He was close, Stephanie thought as embarrassment and horror swirled in her throat. So close that he'd grasped the concept in one seemingly easy try.
It was one thing to think about hot monkey sex with a virtual stranger who happened to be handsome, hunky and heart-poundingly erotic, it was another to have the object of her desire figure it all out and say it back to her. Out loud.
In the light of day, the idea sounded sleazy and off-putting and completely improbable.
Without thinking, she pushed herself to her feet and bolted from the room. She had no particular destination in mind just a need to be away from Nash.
As she raced along the hall, she tried to tell herself that she hadn't done anything wrong. She was an adult, Nash was an adult. He'd kissed her and they'd both liked it. So what was the big deal about suggesting taking things to the next level? Didn't people do that all the time? Maybe, she thought frantically. But not her. She'd been with exactly one man in her life-her husband. The rules and social mores of the modern dating world were completely beyond her. She had never asked a man to hold her hand before, much less ask him to have an affair.
She reached the bottom stair, but before she could put her foot on it, someone grabbed her arm.
She stopped and sucked in a breath. Okay-not someone. Nash. She ducked her head because she could feel heat on her cheeks. Not only from what he'd figured out about what she wanted, but because running hadn't exactly been mature.
Silence stretched between them, lengthening like taffy. Finally it snapped with an almost-audible crack and he spoke.
“I apologize," he said quietly. "Apparently I misread the situation and insulted you." His words were so at odds with what she'd been thinking, she couldn't help turning around and staring at him. His dark gaze settled on her face as he shrugged.
“Wishful thinking on my part," he said. "I projected what I wanted onto you." He was taking the fall for this? She couldn't believe it. "I… You…" She blinked. "Projecting?"
“The kiss was hot. It made me want more." She processed the statement. The ripples of horror changed to tingles of excitement as she considered the possibilities. "You don't mind that I'm interested in a no-strings affair? You don't think that's tacky and cheap and sleazy of me?" His mouth curved into a slow smile as fire flared in his irises. "Do I look like I mind?" He released her arm and reached up to stroke her cheek. "You're attractive, sexy and you kiss like a wet-dream fantasy come to life." Oh, my. Speaking of wet, his words made her go all squishy inside. An ache began between her thighs and spread out in every direction. She felt both weak and incredibly powerful. Desire swept through her-the kind of desire she'd hadn't felt in what seemed like a lifetime.
“Why don't you ask your question again," she said. "I'll try not to run this time." His expression tightened and grew more intense. Around them, the air thickened as tension crackled. She could feel the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck standing up. Her gaze locked with his.
“Are you interested in an affair?" he asked, his voice low and heavy with what she was pretty sure was sexual need. "Sex, fun and when my time in town is up, we both walk away. No regrets. No expectations." It sounded wicked. It sounded perfect.
“Yes," she whispered. "That's exactly what I want." She couldn't believe she'd spoken the words aloud, but before she could give in to self-doubt, he pulled her close.
“It's what I want, too," he murmured. "I've been hearing rumors for years, and I finally get to find out if they're true." Rumors? "About me?" He pressed his mouth against her neck. Delicious tingles tiptoed down her spine, making it nearly impossible to think.
“Not you specifically," he told her. "Older women." Stephanie had already placed her hands on his shoulders and if his thick muscles didn't feel so good as she pressed her fingers against him, she would have snatched them back. Instead she shifted a little, without actually breaking contact with his hard body.
“Older women?" He raised his head and grinned. "You said you're thirty-three. I'm thirty-one. Ever since I first figured out the possibilities between a man and a woman, I've been hearing stories about how great it is to be with an older woman. All that experience. All that latent desire as they reach their sexual peak. I've always wondered if everything they say is true." She supposed there were two ways to respond to his challenge. Duck and run, or challenge him back. While her first inclination was to do the former, something told her there was more fun to be had in the latter.
“Of course it's true," she said as she leaned close. "I hope you can keep up." He gave a low, throaty laugh right before he claimed her mouth.
The hot, hungry kiss took her breath away. His lips pressed against hers with enough pressure to make her a hundred percent sure he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She parted instantly and he swept inside.
He tasted of coffee and sin. She shivered in delight at the first brush of intimate contact. Heat poured through her, making her legs weak and her breathing catch. Need exploded, surrounding her, crashing over her, making her want with a desperation that left her ravenous and achingly alive.
As she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, he pulled her closer still. They touched everywhere. Her breasts flattened against his chest, his arousal throbbed along her belly. His hands roamed her back, moving up and down in a rhythm that matched the pounding of her heart.
