Among the Heather (The Highlands, #2)

When North said nothing, I finally looked at him. The muscle in his jaw ticked, and I knew he wanted to pummel Lucas. He slowly stood, as if he were approaching a skittish animal, and moved around to stand behind me. His heat licked up my body as he leaned his chest against my back and took hold of my wrists, gently moving my arms back down to my sides. He trailed his fingertips up and down my arms, a caress that was soothing and arousing at the same time. My nipples peaked as he swept my hair over onto one side, revealing my neck.

A shiver cascaded down my spine when North rested his lips against my ear, his voice rumbling through me. “Not all men are made the same.” His hands dropped from my arms and I felt a tug on the zipper of my skirt. I tensed as he continued, “Men like me appreciate women in all their glory.” Slowly, he lowered the skirt zipper as he brushed a soft kiss against my neck. “And my brain and my cock happen to think you’re the sexiest woman we’ve ever met.”

It’s a trick. Lies. He’s just saying what he thinks you want to hear.

North pressed his lower body against mine as his hands slipped inside the skirt, and I gasped at the feel of his hard heat. If it was a lie, his cock was in on the deception.

I tensed as the skirt loosened and North pushed it down my hips. Then it dropped around my ankles.

“Step out,” he demanded, brushing his knuckles down my back.

Trembling, I stepped out of the skirt, and North made a choked sound. “What?” I glanced over my shoulder to find him looking down at my legs.

He’s repulsed by my wide ass, hips, and thighs.

“You’re telling me that every day I’ve been here, you’ve been walking around wearing lacy fucking stockings and suspenders under your skirt?”

Oh. I let out a little laugh of surprise and relief. “You like?”

“I more than fucking like.” He slid his hand over my ass and squeezed. Desire slickened between my thighs. Wow. Okay. “Let me look.”

“You are looking.”

But now he was walking around to sit on the bed in front of me. I moved to cover my breasts again and North shook his head. “Don’t.”

You can do this.

Feeling awkward, I dropped my arms and tried not to shift uncomfortably as his gaze traveled up from my shoes. My legs were one of my best physical assets. Long and well-formed, but my thighs were a little bigger than I’d like, and, of course, they led up to curvaceous hips and my dreaded belly.

My awkwardness, however, dissipated beneath North’s ravenous eyes. I swear to God, no one had ever looked at me like he did. Like he wanted to throw me on the bed and fuck me like there was no tomorrow.

“Jesus, woman,” he huffed out hoarsely. “You’re a walking wet dream.”

I think he means it.

Even if he didn’t … he did at least want me. His dick straining against his jeans was proof of that. And this was just one night.

This was happening.

No more stalling. No more hiding.

Once I was naked, he’d either want me or not.

Deep down, I didn’t feel those brave words. But I was determined to live by them, anyway. So I kicked off my heels and unclipped my suspenders.

Before I could begin rolling off the stockings, North lowered to his knees in front of me and took over. Instead of the efficient speed I would have used, he rolled each stocking down slowly, his lips following them, whispering across my sensitive skin. Sensation dipped and swooped low and deep in my belly. I shivered, growing wetter. Then his lips returned to my naked thigh and I spread my legs, inviting him upward until I was undulating into his kiss.

“North,” I pleaded, running my fingers through his hair.

So distracted by lust, I wasn’t prepared for the quickness with which he removed my underwear. Abruptly, they were around my ankles and North was staring up at me in all my nakedness.

I moved to cover my lower belly with my hand. It wasn’t flat. It protruded a little and it rolled when I sat. North grunted with disapproval and gently pushed my hand away to caress me.

“Don’t—” I moved to stop him and he shook his head at me.

“You’re beautiful. Every fucking inch of you is beautiful,” he promised seconds before he brushed his lips over my belly.

Tears brightened my eyes as he scattered kisses all over my stomach, his hands caressing every part of me he could reach, as he worshipped me with his lips.

It didn’t feel like a trick.

And then he nudged me toward the bed until I was on my back. North stayed on his knees on the floor and cupped my ass in his hands as he draped my legs over his shoulders and buried his head between my thighs. He made a guttural noise of desire seconds before his tongue touched my clit.

Need slammed through me, and I undulated against his mouth. His fingers dug into my thighs, and his groan vibrated through me seconds before he feasted like a starving man. Lust overcame all insecurities, all doubts. There was nothing but North and the way he suckled my clit, pulling on it hard, then gentling, licking and lapping as if he had all the time in the world. Then he slid his tongue down in a dirty, voracious lick before pushing inside me.

“North!” I cried, thrusting against his mouth as I climbed higher and higher toward breaking apart completely.

Feeling my desperation, he returned to my clit and sucked and laved at it until I was nothing but a mindless, flushed thing that needed release.

But then he lifted his head, his eyes glazed with arousal. “You taste amazing.” His voice was rough. “I could eat you all fucking night.”

“Don’t stop,” I begged, reaching for him. “Please.”

My wish, his command, apparently. He returned to torment my clit.

“North!” My orgasm hit like an explosion of fireworks, release sliding deliciously through me as I shuddered against his mouth and lights flickered behind my closed lids.

Feeling like melted butter sliding off toast, it took me a minute to come back to myself. To remember that I was sprawled completely naked on North’s bed, and I’d just been very, very loud as I came. My eyes flew open and North was now standing. I should have been afraid of the fierce intensity in his expression that told me I was about to be fucked six ways till Sunday, but the muscular body he revealed as he quickly undressed distracted me.

Of course, I’d seen him half-naked before, but somehow I’d forgotten just how phenomenal his body was. Every inch was sculpted to perfection. Lean, hard muscle. Muscles in places I didn’t know there could be muscles. He also had the most dramatic V-cut obliques I’d ever seen, and most of my boyfriends had been guys who stayed in shape.

He was perfect.

And I so was not.

I pushed up onto my elbows, about to halt things again, when he shoved down his jeans and boxer briefs to reveal a very hard, throbbing cock already dripping pre-cum, standing to attention between his muscular thighs. No wonder he walked around all cocky with that thing between his legs.

I was suddenly parched.

Okay … there was no faking that kind of turned on. And I hadn’t had sex in what felt like forever. My inner thighs trembled with anticipation.

“Like what you see?” North teased as he whipped a condom out of his wallet, dropped said wallet, and then ripped the package with his teeth. All the while he held my gaze with this sexy confidence that made me want to jump him.

How did he do that?

How did he so thoroughly distract me from my insecurities?