A spark of heat lit Carter’s hazel gaze and a lazy smile spread across his lips. “I forgot how good it feels to have someone look at me like that.”

Tess swallowed down a groan. Why did he have to continue to say things like that? Each time it cracked her heart and a little piece of Carter moved in to fill in the fissure. “I can’t imagine that you don’t get looks like this on a regular basis.” The man was built like he’d been chiseled by a master sculptor.

“This might surprise you, but aside from the guys in the locker room, you’re the only person who’s seen me naked in long time.”

Those lucky bastards. Tess tried not to think about the fact that today might be all she’d ever have with Carter. She had to live in the now, enjoy the present moment and not worry about the future.

“Just so you know,” Tess said. “You’re the only person who’s seen me naked in a long time, too.”

What could have been an awkward transition seemed so comfortable with Carter. Hell, he’d just given her the sort of orgasm that should have blown her head right off her shoulders. But the change in pace and ease of conversation seemed so natural. As though they’d known each other for years and had found a natural, easy rhythm.

“I like that I’m the only one who’s seen you naked in a while,” Carter drawled. A finger of heat stroked down her spine and caused Tess’s lower abdomen to tighten.

“Me too,” Tess said just above a whisper.

Carter clenched the packet in his fist and leaned in toward Tess. He towered over her, his hands so large he could almost palm her entire head. Ropes of muscle shaped every inch of his body and yet, Carter handled her with such gentle care that it nearly brought tears to Tess’s eyes. He brushed a lock of her hair away from her face before he kissed her. Tess could’ve kissed him for hours. He’d perfected the act until it was a work of art, every movement of his lips carefully orchestrated and executed. His attention to detail without flaw.

“If you play football like you kiss,” Tess said between panted breaths, “you must be the best in the NFL.”

Carter smiled against her mouth and for the first time ever she actually felt like swooning. This could not possibly be her life. The only explanation was that she’d possessed the body of the luckiest woman in the world.

“Wouldn’t you rather know if I fuck as well as I kiss?”

Oh dear lord. The dirty talk caught her completely off guard and Tess just about came right then and there. “I have no doubt that you do.” She barely had enough air in her lungs to get the words out.

He grinned. “I might disappoint you.”

The arrogance in that grin sent a swarm of butterflies loose in her stomach. He was a professional athlete and built like a god. She didn’t think Carter doubted his abilities very often. “Do you ever go into any situation without being ready to give a hundred ten percent?”

“No.” His expression became serious and his gaze heated.

The flutter of butterflies increased to a swirling storm and Tess’s body flushed with delicious heat. He’d brought his A game so far, and a competitive urge rose up in Tess. The short break had cooled them both off enough that their brains weren’t fogged with the frenzy of lust. She wanted to make Carter feel as good as he’d made her feel. She wanted to drive him crazy. Of course, she didn’t have his unshakable confidence, but Tess wasn’t about to chicken out. He was with her now and that’s all that mattered. She was going to make sure she made the most of their time together.

She stood and took his hand, pulling him to stand. Without saying a word she led Carter to the couch and gently urged him to sit. He stared at her, bemused, the most adorable crooked smile pulling at his full lips. Tess moved between his solid thighs and went to her knees. Carter’s hands balled into fists at his sides and the only sound in the room was the crinkle of the condom wrapper as he squeezed it in his grip.

Carter’s body was beyond impressive and even a little intimidating. Even seated, his size overwhelmed her, his strength visible in every curve of sculpted muscle. His erection stood out from his hips. There wasn’t anything about Carter Christensen that wasn’t big and imposing. Tess wet her lips and from the corner of her eye she noticed him visibly swallow before letting out a shuddering breath. His nervous anticipation wasn’t just endearing, it was downright sexy and bolstered Tess’s confidence. She wrapped her fingers around the root of his shaft as she came up on her knees. Her eyes met his. Tess brought the glossy head to her mouth and sealed her lips around it.

Carter let out a slow groan of pleasure that caused every nerve ending in Tess’s body to tingle. Her nipples puckered to diamond-hard peaks and her pussy clenched. She swirled her tongue around the crown before taking him deeper into her mouth. He sucked in a sharp breath and his thigh muscles hardened to stone as he caged her in between them.

“Tess.” Her name left his lips in a grated whisper. “God, Tess. That feels so good. Don’t stop.”

Tess took him as deeply as she could, her lips sliding over his rigid girth. Carter threaded his fingers through her hair and gathered its length into his fist as he gave shallow thrusts of his hips. His barely restrained strength sent a thrill through Tess’s bloodstream. She gripped one of his thighs with one hand, while the other remained tightly around his cock. Slowly, she pulled away to the tip and looked up to find him watching her. A deep furrow marred his brow, and while their gazes were still locked, Tess dragged the flat of her tongue up the length of his shaft before swirling it around the engorged head.

“Fuck.” The word was nothing more than a guttural bark. Tess had never heard Carter use that sort of language before. He was always good about censoring himself. That she could push him to that state filled her with a sense of power. He’d driven her to heights of mindless pleasure with his mouth. All she wanted was to return the favor.

Tess wanted this day to be burned into Carter’s memory.

Eight

Carter was surprised he hadn’t come the moment her lips made contact with the head of his cock. The wet heat of her mouth, the slide of her tongue, the way she looked at him while she licked her way up his shaft … Jesus.

His thighs trembled and Carter locked his nerves down lest his feet bounce right off the damned floor. He might as well be some inexperienced virgin getting a blow job for the first time. Tess made him feel like an unsure kid again, and the pleasure of the wet heat of her tongue meeting his cock over and again drove him to the point that it took every ounce of self-control he had not to go off right then and there.

Her lips were petal soft against his shaft and his hips bucked as she took him fully into her mouth once again. Carter’s breath came in shallow pants and his fist contracted and relaxed over the tangle of hair he held in his grip. He wanted to go deeper, as far as she could take him but he held back the urge to thrust hard and deep. His head lolled back to rest on the couch and he let out a shuddering breath as she once again pulled away until only the head was sucked into her mouth. She nibbled the sensitive flesh with her teeth and Carter let out an almost violent chuff of air.

“Did I hurt you?”

The concern in her voice caused his gut to knot up. “No,” he said on a laugh. He brought his head up to look at her. Her wide blue eyes were guileless and a furrow marred her smooth brow. “It felt so good I damned near left my body.”

A brilliant smile curved her lips. They were blushed and swollen and so goddamned inviting that he nearly yanked her up just so he could kiss her until they were even more flushed. Her expression turned coy as she sealed her mouth over him and bit again with just enough pressure to send a jolt down his shaft. His sac tightened and tingled and his thighs shook. He was already so close to the edge, it wouldn’t take much for her to push him completely over it.