His fingers moved over her, making her sizzle beneath the silky fabric. Wherever his palms brushed her skin heat seared through her. She couldn’t get enough of his touch, couldn’t stop touching him. Even the thought of taking her lips from his made her experience something like panic.
No matter what the future held for either of them, they could have this night.
His hands slid down her back, molded to her bottom. She gasped, the sound captured by his lips. He urged her hips against his and she cried out. Ached with such longing that she wasn’t sure she could bear it.
Joe held her tightly against him, shook with the incredible sensations washing over him.
He shouldn’t have come to her like this. He’d known better. For the past forty-eight hours he’d told him self over and over that she’d done the right thing walking away. It was the best move for all concerned.
But he couldn’t leave with out kissing her one last time. He’d thought of nothing else every minute he hadn’t been attempting to talk him self out of this very moment.
He’d thought about that one kiss they had shared. Of the way her body had reacted to his all those months ago when he’d come to her rescue.
He needed to feel her in his arms. He’d walked away the last time with out looking back because she had belonged to another man. That had been a mistake. He should have fought for her. They’d had a connection. He’d felt it. So had she, he’d bet his life on it. But he’d walked away and tried to put her out of his mind.
Impossible.
Spending the past three weeks with her had only convinced him further that they had something special. All they had to do was explore it…let it happen naturally.
He had to make her see that.
She trembled when he reached for the hem of her gown and tugged it up and off. God, he wanted to see her body, to learn every hollow and curve. But the light would ruin everything. He needed her to know who was making love to her tonight. He couldn’t let Maddox’s face interfere. He crouched down long enough to drag her panties down her legs. The subtle rose scent of her freshly bathed skin took his breath.
As he stood, her fingers shook when she struggled to release the buttons of his shirt. He helped, tugging the shirttails out of his trousers and meeting her at the middle but ton. The sound of her breath rushing in and out of her lungs made him feel giddy.
Together they worked his trousers down to his ankles, then stumbled back onto the bed with the efforts of removing his shoes and kicking free of the trousers.
He peeled off his boxers then lay on the bed next to her. He didn’t want to rush this. As badly as he wanted to push between her thighs and enter her right now, he needed to make this night special. Take things slow, draw out the pleasure. Like it was their last night on earth.
He slid his fingers over her breasts, pleasured her nipples, relishing her responsive sounds. Unable to resist, he bent down and sucked one hardened peak. She arched off the mattress, cried out his name. He smiled and gave the other nipple the same treatment just to hear her call out his name again. He loved hearing her voice…so soft and sexy.
He kissed his way down her rib cage, tracing each ridge, laving her soft skin with his tongue. He paid special attention to her belly but ton. Sweat formed on his body with the effort of restraint. He was so hard it hurt to breathe, but he couldn’t stop touching her this way, with his hands, his mouth.
He touched the dewy curls between her legs, teased the channel there and she abruptly stiffened. His body shook at the sounds as she moaned with an unexpected release.
When her body had relaxed he immediately went to work building that tension once more. He nuzzled her breasts, nipped her lips, all the while sliding one finger in and out of her. Her heated flesh pulsed around him, squeezed rhythmically. Soon, very soon he needed to be in side her.
Elizabeth couldn’t catch her breath. She needed to touch him all over…needed to have him take her completely. She couldn’t bear any more of this exquisite torture. She couldn’t think…couldn’t breathe.
She encircled his wrist, held his skilled hand still before he brought her to climax yet again. “No more,” she pleaded.
He kissed her lips, groaned as she trailed her fingers over his hardened length. She shuddered with delight at the feel of him. So smooth and yet so firm, like rock gilded with pure silk.
Her breath left her all over again as he moved into position over her. She opened her legs, welcomed his weight. His sex nudged hers and she bit down hard on her lower lip to prevent a cry of desperation.
He thrust into her in one forceful motion. For several seconds she couldn’t move or speak. He filled her so completely. The urge to arch her hips was very nearly over whelming but some how she couldn’t move. She could only lie very, very still and savor the wondrous awareness of being physically joined with Joe.
Eventually he began to move, slowly at first, then long, pounding strokes. The rush to ward climax wouldn’t be slowed, hard as she fought it. She could feel him throbbing in side her. His full sex grew harder as his own climax roared to ward a peak.