Carter’s eyes blazed. Blazed. Something a lot hotter than warmth was radiating out of him now. He let out a soft groan. “Thank God. Me too.”
He kissed her again, and this time it was clear neither one of them were planning to stop.
Six
CARTER HAD STARTED walking them back toward the bed as they kissed when Ruth remembered something. She pushed at his shoulders, causing him to release her immediately.
With a tight twist of his face, he asked, “Change your mind?”
“No. No way. Just... condom. Before we get too far. Do you have one?”
Relief washed over his expression. “Oh. Yeah. Good thinking. Hold on a second.”
She stood near her rumpled bed and waited as he went into his bedroom and returned in less than a minute, holding a few condom packets that he set on the nightstand.
Even knowing she should be smarter about protecting male egos, she couldn’t help but giggle. “Feeling kind of ambitious, aren’t you? You really think you’re going to need all three?”
Carter gave her a wolfish smile. “You never know.”
Unsuccessfully restraining her rippling laughter, she took a step toward him. “I suppose you might be clumsy in bed. You might tear a couple of them and need the third.”
His eyes narrowed. “Or maybe I have legendary stamina and powers of endurance.”
The laughter burst out of her. “I’m sure that’s it.”
He obviously wasn’t offended by her teasing. His eyes glinted with amusement. But he closed the last of the distance between them and said in a low, rough tone that made her shiver. “You really doubt me?”
“Well, what do you expect? In my experience, the buttoned-up nice guys are sometimes not as adventurous in the—” Her words were cut off abruptly when Carter grabbed her without warning and swung her up onto the bed in a quick, skillful move that made her squeal.
In just a few seconds, she was sprawled out with her head almost on the pillow. Carter climbed on top of her, holding himself up above her with straightened arms.
She let her fingers trail up and down the length of one strong bare arm. “Okay. That was a good move. I’ll give you that much.”
He leaned closer. “You’re going to give me more than that.”
She wasn’t sure how he did it, but that gravelly texture in his voice was as sexy as a physical touch. “Talk, talk, talk. So far, all you’ve done is talk and put me on this bed. You’re going to have to do a lot more than that if you really want to imp—”
Her teasing words were cut off again. This time by Carter kissing her hard.
It was a really good kiss. Slow and demanding and hungry. Her body melted beneath his as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave herself over to the rush of intense feelings.
He wasn’t a boring kisser. That much was clear. His kept varying his techniques, sometimes stroking the inside of her mouth with his tongue, sometimes nipping at her bottom lip, sometimes leaving her mouth entirely for quick, tantalizing detours to her throat or ear. It didn’t take long before her body throbbed with building arousal. Her cheeks burned. Her ears buzzed. Her hips couldn’t stay still. She kept running her fingernails down the tight bare skin of his back and clutching at fistfuls of his hair as she tried to contain the sensations.
When he finally broke the kiss, raising his head so he could smile down at her smugly, she curled her lip. “Not bad,” she managed to say primly.
“Not bad? If that’s all it was, then why are you so turned on right now?”
“Who said I was—”
“This says it.” He ducked his head down to tweak one of her nipples, which were so tight they were poking out shamelessly through the thin fabric of her tank top.
She whimpered and arched up helplessly at the little move.
“I believe I’ve proved my point,” he drawled, his smile softening as he stroked some of her messy hair back from her face.
“You haven’t proved anything. You just surprised me. That’s why I reacted.”
He chuckled. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She was enjoying the banter as much as his kisses. It was a strange experience.
“All right. Well, this time you won’t be surprised. I’m going to do it again. Right... now.” As good as his word, he ducked his head again and gave her other nipple a little flick with his lips.
Despite her best efforts to control any reaction, she gasped in pleasure and arched up again.
“Don’t say it,” she gritted out when she saw his grin.
“I’m not saying a word.” He grabbed the bottom of her tank top and pulled it off over her head. She had a curvy figure for being as short and small boned as she was, and her breasts jiggled from the motion.
Carter made a throaty sound of appreciation as he stared down at them. He was just as turned on as she was. She knew this because when he shifted above her, she could feel the hard shape of his erection, barely contained in his loose pants.
“Well, what do you think?” she demanded. A woman with any tact or discernment would probably not have asked that particular question.
His eyes moved up to her face. “Isn’t it obvious?” He rubbed his groin against her belly in a slow, feral move, making both of them groan.
“I know you’re turned on, but that could be for any number of reasons. Maybe it’s not because I’m—”
“It is because you’re gorgeous,” he murmured, his eyes raking up and down her half-naked body. “And hot and sexy and perfect.” He adjusted his position so he could take one of her nipples in his mouth and give it a hard suck. Then he murmured against her skin, “And these are the best I’ve ever seen in my life.”
She should have been too skeptical and experienced to believe that. But it sounded like he meant it. And she wanted him to mean it. So she let the pleasure from the compliment waft over her as he kissed and fondled her breasts.
He was good at that too. It didn’t take long until she was wriggling and mewing out helpless sounds that she tried to hold back by biting her lower lip. The pulsing of her arousal was making her crazy. She tried to rub herself against his hip to get some relief, but she couldn’t get in a good position.
He took his time with the sweet torture until Ruth was genuinely afraid she might come from nothing more than his work on her breasts.
“So,” he said when he finally lifted his head. He was flushed and rumpled and smiling and smoldering with a primitive pride that she really shouldn’t enjoy so much. “What were you saying about how I’m too nice to be good in bed?”
“That’s not what I said! I just meant—” She made a ridiculous sobbing sound when he gave one of her sensitized breasts another quick nip.
“I know what you meant,” he murmured, kissing his way down to her belly. “I know a challenge when I hear one. You don’t seem to understand that I’m up to any challenge you might give me.”
“I do... understand...” She lost track of the conversation. Lost track of her ability to speak. He was mouthing her soft, mostly flat belly, edging downward to where she was hot and wet and pulsing with need.
The flare of fear that sparked up didn’t make sense to her but was strong enough to compel her to action. She pulled his head back up—away from her groin—and kissed him hard and deep, pushing him over onto his back as she did.