Rearing up on his knees, he pulled off her tank top, taking her bra with it. She lifted her arms in accommodation and then she was bared to the waist, open to his gaze. „You’re beautiful, Kristen. But I knew you would be.“ He eased down to his elbows and looked his fill while she lay there, watching his every move. „When I got you like this, all hot and bothered, I’d tease you a little. Make you want a little more.“ He bent his head and gently licked her nipple and felt her jolt beneath him. He repeated the motion and she arched, offering him more. But he kept the caresses light, whispers only on her skin. Until she whimpered.
„Please.“
He was truly going to die. „Please, what?“
She arched again. „Dammit, Abe, you know.“
He ran his tongue under the fullness of her breast. Tasted the salt from her exertions. Purposed that she’d exert herself a hell of lot more before they were done. „Maybe I don’t,“ he murmured. „I was showing you what I’d do, and there you go, rewriting the rules.“
Her laugh was strangled, exasperated. „Abe.“
He decided to have mercy and gave her what she was too shy to ask for, taking her breast into his mouth and sucking, tonguing her nipple and sucking some more. She moaned and threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer and he lost it. He devoured, first one breast then the other, until she writhed beneath him.
„Oh, God,“ she gasped.
He lifted his head, panicked. „Please don’t say you want me to stop.“
She lifted her head from the floor, meeting his eyes. „If you stop, I’ll hurt you.“
His breath shuddered out in relief. He wasn’t sure what he would have done had she asked him to stop. He would have stopped of course, but… He kissed each wet breast then continued down her stomach, slowing the pace, planting kisses down to her navel.
She lifted her hips against him. „Abe, I may be new at this, but I think this is where we take off the rest of our clothes.“
He’d been sliding down her body and now paused, his shoulders between her thighs. „Then you should be glad you have a master like me around,“ he said lightly. „You are so impatient.“ He pressed his mouth between her legs and she cried out. „God, you’re already so wet,“ he muttered and looked up at her. She’d lifted herself on her elbows and now stared at him, her eyes heavy with need. „This is what I wanted last night,“ he said hoarsely. „Do you understand?“ Wordlessly she nodded and his heart threatened to push out of his chest. „Can I?“ And she nodded again. Unable to wait any longer he pulled her shorts, yanking in his haste, then dropped back down again, burying his mouth in her hot, wet heat. She fell back to the floor with another strangled moan, her arm covering her eyes, and he feasted. It had been so long and she tasted so good.
Raspy little staccato cries were coming from her mouth and he slowed down, drawing out her pleasure. „Do you like this?“ he asked.
„Yes.“ Her hips arched. „Please.“ Then a few glorious minutes later, she began to tense and her hands reached for him. He reached to grab one of her hands, his other still under her, lifting her to him. „Abe.“ It was a high, keening cry and he intensified the pressure until she unraveled, coming with a long, low moan. He kept kissing her inner thighs, soft, plucking kisses until her breathing evened out.
His own body straining for release, he lifted his head and knew he’d never, ever forget the way she looked. Glowing, radiant. Awed. Covered in plaster dust.
She met his eyes. „And then what would you do?“ she whispered.
He swallowed hard. „Then I’d ask you to help me with my belt, my zipper.“
She sat up, tugging him to his knees. „Then I would.“ And she did, pulling at his belt, each movement making her breasts jiggle before his hungry eyes. The tip of her tongue appeared as she concentrated, finally loosening the belt when he covered her hands with his, halting their quest.
„Wait.“ He pulled his wallet out of his pants and found a condom. Her eyes widened and it was like he could hear the wheels turning in her mind. Did he always carry one? Did he do this with all the women? On this point he could allay all her misgivings. „Kristen, the last time I made love was six years ago, before…“ He could see she understood. „I put the condom hi my wallet last Wednesday night when I got back to my apartment.“
„When you met me,“ she said softly.
„Again,“ he corrected, his voice husky. „Now, I would respectfully request you finish with my pants because I really, really want to be inside you.“ Her cheeks turned pink and she dipped her head, to focus on his waist. She accomplished the button of his pants with some difficulty, but he let her do it all. Gingerly, the zipper came down and she drew a deep breath. She pushed and tugged and his pants and boxers slid to his knees and when she drew another deep breath he realized he was holding his. Tentatively she stroked him and the breath he’d been holding came out as a guttural groan. „Oh, God. That feels so good.“
It must have encouraged her, because she closed her hand around him and squeezed and he knew he was truly going to die. „Stop.“ He grabbed her wrist. „I want to be inside you when I come.“ He kicked off his pants and managed the condom, his hands shaking in his haste. Then he crawled between her legs and kissed her mouth until he felt her melt again. „Don’t be afraid,“ he whispered, pushing her down to the floor.
She looked up at him, her eyes wide. „I’m not.“
But she was. He knew she was. He could only make her fear disappear by showing her how it would be. He pressed deep, shuddering as her muscles contracted around him, accepting him. She was hot and tight. And beautiful. And mine. „Kristen?“
Her face had tensed, but the fear was gone. „Don’t stop.“
„I won’t. I can’t.“ He pulled out, then thrust deep and she caught her breath. „When we got to this point, I might suggest you – “ He broke it off when she lifted her knees to hug his hips and he went deeper still. „Oh, God. Yes. Now move with me, Kristen.“ He set their bodies in rhythm. „Talk to me. Tell me what you feel.“
„It’s incredible.“ She cried out when he thrust and her hands reached to grab his shoulders. „I never knew…“
And somewhere he lost the thread of the conversation, his body taking control and he took, and took. In the distance he heard her muffled cry, felt her body contract around him, her pleasure catapulting him into his own. He gritted his teeth and thrust a final time.
Then there was peace. Panting, he rolled onto his side, still holding her, praying that now that it was over she wouldn’t feel guilty or retreat back into herself. That he wouldn’t accept. She was a most remarkable woman, although she would never admit it. He stopped just short of thinking she was the most remarkable woman, because in the stillness that followed completion, he knew he’d been a lucky man. He’d found two such women in his life. Debra was gone and he could never bring her back. But she of all people would want him to go on. And for the first time since holding his precious wife as she bled into a gutter, Abe allowed himself to imagine what the future would be like. To have a normal life again, with a wife to hold in the night and children with bouncy red curls. And it made him smile.
Kristen lay there, steeping in the kaleidoscope of sensations with which he’d gifted her, of all places on her kitchen floor. She pressed a lazy kiss to his hairy chest and settled her head back on his arm. Relief was a major emotion at the moment. He’d been pleased. More than pleased if she was any judge. Not that she was, but neither was she an idiot He’d practically had heart failure toward the end, so hard was his pulse. The way he’d lunged, his teeth bared. The way his body had bucked and shaken. The groan as he climaxed. He’d been pleased. And so had she. She’d come not once, but twice and it had been like nothing she ever could have anticipated.