She shifted her weight from foot to foot, which was a mistake because she was wearing high heels again, and her balance was pretty shaky. She swayed, then caught herself, obviously unsure if she should sit down or remain standing to simply run out of the room.
He decided to help her out. He leaned over and patted the cushion next to himself. “Come and sit here, Honey,” he said.
Her eyes widened, then she blinked frantically, as if one of her contacts had slipped out of place. “There?”
“Right next to me.”
“Oh. Um, sure. I was going to do that anyway.” She laughed nervously and started around the coffee table.
If she had been anyone else, he would have assumed what happened next was planned. But this was Heidi, and she was as innocent in the ways of the world as she had been when she’d been born. So he assumed that when her heel caught on the throw rug that it was a genuine accident. Her subsequent tumble had her falling across his lap, her curvy behind nestling perfectly against his thighs.
“Oops,” she whispered as her gaze met his. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“I know. It was a most fortuitous accident.”
“Fortuitous? Why?”
Rather than answering, he decided to show her. He drew her up in his arms and gently lowered his mouth to hers.
Chapter 9
Heidi had been thinking of scrambling out of Jamal’s lap…right up until he started to kiss her. But the moment he lowered his head to hers and brushed his firm lips against her suddenly trembling mouth, she never wanted to move again.
Odd how in a matter of seconds what had felt so awkward, suddenly felt so right. Without thinking, she put her arms around his neck and drew herself up against him. He wrapped his arms around her until they were locked in a passionate embrace.
This kiss was even better than the first one, which she hadn’t thought possible. And she’d been reliving it enough times to remember it in exquisite detail. This time she knew enough not to be so nervous. When his lips brushed back and forth against hers, she softened her mouth to accommodate him. Tiny shivers began low in her stomach and moved outward until her toes curled in her teal-colored pumps. She felt both hot and cold at the same time.
There was too much to take in, she thought, not sure if she should concentrate on the way his strong hands held her so close and so tenderly or if she should focus on the incredibly erotic movement of his lips. Before she could make up her mind, she felt his tongue brush against the seam of her mouth. She parted instantly to admit him, nearly whimpering in anticipation of the pleasure that was to come.
His tongue slipped into her mouth. It was as if the contact between their tongues had a direct line to her br**sts and that secret place between her legs. Both began to tingle in a way she’d never experienced before. She pressed her thighs tightly together but that didn’t help alleviate the sensation. If anything, it made the feeling more intense. She had the strong sense of wanting something, but didn’t know what that was.
Even as his tongue continued to dance with her, lighting tiny fires all through her, he began to move his hands up and down her back. Suddenly the cropped shirt and low-slung pants, which she’d felt so awkward about wearing just a couple of hours before, offered all kinds of possibilities. When his fingers trailed below her top to brush against bare skin, she exhaled suddenly and gave a small cry of pleasure.
He stroked her skin slowly and gently, rubbing along her spine. With his other hand he circled around to her front and teased her belly button.
Heidi jumped, then laughed. “What are you doing?” she asked.
Jamal grinned. “Nothing.”
“That wasn’t nothing. You were tickling me.”
“Didn’t you like it?”
He was so close that she could see the various shades of brown, black and green that made up his dark irises. His tanned skin looked smooth from a recent shaving, although she could see the line where the stubble would start later in the day.
Not sure it was allowed, not sure if she had the courage, she slowly reached up and pressed her palm against his cheek. He turned into her touch and pressed a kiss against her palm.
“Who are you, Honey Martin?” he asked, his voice low and husky. “What are you doing in my life?”
She smiled slightly. “I don’t know.”
“What will I do with you now that I have you?”
Another shiver rippled through her. “Do you have me?”
“Not yet, but I think I will.”
She couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. It was so grown-up and flirty and sexy, and she never wanted it to end. She loved how being in Jamal’s arms made her feel. It didn’t matter that she felt unsure of what to do, or awkward about putting a foot wrong. So far he hadn’t seem to notice her trepidation or her innocence. Thank goodness.
He lowered his mouth again. This time she parted her lips as soon as their lips touched. He cupped the back of her head, as if holding her still, then plunged inside of her. She wanted him plunging into her. She brushed against him, then followed him back to his mouth and did the same to him.
The heat inside of her increased as did the strange tension. When he touched her belly button again, it didn’t tickle anymore. Instead, the shivering increased and that place between her legs seemed to swell and tighten.
His fingers trailed up her bare belly to the bottom of her fitted shirt. Her breath seemed to catch in her throat in anticipation. Was he going to stop there, or was he going to keep going? Her ni**les swelled. She felt a dull ache that was more pleasure than pain, but still uncomfortable.