Part 20 (1/2)

His hand. It was between her legs now, stroking her, teasing her, subtly parting her. It was between her legs now, stroking her, teasing her, subtly parting her.

He kissed his way down her neck, stopped to nibble at her left breast, then her right. She was squirming, even whimpering a little, by the time he left the nipples, wet from his mouth and so hard that they nearly hurt.

He reached her belly, tasting her skin, his fingers still plying her.

Melissa's whole body buckled in reaction; if he kept this up, she'd have an o.r.g.a.s.m way way too soon. She didn't realize she'd voiced this concern aloud until Steven laughed and s.h.i.+fted, kneeling between her legs now. too soon. She didn't realize she'd voiced this concern aloud until Steven laughed and s.h.i.+fted, kneeling between her legs now.

”Go ahead and let yourself go if you need to,” he drawled, leaning forward now, his hands gently possessive on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. ”There will be plenty more where that came from.”

Another groan escaped her, fierce, almost primordial.

And then he lowered himself to her, parted her with his fingers, flicked at her with the tip of his tongue.

Melissa's hips surged upward, and she made a soblike sound, hoa.r.s.e with l.u.s.t.

He tempted. He teased. He feasted, and then withdrew, and then feasted again.

Melissa buried her fingers in his hair, frantic. Her body flew, but Steven stayed with her.

She began to quiver all over, and perspiration misted her skin, made wisps and tendrils of her hair stick to her neck and her cheeks and her forehead. Finally, she pleaded, in a scratchy rasp....

And the climax came, shattering, a thing of light and heat and fire, blinding her, wringing guttural shouts from her throat, causing her heels to dig deep into the surface of the mattress.

Steven held her afterward, until the trembling had eased, until she could breathe, and then got up, a haze at the periphery of her vision, and got out of his jeans.

She hadn't seen his shaft-everything was blurry-but she felt felt it all right, because he was soon on top of her. The length of him, hard and hot, pressed against her abdomen and belly, a physical portent of what was about to happen. it all right, because he was soon on top of her. The length of him, hard and hot, pressed against her abdomen and belly, a physical portent of what was about to happen.

Melissa moaned again, as all the melted-honey satisfaction of her recent climax instantly morphed into something greedy and feverish and utterly wild.

Steven s.h.i.+fted his weight slightly, careful not to crush her, and she knew he was putting on the condom. Even that move was graceful.

He kissed her again, then looked straight into her eyes and said, ”Last chance to say no.”

Melissa arched her back, inviting him inside her in that way as old as the human race, and now it was Steven who groaned. He was part of her in one swift, fiery stroke, sheathed to the hilt.

She reveled in the sensation of being conquered and, at the same time, conquering. By tacit agreement, they both lay still for a few long, delicious moments, simply savoring this most intimate of all connections.

As soon as he began to move, though, Melissa was lost.

She bucked under him, like a wild mare being broke to ride, and clawed at his shoulders and his back, and there was something so primitive, so freeing, in the joining that a terrible, consuming joy rose up inside her.

On and on it went, the delicious tension rising, rising-and then the peak. Melissa wept as she gave herself up to Steven Creed, completely, eagerly, without reservation or shame.

His whole body stiffened as, at last, he surrendered, his head thrown back, the muscles cording in his neck.

Then he collapsed beside her, one leg still sprawled across her thighs, and both of them lay gasping.

It was a long time-a very long time-before either of them spoke.

In the end, it was Steven who broke the silence.

Melissa's face was wet with tears, and he dried them with the side of one thumb, kissed the traces of them away.

”Did I hurt you?” he asked, and he sounded genuinely worried.

Melissa laughed softly. ”Hurt me? Mister, if that was pain, bring on the next round.” me? Mister, if that was pain, bring on the next round.”

His eyes, his wonderful blue eyes, remained solemn, and the chortling sound he made came out brief and a little raw. ”Then why the tears?”

She crooned a sigh. She was soft everywhere, inside and out. And more deeply satisfied than she'd ever imagined it was possible to be. ”Because it was so good,” she said, tracing the line of his jaw with the tip of one index finger.

He ventured a smile then, shook his head. ”Women,” he said.

He got up, disappeared into the bathroom again, then came back.

Melissa looked at Steven, saw that he was hard again, and held out her arms to him.

THE MEAT LOAF WAS PRETTY GOOD, in Steven's opinion, and after several hours with Melissa O'Ballivan, definitely the hottest woman he'd ever encountered, in or out of bed, he was ravenously hungry.

He was managing to keep his misgivings at bay, but he knew they were slinking around like wolves on the fringes of the light from a campfire, waiting to pounce.

She sat across the table from him now, fresh from the shower they'd just shared, wearing his T-s.h.i.+rt and nothing else. He felt downright overdressed in his jeans and the s.h.i.+rt he'd been wearing earlier.

Melissa picked up her fork, but instead of taking a bite of food, she looked around. Smiled.

”What?” Steven asked, amused, but feeling a touch of something else, too. Something proprietary, though he wasn't ready to call it jealousy.

”It's ironic,” she answered, with a saucy twist of her mouth and a twinkle in her beautiful eyes. ”I've been inside this bus maybe three times in my life-Brad bought it for the guys in his band, while Ashley and I were still in high school, and Olivia had just started college. And none of us were allowed anywhere near near it unless he was with us-he was that determined to protect our virtue.” it unless he was with us-he was that determined to protect our virtue.”

Steven smiled. ”Can't say I blame the man for that,” he commented. ”Looking out for three sisters-especially kid kid sisters-has to be a challenge.” sisters-has to be a challenge.”

Melissa took a few bites, looking pleasantly thoughtful. Then she asked, ”Do you have sisters, Steven?”

He shook his head. ”I'm an only child,” he said.

”That sounds lonely.”

”You know what they say. A person can be lonely in a crowd.”

”That's true,” Melissa admitted. ”And I have to admit, there were times when I wouldn't have minded being an only child myself.”

”Did you always want to be a lawyer?”

”No,” she replied. ”My first ambition was to reign as queen of Stone Creek Rodeo Days.”

”Did you?”

”Sure did,” Melissa answered. ”When I was nineteen. Did you you always want to be a lawyer?” always want to be a lawyer?”