Nash looped a hand around her mane, allowing the loosely knotted braid to cascade over one shoulder. The back of his knuckles brushed the slope of her breast as he rubbed a lock of hair between his fingers.
Short, jumpy exhales floated from her parted lips.
He eased his fingers into her hairline, palms molding the contours of her face. Her eyelids feathered shut as he tilted her chin upward. The moist heat of their accelerated breathing danced over the flesh of their cheeks. Even in the muted darkness, she sensed the burn of intense examination for what seemed like forever. When she dared to open her eyes, he gazed down at her, blue heat volatile in its strength, until she wilted against his sturdy frame.
Coasting a thumb along the edge of her jaw, he gently pinched the tip of her chin between his finger and thumb. “Miss Thompson, you have the sweetest, most beautiful lips I’ve ever tasted.”
“Nash.” Her soft murmur was saturated with anxious abandon.
Ember opened, welcoming the hot, deep glide of his tongue as he took her mouth in a luscious kiss. The solid length of him pressed against her navel. The intimate connection ignited a bone-melting inferno that spread through her blood, bringing fire to the surface of her skin. Lifting her palms to his chest, she let them trail downward, pressing, touching, lazily investigating every compact muscle strung tight with desire.
Dropping her hand to his trousers, she circled over the taut bulge before fumbling with the button. Nash ripped his mouth from hers, stealing her hand from his cock, leaving Ember floundering in embarrassment.
Noting the groove of disappointment notched between her brows, he brushed his nose to hers. “No need to give George, the security guard, a show. I’m not sure his heart could take it.”
Ember inconspicuously looked from corner to corner searching for hidden lenses. The lift gave a subtle bounce and she followed Nash into the empty hallway, anxiously waiting while he entered the code to his apartment.
City lights cast a soft glow over the otherwise dark living room. Drawn to the breathtaking view, she dropped her tote on the coffee table and made her way to the wall of clear glass.
Tall buildings hovered above the sleepy city. Headlights strung together like Christmas lights mapping out the urban grid as if it were a piece of art. The stillness of the room added a distant somberness to the fast-paced metropolis below.
“Wow. I bet this view never gets old.” The words came as a hushed whisper meant for herself.
“Not with you standing there.”
Ember gasped feeling his warm, ragged breath sweep across her bare shoulder. He stood behind her, head bent, touching her with nothing but his lips. A quiet moan swelled in her throat from the sheer pleasure of it. She remained paralyzed in the darkness as he took his time locating the sensitive areas he’d sought out the night before.
Nibbling.
Kissing.
Claiming.
The hands at her sides balled into loose fists, desperately trying to remain still, sinking into the moment of possession, the tender flicks of his tongue bringing unbearable bliss.
Arousal thickened in her gut and below. “Nash.”
His only response, hushed amusement swamped with devilish greed.
The heat of his mouth vanished, instantly leaving her mourning the connection. A small whimper slipped from her lips feeling the faint brush of knuckles at the center of her back as he released her dark hair from its knotted braid. He gently combed his fingers through the thick mane, arranging the wild wavy locks just so at the center of her back.
Uncontainable delight spindled through her body. Her head rolled to the side, craving his mouth on her flesh. His breath filtered through her disheveled hair, but he refrained from touching her. The man stood so close she could feel the heaviness of his energy consuming her space.
Her chest heaved. Each labored breath saturated with need.
Lifting her hands, she glided them upward coasting over the thin material covering her breasts, resting at the base of her neck. “Nash?”
“Yes?” His was voice nothing more than a wicked murmur.
“Nash, please.” The amount of need in her tone bordered on pathetic. Embarrassment climbed to a record high as she squirmed and floundered with desire. She didn’t care. Ember would do just about anything in the moment.
Lightly grasping her upper arm, he lifted her shoulders, burying his mouth in the curve of her neck. The burn of each fingertip sank into her muscles, bringing her to life. Pulling on the thin corded ribbon at her nape, he untied the halter of her jumpsuit.
Nash nipped at the lobe of her ear. “The view is about to get a whole lot better.”
Giving a final tug, the knit material collected around her waist exposing her breasts. The pale mounds gleamed in the darkness and the cool air turned her hard nipples to painful tight points. Every part of her ached with desire. Her back arched, mindlessly searching for the solid heat of him.
Their focus locked in the reflection of the glass. A hint of smugness gleamed in his eyes.
“My God, you are torturing me. Take it off,” she insisted in a low groan.
The quiet sound of throaty laughter filtered through the darkness. “Just a little.”
Ember licked her parched lips. Nash dipped both hands inside the jumpsuit, splaying his fingers over the curve of her hips, following the long line of her leg until the loose material pooled on the hardwood floor. He’d confiscated her panties earlier in the evening when she was getting dressed, so she stood before him naked and vulnerable.
Embracing her inner Goddess, Ember swallowed what was left of her nerves and spread her legs to hip-width apart. A low groan of want and satisfaction slipped through the darkness as he crouched down behind her, tapping one ankle and then the other, encouraging her to step out of the clothing.
The scorching heat of his breath fanned over her bottom right before he delivered gentle bites to each cheek. Voluptuous delight washed over her sending shockwaves through every muscle, causing her to tremble uncontrollably as he laid a trail of sweet kisses up her spine.
“Fort Worth is never going to look the same.”
He rested his chin on her shoulder. Any amusement that lingered in his eyes vanished, each entranced with the image before them. Thick dark lashes cast spikey shadows atop his refined cheekbones in the muted light.
His arms crossed around her midriff, encompassing her in a full embrace. The rigidness of her spine dissolved against the contours of his chest. One hand cupped the weight of her breast, the other slipped beyond a thin strip of trimmed dark hair, simultaneously primping a tight bud between his fingers while the other skated over her sex, circling with perfection.
Chemistry exploded between them.
She panted breathlessly, bringing her hand to his, increasing the pressure below. Body caught in a pleasure arc, her hips rocked in a repeated upward tilt. Twisting her neck, she hunted for his lips.
Plunging deeper, he pushed two fingers into the softness, ripping a cry from her throat. She went weak, her body clenching around the delightful invasion.
“That’s my girl.”
“Your girl?” she croaked, reservation working through the cracks in her voice.
The tip of his nose traced the shell of her ear, drawing the lobe between his teeth. “Mine.”
The intense manner of authority in his tone was not completely lost to any intelligence still left in her brain. Normally, she would’ve found the possessive term offensive, however the solitary word resonated deep inside her soul, wrapping around her heart like a cloak of comfort, sensually and spiritually.