“Good sex or great?”
“Great.”
“I meant every damn word. I’m coming in.” He walked right past her and shut the door. The click caused shivers to jump over her naked body. He stood in the middle of her living room, hands on hips, studying every bare inch of skin peeking out from her robe. She yanked the sash tighter and crossed her arms in front of her breasts.
“Have you gone out with Mary yet?”
He gave a short laugh. “God help me. I tell you I love you, and you try to set me up with a date.”
“See! I told you we weren’t good for each other. Nate, please. Just go.”
“Not yet. I’m here to say my piece, and if you don’t want to see me again, fine. I’ll leave you alone.”
Her heart screamed to grab him and hold on. Her head kept her frozen to the ground. “Go ahead.”
“I’m an ass. I told you I loved you the wrong way, but I’m always doing things like this, and if we’re together that’s not gonna change. I wear my food on my clothes, mutter physics equations under my breath, and am OCD when it comes to germs in public restaurants. I say stupid shit, I’m obsessed with golf, and I fucking love you. I just love you.”
Her heart cracked open and crumbled. Tears clogged her throat, and she thought she was dying. It was the most honest, romantic, sexy damn thing any man had ever said to her. He looked at her with every naked emotion clearly revealed on his face. Her soul cried out to run into his arms and never let go. But the inner voice she’d lived with for so many years remained quiet.
“I’ll never be able to give you what you need.”
The words shattered around them like splintering glass.
He closed the distance and stood in front of her. “Try.”
“You deserve more.”
Male temper shot from his body. Raw lust shot from his gaze. He studied her for a while, then leaned in. “You lied.”
She wet her lips. Shuddered. “About what?”
“You are naked under that robe.”
He buried his hands in her wet hair and took her lips.
The kiss burned hot and fast, with no explanation, seduction, or apology. This was another side to him, the frustrated lover desperate to prove something, desperate to claim. She moaned under the sensual assault but couldn’t fight back. Her body melted and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and took it all. As if she knew it was temporary, that she couldn’t give him an “I love you” back, so she’d offer her body as the sacrifice.
He ripped the robe from her shoulders. Lifted her high so she was forced to wrap her legs around his waist. His mouth still on hers, his tongue thrust inside as he walked her out of the living room and right into the bedroom.
When he finally slid her down, her feet touched the cool wood of the floor. She heard the bang of a door opening and blinked, trying to get her bearings. He turned her with rough fingers.
The full-length mirror stared back at her.
She kept it on the back of the closet door only to check her final outfit. Her battle with mirrors was legendary, and she normally kept her interactions with them to a minimum. Her mouth opened in horror, the arousal quickly slipping away as she saw her entire naked body on display.
“No.” She tried to turn, but his grip was ruthless. His fingers bit into her shoulders and held her still.
“Yes. This is bigger than me confessing my love for you. Bigger than sex. This is about thinking I don’t see you, that no one sees you, even yourself. So let’s blow that illusion away right now, shall we?”
He bent his head so he spoke against her ear. One hand left her shoulder to cup her breast, deliberately twisting her nipple to a hard point. The tingles shot down her belly and just like that, her body was back up and raring to go. She closed her eyes, but he quickly kicked her legs apart and bit down on her earlobe.
“Eyes open. It’s time you see what I do when I look at you. This body you tortured and broke and then healed is beautiful. Look how you respond to my touch, as if you were meant to blossom under my hands.”
Kennedy moaned again, caught between wanting him to continue and the horror of seeing herself exposed in every form. He didn’t give her time to rationalize or think. Continuing to tweak and plump her left breast, his other hand delved between her splayed legs and played.
Oh, God.
Her lids drifted half shut, but she watched them in the mirror. She grew hot and wet under the plucking ministrations, until her hips rolled in time to try to catch more. Her nipples turned a dark cherry red, like a topping on a sundae, and the whole time his gaze burned and locked on hers, not allowing her to escape his lust. His arms were brown from the sun now, and contrasted erotically with her rosy flesh.
“Look at you. Open and wet and pink from your bath.” His erection pressed in the nudge of her buttocks and made its own demand. “If I were an artist, I’d paint you like this and hang it by my desk so I could look at you all day and remember how you’re meant for me.” His thumb coaxed the nub of her clit to harden further, and her empty channel pulsed for more, needing to be filled by his fingers and tongue and dick, needing all of him.
“Nate,” she gasped.
“Yes, you’re getting closer. Let it go, baby, and watch me make you come. Look at how fucking gorgeous you are.”
His hands slipped deep between her legs, and moved back and forth in a steady rhythm. His thumb pressed and rotated, never giving up the teasing pressure, and his open mouth bit and sucked the side of her neck.
The woman in the mirror was a primitive being bent on satisfaction and pleasure. Her hips rocked and demanded more, her breath panted through her lips, and her nipples stabbed into his hand and begged for relief. She sunk into the depths of darkness and ecstasy, not caring about anything other than giving this man anything he wanted, anything he asked for.
The tension tightened in her belly and he moved faster, bringing her close, holding her on the edge until she cried out, leaning against him, and surrendering to every sensation.
“Nate! Please, Nate!”
“Yes, baby, here you go. Watch yourself, don’t look away.”
He plunged deep and massaged her clit.
She came hard on a high scream. Her body shuddered as the release went on and on, soaking his hands, jerking helplessly against him. He twisted her head around and kissed her deep, and then he was picking her up again and laying her on the bed. He ripped off his clothes, sheathed himself with a condom, and settled himself between her legs.