While she traced the breadth of his shoulders, he explored her waist, then her hips. One hand slipped to her rear and squeezed. His fingertips just grazed the very top of the back of her thigh. The light contact shouldn't have been anything special, yet it burned through her clothes and singed her skin.
Unexpectedly Nash bit down on her lower lip. She gasped. When he drew the sensitized skin into his mouth and gently sucked, the gasp turned into a moan.
They had to get closer, she thought, need turning frantic. Closer and naked and touching. Now. This instant.
The message traveled from her brain to her hands. Even as he shifted so that his fingers grazed her nipples and jolts of wanting arrowed down to the thick swollen dampness between her legs, she tugged at his shirt. The fabric pulled free of his waistband. She fumbled with buttons, unfastening the first two. He slipped his hands under her sweater. She caught her breath in anticipation. His large, warm hands cupped her breasts.
Her thin bra felt like a steel barrier keeping him from touching bare skin. Torn between wanting tc get his shirt off him and wanting to feel his skin on hers, she tried to shimmy out of her sweater while still unbuttoning his shirt. At the same time, she turned and bumped the bottom stair with her foot.
Nash caught her as she started to fall. His strong arms held her upright.
“We need to take this upstairs," he murmured as he kissed along her jaw to her left ear.
“Okay." Her head fell back in supplication. She silently begged him never to stop. His hands returned to her breasts and she couldn't think…couldn't do anything but feel. It was all too good, too amazing, too incredible. The wet heat of his mouth, the way he flicked his tongue against the sensitive skin below her ear. Then there were his fingers and the way they teased and played and pressed against her nipples. Not hard, not soft. Just right. Very right.
“Stephanie?"
“Uh-huh?"
“Hang on." He swept her up in his arms, just like Rhett Butler carrying Scarlett. After an initial moment of being disconcerted, she felt light and feminine and too sexy for words.
“I wish I was naked right now," she said.
His dark eyes brightened with need. "Me, too. My room's closer. Is that all right?" She couldn't answer because he was kissing her, but she tried to tell him "yes" with her lips and her tongue. Apparently he got the message because the next thing she knew, they were on the second floor and heading down the hall.
He pushed open his door and stepped inside. The blinds were open and sunlight filtered through the lacy curtains. The door bumped closed behind them, then they were next to the bed and she was sliding to her feet.
The second she felt firm footing beneath her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against him. He hauled her close and deepened the kiss.
Every part of her body screamed for his touch, for nakedness, for release. She tried to kick off her shoes, but her brain wouldn't focus on anything but the feel of his mouth against hers and refused to send messages to muscles. Nash fumbled with his shirt, then chuckled.
“We're not making progress," he said as he broke the kiss and took a half step back.
He finished unfastening buttons and shrugged out of his shirt. She managed to slip off her shoes and reach for the hem of her sweater. But before she could pull it off, he bent low and kissed the bare skin below her bra band. Soft, damp kisses tickled along her ribs. Savoring the delicate caress, she froze with her hands clutching her sweater, her arms half-above her head. He cupped her breasts, then reached for her sweater and finished the job.
He returned his mouth to hers and kissed her. As he teased her tongue, he unfastened her bra and pulled the straps down her arms.
Her already taut nipples brushed against the hair on his chest. The contact both tickled and aroused. Every part of her was so hyper-sensitized that she desperately wanted more of everything. She clung to his shoulders and turned her torso back and forth so her nipples slid against his bare skin. At the same time she sucked hard on his tongue and pressed her belly to his arousal.
Nash groaned low in his throat, brought his hands up to cup her breasts and rubbed her nipples with his thumbs. Pleasure spiraled through her chest, then dove deep and landed between her thighs. Heat increased, as did the swelling. She was so ready, she thought desperately. They were both still half-dressed and she was shaking with need.
She dropped her hands to her waistband and unfastened her slacks. He followed her actions, which moved them closer to naked, but left her breasts wanting more.
In a matter of seconds, she'd pulled off the rest of her clothes. Nash pushed down his jeans and briefs, tugged off his socks, then gave her a brief kiss, followed by the command "Don't move." He disappeared into the bathroom. She heard fumbling, three swear words, then something hard fell on the floor. He reappeared holding a box of condoms.
The sight of birth control should have been sobering, but Stephanie was too far gone for rational thought. She didn't want to know how or why he'd been prepared, but she was grateful.
When he rejoined her, he tossed the condoms onto the nightstand, then urged her to sit on the bed. From there he eased her onto her back and knelt next to her. One leg slipped between hers. As he bent low and took her right nipple in his mouth, he pushed his rock-hard thigh up against her waiting dampness.
