She laughed. “Do you get that a lot?”
“You would be surprised how much.”
“Then you’re in for a treat with me. I promise never to talk about my clothes.
They’re just not that interesting.”
“They would be if you took them off.”
The unexpected shift in the chitchat direction made her breath catch. In a single heartbeat she went from enjoying the moment to being hyperaware of the man. His words shocked her, but in a way that made her curious and excited.
“Fear not, Kiley. I meant what I told you earlier. Not tonight. Not for some time. But I will have you.”
The low growl of his voice made her shiver. “Will I like it?”
“I will do my best to make sure you do.”
As he spoke, he bent down and kissed her neck. He’d done that earlier, in the bedroom. She closed her eyes and remembered how they’d looked standing together, then her mind cleared as her body absorbed the soft brush of his mouth against her sensitive skin.
He kissed her with the slow deliberateness of a man who had all the time in the world. She tilted her head to give him more room and held on to his arms. He worked his way up from the curve where her neck met her shoulder to the sensitive skin just behind her ear.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, his breath tickling her.
“That this is nice. It feels good.”
He raised his head and turned her in his arms so that she faced him. Light from the living room spilled out onto the deck and allowed her to see his features.
His dark eyes seemed to burn with an intensity she’d never seen before. There was tension in his body but an easy smile on his lips. Funny how she knew so little about him yet she trusted him. She’d asked to be his mistress for the purpose of revenge, but now she found herself anticipating the three months they were to have together.
He touched her face, tracing the shape of her nose, her mouth. He ran his hands down her neck, then across her shoulders to her arms. From there he slipped to her hands, which he took in his.
“You’re very beautiful,” he murmured.
“Thank you. But not really. The beautiful part, I mean. I appreciate the compliment though.”
He studied her face. “I have been with many women. I know of what I speak. Your eyes are large, and the color forever changes. Dark blue, then darker still.
Stormy, clear. Your skin is perfection. Your mouth calls to me, begging for kisses.”
He raised her right hand and pressed his lips against her palm. She felt that tingle all the way down to her toes.
“Every part of you is beautiful.”
Okay, maybe this was part of the seduction, but it was working. She felt her knees getting a little weak and her blood zipping along a little faster.
He reached up with one hand and touched her hair.
“Too short?” she asked. “I know most guys prefer long hair, but I like it short.
Eric was forever after me to grow it out.”
“I like it,” he said, sliding his fingers against her scalp and drawing her a little closer.
She went willingly, hoping he would kiss her, because suddenly she needed to be kissing him. She put her hands on his shoulders and shifted that last inch so that her body pressed against his.
His chest was hard and hot against her sensitive br**sts. Her thighs lightly brushed his. It was all so…interesting…and she wanted to get moving to the next level. The kissing level.
He smiled. “I sense your impatience.”
“Well, there is more talking than I’d thought there’d be.”
“Are you complaining?”
“A little.”
“Just this morning you were uncomfortable with my kiss. I don’t want to rush you.”
“I’m okay with it now,” she said, staring at his mouth. “Completely fine with it. Look how totally fine I am right now.”
“Show me.”
Kiley hesitated only a second. Her natural shyness battled with the intellectual knowledge that this was a sure thing. Then need overcame reticence as she wrapped her arms around his neck, rose on tiptoe and pressed her mouth to his.
Unlike the kiss from that morning, he didn’t wait to respond. He tilted his head and kissed her back, moving with her, teasing, brushing. His hands settled on her hips, holding her against him. The light pressure made her want to shift closer still, although that didn’t seem possible. They were already touching from shoulder to knee.
This felt good, she thought as he touched his tongue to her bottom lip and she parted for him. Better than good.
He claimed her with a fiery passion that left her breathless. One moment there’d been gentle, arousing kisses, but the next moment overwhelming desire threatened to consume her.
He swept inside and stroked her tongue with his. Something about the way he touched her, the way he teased and retreated only to take her again and again had her wanting to surrender. Whatever he wanted he could have—as long as he didn’t stop kissing her.
She melted against him, wishing she could crawl inside his body. His hands didn’t move from her hips even though she silently pleaded with them to touch and discover and knead. Heat flared between her legs; her br**sts swelled. She wanted to rub against him. She wanted to suggest they take this inside.
She’d felt wanting before, of course, but never so quickly, and never with someone she barely knew. Except she did know Rafiq—she had for over two years.
But not in this way.
Confusion joined with passion to cloud her mind. Not sure what she felt or what she should do, she stepped back.