Part 18 (1/2)
He thought of the tie on the floor of the living room. With one choice word, he could have her splayed before him on the bed, acceding to his every command. Lifting his head, he looked down at her. Blue eyes wide, lips well kissed, her breathing ragged, she waited for him to take the lead.
He traced the line of the chain and diamond drop hanging from her delicate neck, and her nipples puckered at his touch. He could have her on her back, hands gripping the headboard as he f.u.c.ked her wearing nothing but his necklace.
He could. But that wasn't what he wanted from her.
He shed his jacket then unb.u.t.toned his s.h.i.+rt and dropped it to the floor. She reached out a hesitant hand, placing her palm over his heart. In that instant, he accepted that she owned him. He didn't want to f.u.c.k her into submission, he wanted to make love to her. It seemed there were still firsts for him, after all.
With none-too-steady hands, he unb.u.t.toned his pants and slid off his trousers and briefs, ridding himself of those as well. Then he lifted her up and dropped her in the center of the bed, coming down on top of her, his body aligning with hers.
He braced his hands on either side of her head. ”I don't want anything between us. I want to feel all of you when I slide inside your slick heat.”
Her eyes dilated at his graphic words.
”I'm on the pill, but I never have s.e.x without protection,” she said.
He was disappointed, but he understood and reached for the nightstand drawer.
”I meant, I've never had s.e.x without it before.”
Her words stopped his forward movement, and he came back to her, resuming his earlier position, his thick c.o.c.k gliding over her feminine heat.
”I'm safe,” she continued. ”And I know you wouldn't be asking if you had any doubts about yourself.”
”I would never put you at risk.”
She nodded. ”Then I don't want anything between us either.”
He released a long-held breath. She'd given him a gift he didn't take lightly. ”I've never not used one before either,” he a.s.sured her.
”I know, Mr. Always in Control.” She grinned, her pretty blue eyes glittering with laughter.
”Minx.”
She wound her arms around him. ”Your minx.”
He groaned at her words, raised himself up, settling his erection at her entrance. He watched her expression as he eased inside her by increments, not wanting to miss out on one second of this first time. As her body opened, accepting his thick length, taking him in, wet heat slowly enveloped him.
”Oh, Ian, I feel you,” she murmured in awe.
”I feel you too, baby.” And he hadn't been prepared for the emotions flooding through him.
Oh h.e.l.l, now he knew why they called it making love, he thought, gliding all the way home. So d.a.m.ned good, he thought, his entire body in sensory overload.
Her body clasped him tight, gripping him and connecting them body, heart, and soul. His heart slammed harder inside his chest, beating out a rapid rhythm, screaming owners.h.i.+p and possession of this woman who'd been different from the very first. He stilled, giving himself a second to catch his breath and calm the f.u.c.k down. If there'd been any lingering doubts or question of the depth of feelings she inspired, they were gone with this one act.
Before she questioned him, he collected his thoughts and began to move, gliding in and out of her slick sheath. She bent her knees and raised her hips, encouraging him, giving him more depth for each thrust. He picked up rhythm, and she moaned, arching into him each time he drove harder inside her.
Their bodies already had their own rhythm, but skin to skin, everything was elevated, bigger, more, including her cries of pleasure. Faster, harder. He broke into a sweat, braced his arms, and powered into her.
”Yes. Oh G.o.d, right there.” She arched again, and he made sure the head of his c.o.c.k hit the same spot inside her.
”Come, baby. I've got you.”
Her body stilled and clenched, and she convulsed around him, crying out with each pump of his c.o.c.k.
”Ian!” She screamed his name, triggering his own hard, fast release.
He came, spilling himself into her, opening his heart and gutting him at the same time.
Riley woke up because her stomach was grumbling. She rolled to find Ian watching her in amus.e.m.e.nt, his lips twitching with a grin.
”Something funny?” she asked.
”I like watching you sleep. Listening to you? Not so much.”
She punched him in the arm. ”You made me leave the party before dinner,” she reminded him. ”I'm starving. And craving ice cream.”
He rolled his eyes and laughed. ”Luckily for you, I keep a stocked freezer for the girls. My sisters,” he added quickly when she raised her eyebrows in question.
”Feed me?” she asked.
He leaned over and kissed her hard on the lips. ”Only because you asked so nicely.”
He slid out of bed, perfectly comfortable in his nudity, and headed for the kitchen, returning with a large tub of ice cream and one spoon. ”Hope you like chocolate swirl.”
”Mmm. Works for me.” She scooted back in the bed, sitting up as he turned on the bedside lamp and settled in beside her.
”You're not having any?” she asked, holding out her hand for the spoon.
He shook his head and laughed. ”We're sharing.”
”You're a mean man, making me share my ice cream.”
Ignoring her complaint, he popped off the top and placed it on the nightstand before settling in beside her. He dug into the tub and held out the spoon for her to eat.
He fed her, alternating one for him and one for her until they'd had their fill. This was the most relaxed she'd ever seen him, and she understood that something had changed tonight.
Not something, she thought. Everything.
It was as if once she'd verbally committed to him, the walls he'd kept between them had crumbled. Her heart swelled with emotion and the knowledge that somehow she'd captured this man for her own.
The rest of the night continued the same way, with them holed up in his apartment, sharing food, making love, and shutting out the outside world.
Until Sunday morning, when Ian went downstairs and returned with the morning paper. He drank orange juice; she sipped her coffee. She was looking into the back of the sports section that completely covered his face from hers.
”So this is how it's going to be now? You ignoring me for the morning paper? That didn't take long,” she joked, reaching for another section of the paper to keep her busy while he read.