The combination of the pulling, sucking kiss and the pressure against her pulsing need nearly sent herover the edge. She gasped wordlessly and dug her fingers into his hair.
“Don't stop," she breathed, not wanting either point of contact to end. She pulsed her hips shamelessly, rubbing herself against him, squirming to get closer, to get the pressure higher, faster, harder.
He switched his attention to her other breast and shifted so he knelt between her legs. He moved his leg, then replaced it with his hand.
Strong, sure fingers slipped between her curls into slick flesh. He explored all of her, brushing against that single point of pleasure in a way that made her suck in her breath in anticipation. Then he shifted slightly and slid two fingers inside her.
She felt words leave her lips, but couldn't say what they were. She couldn't do anything but feel the way he moved in and out of her. Hot need – pooled, then grew, then spilled over into every cell of her body. She barely noticed when he stopped kissing her breasts and instead pressed his mouth against her belly. He moved lower and lower, shifting back with each kiss, yet continuing to move his fingers inside her.
With his free hand, he parted her curls, then placed his mouth directly over that one most-sensitive spot and gently licked her.
Air spilled from her lungs. Before she could catch her breath, he closed his lips around her and gently sucked. At the same time he flicked his tongue back and forth, and moved his fingers and then she was flying.
Her orgasm was as powerful as it was unexpected. She shook and gasped and moaned and dug her heels into the mattress. Spasms rippled through her as pleasure eased the tension that had been plaguing her for what felt like a century. He continued to touch her, softening his kiss, moving his fingers more slowly, but still filling her, taking her on and on until it seemed that she'd been climaxing for hours.
At last her body relaxed and he stilled. Stephanie felt as if her bones had melted. She might never be able to walk again, but did it matter? Did anything matter but the delightful lethargy stealing over her? Nash pressed a kiss to her inner thigh, then shifted so he was lying next to her. He was smiling.
“I don't have to ask if that worked for you," he teased.
“Probably not. If there's a story on the news about an earthquake in the area, I guess, I'm going to have to take responsibility. Or maybe it's your fault."
“I like it being my fault." She touched his face, then brushed her thumb across his mouth. "That was amazing."
“I'm glad." She turned toward him and put her hand on his hip, then slid it down to his large erection. "Ready for act two?" Instead of answering, he reached for the box of condoms. While he opened the package, she leaned over him and kissed him. At the first brush of his tongue on hers, tension returned to her body. She deepened the kiss, then pulled back to lightly bite her way along his jaw.
“You're distracting me," he grumbled. "Really?" She glanced down to watch as he fumbled with the protection. "Want help?”
“Sure. I was never good with these." She took the condom from him and gently slid it down his arousal. "Does the unopened package mean you haven't been practicing much?" she asked.
His dark gaze settled on her face. "I haven't been with anyone since my wife passed away. I met someone a few months ago and thought maybe…" His voice trailed off. "I bought the condoms because of that, but things ended long before we got to the naked stage." She supposed that her friends would tell her it was dangerous to be a man's first time after the death of his wife. Of course, Nash was her first time, too. Besides, they'd agreed on a no-commitment sexual attachment. She liked him, she wanted him, and glory be if he didn't feel exactly the same. It was the perfect relationship.
“Ready to take that latex for a test-drive?" she asked.
“Sure." She started to slip onto her back, but he put his hands on her hips and urged her to get on top. After swinging her leg over his hips, she settled above him. He brought both his hands up to her breasts and cupped her curves. The second his thumbs brushed against her nipples, she felt her insides clench. Apparently he wasn't the only one ready for round two.
She reached between her legs and grasped his hardness, then pressed the tip of him against her wetness. As she pulled her hand away, she eased down onto him.
Her body had to stretch slightly to accommodate his thickness. Nerve endings quivered as he filled every bit of her. She braced herself and began to move.
The feeling was too good, she thought as her muscles clenched hard around him. Each time she slid down over him, she felt herself tensing more and more. His hands on her breasts only pushed her closer to the edge.
“You're holding back," he said, his voice sounding strained.
She opened her eyes and saw the tension on his face. He was watching her.
“Just give in," he told her.
“I want to." She sucked in a bfeath as a ripple of pleasure cascaded through her. "It's just…"
“You think I'm going to complain if you come again?" She smiled. "Good point." He stared at her. "Come on. I want to feel you. Just let go." With each thrust of him filling her, she found herself getting closer and closer. Soon there wasn't going to be anything to talk about.
