up, meeting him in a slow, sensual kiss as their bodies came together so mind-numbingly perfect, they both stilled. Silent seconds pounded between them like drums announcing the overwhelming sensations gripping them as they gazed into each other’s eyes, their emotions winding around them like chains he never wanted to break. Giving in to the powerful draw, their mouths connected, and their bodies took over. Their kisses turned feverish, their tongues crashing hard and slick. She pulled her knees up, and he clutched her bottom, angling her up as he drove in deeper. Her inner muscles squeezed so exquisitely with every thrust, he struggled for control. Fuuck. She had the power to destroy him and make him whole at once. He hadn’t even known that was possible.
She clawed at his back, the scratch of her nails a scintillating mix of pleasure and pain, spurring him on. He quickened his efforts, and her head tipped back with a gasp, followed by a moan. He claimed her neck with his mouth, every suck bringing another gasp, an urgent plea—“Don’t stop…Harder…Yes!” He lifted her knee beside his hip, loving her harder, faster, their slick bodies pounding out an erotic rhythm. Her eyes slammed shut, and his name flew from her lips, full of anguished pleasure. Her nails dug deeper into his flesh, sending heat searing down his spine, stealing the last of his restraint, catapulting him into a world so full of ecstasy and Amber, he never wanted to leave.
Chapter Eleven
SUNLIGHT STREAMED IN through Amber’s bedroom curtains, splashing light over her closed eyes. She lay still, soaking in the warmth of Dash’s body curled around her, the tickle of the hair on his chest and legs against her skin. One of his arms was beneath her head, the other wrapped around her middle, his hand cupping her bare breast. Heat slid through her core with the awareness, bringing even more delicious sensations into focus, like his hard heat against her bottom and his warm breath skating over her neck and cheek. She’d never woken up with a man in her bed before, and it brought a wave of nervousness. Not that she didn’t want him there. Just the opposite. She didn’t want him to leave. But she had to pee, which meant walking to the bathroom naked.
Her pulse quickened. She probably shouldn’t be nervous after everything they’d done last night. After all, he’d made it his mission to discover all the places she liked to be kissed and touched, and he’d been very thorough. How many times had they made love? Two? Three? The night was a blur of indescribable pleasure. But that was in the dark.
“Good morning, wild thing.”
She’d sure lived up to that nickname last night. She’d never been the least bit wild before, but he made her feel safe and special, and she liked being wild with him. “Morning.”
He kissed her shoulder, hugging her with every hard inch of his body. Her body bloomed with desire, despite being a little sore from using muscles she hadn’t even realized she had.
He shifted her onto her back, his arousal brushing enticingly against her hip. He was grinning like the big bad wolf, his hungry eyes moving slowly over her face. She cringed inwardly, imagining her eye makeup smeared and her hair as tangled as a rat’s nest, while he looked like he’d walked off the pages of Men’s Health magazine with his slightly tousled hair, sexy stubble, and a refreshing glow to his bronzed skin.
He caressed her cheek, his gaze warming. “How is it possible that you wake up this beautiful?”
She rolled her eyes. “How is it possible that you can lie with a straight face?”
“Lie?” He tickled her ribs, and she squealed, trying to wriggle away, but she was trapped by half his body.
“Stop,” she said through her laughter. “I have to pee.”
He nipped at her neck, his fingers perched to tickle. “Take it back, or you’ll turn this mattress into a waterbed.”
“I take it back” flew from her lips, and he kissed her, both of them laughing. His chest brushed hers, sending tingling sensations to all her best parts.
“You are beautiful, Amber, morning, noon, and night.” His expression turned serious. “My father lied to all of us for a long time before he left. I’ll never do that to you. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said softly, thinking about how hurt he must have been by his father’s lies.
He kissed her again. “Good. Go use the bathroom, and hurry back so I can ravage you.”
She shivered with delight and sat up, holding the sheet over her. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her nerves prickled again as she looked at their clothes strewn across the floor. She couldn’t even reach his shirt to put it on.
As if he’d read her thoughts, he said, “Sweetheart, you don’t need to hide your gorgeous body. I know every inch of it intimately.”
Embarrassment heated her cheeks. “You might be used to waking up with naked women, but I’m not used to waking up with a man in my bed, naked or otherwise.”
He moved beside her, semi-aroused, and so comfortable in his own skin she was a little jealous. “I’m not used to waking up with women. I’ve never been into slumber parties. That’s not to say I’ve been a saint, but I’ve been careful with my reputation. I wouldn’t want my mom or my sisters to have to combat rumors about their womanizing son and brother.”
“Then why did you ask me to clear my schedule for today?” As the words left her lips, she already knew the answer. It was the same reason she’d not only let last night happen but had wanted it to.
“Because, as I’ve said since we first met, everything is different with you. I want more time with you, not less. We only have this week together before I leave for my book tour, and I don’t want to waste a second of it.”
A nugget of sadness burrowed deep inside her. She hated the idea of him leaving, but it was inevitable. She didn’t want to waste a second of their time together either, or miss a moment of the way he made her feel. She stood with the sheet pressed to her chest and glanced over her shoulder at him. He was looking at her like she was his everything, making her want to let down her guard as she’d done last night. She wasn’t naive. She knew things might change next week, that this time together might be all they would ever have, and that bothered her. But he was loving, supportive, and funny, even if a little pushier than what she was used to, and she really, really liked him. He made her feel special and safe and, she realized, much more comfortable in her own skin, too. She didn’t want to pass up a chance at this beautiful happiness, even if short-lived. If this was all that was in the cards for them, she wanted to experience all of it. To soak it in and revel in it for as long as it lasted. And she did so knowing her sisters would be there to help her through her heartache.