Lazily following the zipper of her dress down the ridges of her spine, he forced himself to resist the urge to follow those fingers with his tongue and lips. What was she doing to him? He had a method and sticking to that method ensured they would both get pleasure. Yet one small touch at the small of her back and he wanted to force her to the floor and plunge into her depths. Not letting her up until she knew to whom she belonged.

He watched the lace puddle at her feet and pushed his impulses to the back of his mind. For a moment he enjoyed the woman in front of him. She was quivering with need, breath coming in shallow pants that pushed her delectable breast out with each intake of precious oxygen.

He wanted to taste her. But not yet, he wanted it too much.

“Step out of your shoes.” His voice sounded hoarse, proof of her effect on him.

When she obeyed, he took her hand and led her to the bed. Her eyes were still firmly closed and he could tell the simple contact was having its intended results. Her body was hyperaware of his without her sense of sight.

Kneeling between her slightly parted knees, he slowly began to kiss his way down her shaking body. Hands fisted on the mattress at her sides to resist touching. It wasn’t time for that. First he would taste her.

The change in her breathing let him know she was aware of his intentions as he kissed and licked around her navel. The quaking muscles under his mouth let him know she wasn’t going to be stopping him.

Hooking his thumbs under the thin material of her panties, he lowered then removed them. He sat frozen for a moment, transfixed by the sight before him. Sarah sat on the edge of the mattress, head thrown back, and eyes screwed shut in anticipation. Her breath sawed through her lungs causing her breasts to quake and his gut to clench. He wanted her too much, but there was no turning back now. His body wouldn’t let him. So he would remain as detached as possible while enjoying the heat he could feel pouring off of her in waves.

Starting at her left knee, he began to trail tiny nips and soothing kisses up her inner thigh. Her legs relaxed and her knees spread wider offering to him the sweetest gift. Not pausing, he took her with his mouth and tongue, pulling sweet cries and whimpered protests from her.

When he felt her body tighten, he slowed his rhythm, bring her back from the edge he didn’t want her to go over. Not yet. Not until he was deep inside. Pulling himself away from her heat, he retraced his journey back up her body, pausing to pay homage to her needy breasts before rolling her to the center of the bed.

He slowly began to reignite her lust, expertly tempering his touch to her responses, finding her sweet spots and exploiting them. It was only when she lay beneath him, tossing her head from side to side in abandon did he sheath himself and give her the release her body was begging for.

Seated to the hilt, he looked down on Sarah still writhing beneath him, eyes closed now in passion and not by his command, begging him in sexy mews to finish what he started. God she was beautiful. Pulling back slowly, he refused to give credence to the heat unfurling in his chest at the sight of her draining all of the pleasure she could from the moment. From him.

Quickly entering her again, he claimed her mouth in a kiss that drew in her cries of pleasure. He kept up his onslaught until he felt her teeter over the pinnacle before allowing his own release.

Slowly bringing her back down, he didn’t want to think about the implications of what just happened. It wasn’t in the plan.

Chapter Nine

Sarah slowly opened her eyes as the waves of pleasure died down to a gentle humming. Her bones felt like liquid and her body electrically charged. Falon was still deep inside her and in her state she couldn’t deny she liked the feeling of him there, inside her, surrounding her, a part of her.

It felt like coming home and that scared the life out of her. Falon Wolfe wasn’t supposed to feel safe. He was the reason she spent three years of college holed up in her dorm studying and not having a social life. He was the reason why no man ever seemed worth the effort. If she were being completely honest with herself—which she wasn’t—he was the reason why, next to the loss of her parents and brother, there was a gaping hole in her heart.

When he rolled to her side, she immediately missed the weight of him, the feel of his skin against her own had been a tactile experience she hadn’t known existed. Falon had pushed from her a pleasure she hadn’t known was in her. And yet. And yet, he held himself back. She could feel it. While he played her body like a finely tuned instrument, discovering erogenous zones she had thought impossible he had been rigidly in control of his responses.

Oh, she had no doubt that he enjoyed himself. His labored breathing was testament to that fact. He just didn’t let himself fall into the sensations that he forced her to accept. Why? What was he hiding? More importantly, what was he afraid of?

Her body started to cool and her breathing evened out and still she didn’t move to cover her naked body. She didn’t want to risk startling Falon. He was like a wild animal. Any sudden movements and he would disappear into the darkness.

When she felt his body shift on the mattress, she thought their time was up. He was sure to make some excuse and vanish. The back of his hand down her arm startled her.

“Come with me,” he whispered as the mattress shifted under his weight. Sitting up she tracked his dark form as he disappeared into her bathroom. Seconds later the sounds of the shower filled the room. Anticipation filled her. It would seem their night was just beginning.

***

The hot water felt like heaven against her sensitive skin, but it was Falon slowly spreading fragrant bubbles across her body that was turning her muscles into mush. She gave in and followed the temptation of his naked body covered in nothing but cascades of water and curling steam.

When he passed the oversized sponge across her collarbone, she stopped him with a hand over his. “My turn.”

Meeting his eyes, she noticed he looked stunned and a little frightened and she wondered if this had ever happened in his compartmentalized lovemaking before. Would he allow her to pay back some of the pleasure he had given her? He released a shuddering breath and removed his hand, leaving her holding the sponge to her skin.

“Close your eyes,” she whispered, hoping he would play along. He studied her for a moment before reluctantly letting his lids fall. The firm set of his jaw told her that she was very close to pushing things too far.

The problem was she wanted to keep pushing him. She wanted him over the same cliff he took her to and she wanted to see him fall. She plain wanted the man.

Running the soapy sponge across his broad chest, she watched the bubbles disappear down his rippling stomach. Watching them slip lower, she suddenly wanted to follow their trail. Trace it with her tongue.

Dropping the sponge, she began to spread the soap with her hands. The feel of his muscles quivering under her touch empowered her to angle her fingers over his chest and down his abdomen. His breath hitched as her hands brushed lower, nearly touching the throbbing evidence of her effect on him.

Her lips connected with the hard muscle of his shoulder and suddenly she found herself being held at arm’s length.

“The water’s getting cold,” he said before twisting to shut off the shower.

He stood dripping on the tile floor extending a towel to her. She blindly reached to the plush terry cloth while trying to catch up. What just happened? She was about to follow the treasure map of tiny soap bubbles down his body when he went from white hot to zero in less than a nanosecond.