“Do it." He accompanied his command with a rapid pulse of his hips. The hands on her breasts moved more quickly. He filled her again and again until the need grew to an unbearable pitch. She sat up and put her hands on her thighs, then raised and lowered herself faster and faster.
Nash figured this was one of life's most perfect moments. He was seconds from his own release, but he was damn sure going to hold back until Stephanie climaxed. Unfortunately his good intentions wereseverely tested by the sight of her riding him up and down like some X-rated cowgirl. With each shift of her body, her breasts bounced up and down, drawing his gaze and making his mouth water with desire. She had her head back, her eyes closed and she was lost in the pleasure of the moment. It was about the most erotic situation he'd ever experienced.
He could feel pressure building deep and low, which only meant trouble. He tried to think of something else, but how could he with her naked and bouncing, with her mouth parting slightly and her tongue sweeping across her lower lip as she- – He groaned as his release exploded from him. White-hot pleasure swept through him in a fury of rushing pleasure. He remained conscious enough to notice that she'd cried out at the exact moment he'd lost it. Even through the waves of his orgasm, he felt her body contracting around him, pulling every drop from him, making him come longer than he'd thought possible.
When they'd recovered enough for her to crawl off him and him to clean up, they slipped under the covers and lay on their sides looking at each other.
Stephanie smiled at him. Nash liked how contentment showed itself in the lines of her face and the way her knee nestled casually between his. He liked the scent of her body mingling with the fragrance of their lovemaking, and he liked how, even though they'd just finished, he wanted to make love with her again.
It had been a long time, he thought. Too long. After Tina had died, he hadn't set out to avoid women and sex. Somehow it had just happened.
He'd buried himself in work and had never found his way out.
“What are you thinking?" she asked.
“That I never meant to live as a monk after my wife died."
“I'm surprised the single women in the office didn't make a play for you."
“How do you know they didn't?" Her smile widened. "Do you have to beat them off with a stick?"
“Only a couple of times a year." She looked away and the smile faded. "You must still love her very much." The transition confused him for about a minute, then he figured out what she wanted to know.
“Hey." He touched her chin, forcing her gaze back to his face. "You and I were the only ones in this bed. At least on my side." The smile returned. "On my side, too. I haven't been with anyone since Marty, but that's not about being brokenhearted. As I was trying to explain before, things were complicated." He slid his hand under the sheet and cupped the curve of her bare hip. Her skin was like warm silk. "Is this easy?" he asked.
“Very. The best kind of easy." He agreed. In the past, he'd found the first sexual encounter in any relationship about as dangerous as a minefield. There were too many ways to misstep. But with Stephanie, everything had fallen into place. He'd never had a sex-only, no-strings affair before, but so far it was better than he could have hoped.
“How about a few ground rules to keep things that way," he said.
She nodded and sat up. "Good idea." As she'd moved, the sheet had fallen away from her breasts. He found his attention sliding from her words to her body. He leaned toward her and touched his finger to the outer curve of her breast, then traced a line to the place where that pale skin darkened to a deep rose. Her nipple instantly tightened. After licking the tip of his finger, he brushed his damp skin against her nipple and waited for her breath to catch.
Damn if it didn't. As expected, his body responded with a rush of blood heading south.
“Rule number one," she said. "Lots of sex." He raised his head slightly to look at her face. "That's a good rule. So good we should probably make it one and two."
“Fair enough. Sex and lots of it. You're only in town for a short period of time. I want to take advantage of that."
“My kind of woman." He wanted nothing more than to lean in close enough to kiss her breasts, but figured they had better get things settled before the next round. He forced himself to drop his hand to his side and focus on the conversation.
“I'm going to assume you don't want the boys to know about us," he said.
She nodded slowly. "It would only confuse them. Brett still worries about me replacing his father and the twins would only want to bond with you."
“So I'll leave my door unlocked. You can head downstairs when you're ready to have your way with me."
“That works. We'll also have during the day until school's out at the end of the week. If you're not too busy with your family."
“I'm not." He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. "Speaking of my family, would you mind joining me for a few of the bigger get-togethers? You and the boys?" He wasn't sure why he made the request and he hoped she wouldn't ask him to explain.
Luck was on his side. She nodded right away. "That would be great. I had a good time and I know my kids did, too. All that family can be a little intimidating."
“I'm not intimidated."
“Because you're a big tough guy."
“You know it." She laughed, then slipped down on the mattress. "Okay, then I'll think of it as helping out. Sort of `you scratch my itch and I'll scratch yours.' "
“I like the sound of that." He moved closer and drew back the sheet, baring her to the waist. "So where does it itch?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Everywhere."