She started going through some ideas she’d had about his foundation. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, and tried to pay attention to what she was saying. He may have even managed a few coherent responses, but he couldn’t vouch for that.
What he did know was that her light tan brought out the gorgeous blue of her eyes. The sundress she wore exposed strong, toned arms and gently sloping shoulders. The crossed straps showed enough of the curve of her back that he had to lace his fingers together to keep from reaching out to feel how soft that smooth skin actually was. Her legs were tucked beneath her, her bare feet peeking out from beneath the hem of the dress. When had she kicked off her shoes? Her toes curled under for a moment, like they knew he was staring at them.
He wished he could pull those feet out and run a finger along the soles, see if she was ticklish.
“Elliot?”
He looked up, startled, and met her amused gaze. She’d obviously had to say his name more than once. “Sorry. What did you say?”
She laughed. “I was asking what you thought of that last idea, but it looks like your mind is a million miles away.”
He looked into her eyes and shook his head. “No. Not a million miles away. My mind has been firmly in this room since the second you walked through the door.”
“Hmm, then what did I say?”
He leaned forward. “I didn’t say I was paying attention to what you were saying. I said my mind was right here, the whole time. And it was. I was just thinking about you.”
He wasn’t sure what reaction he expected from her. Righteous indignation? Surprise? Intrigue? Embarrassment? There might have been a touch of all of those in her rosy cheeks as her gaze burned into his. But mostly, all he saw was a heat to match his own.
“Come here,” he said, his voice deep with desire.
She didn’t hesitate. She gathered her dress up in one hand so she could rise up onto her knees and close the distance between them. Her face was set in determined lines, her eyes blazing with intensity. She didn’t drop her gaze until she was pressed against him. She glanced down for a moment, leaning in. He parted his legs so she could wedge herself between them, getting as close to him as possible. Since he was still sitting on the edge of the couch, their bodies were almost flush with each other.
Just watching her come toward him had made him rock hard and ready. She leaned in closer. The full length of him pressed into her belly, and he fought the urge to close his eyes and groan. If he touched her, he would have an extremely hard time leaving it at a few kisses. She set his blood on fire. His entire body nearly screamed at him to touch her, taste her, make her his. But if that wasn’t what she wanted, he needed to nip this little game in the bud.
She rose higher, dragging her body up the full length of his.
“Lena,” he said.
She stopped moving and looked at him. He ran his thumb over her lips, which parted to drag in a breath that was ragged with need.
“Are you sure?” he managed to ask.
She came in a little closer, rubbing her body down his. “I want you so badly I’m aching. I want you so deep inside me I’ll remember you every time I move tomorrow. I want you to make me come so hard I see stars. I want you to make me scream your name so loudly the neighbors call security. I want you, Elliot.” She punctuated her words with gentle bites along his neck. “Right. Now.”
His mouth opened in a silent gasp. “Fuck,” he groaned, capturing her face between his hands.
His restraint disintegrated. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the floor as he leaned back onto the couch. She spilled across his lap, half lying on him, kissing him in earnest now. Yanking at her dress, she pulled it out of the way so she could straddle him. The moment her heated center settled over him, she gasped and threw her head back, rocking on him. He grasped her thighs and ground his hips against her.
She cried out, leaning forward to kiss him again. He was pretty sure his heart stopped for a few seconds before it resumed pounding. If she kept it up, he was going to lose it right now, like he was a newbie with no control.
He dragged his hands up from her hips to tangle in her hair, holding her to him. His lips molded to hers, their tongues thrusting together, mimicking what his body longed to do. She crawled farther up his body, settling more firmly over him. He grabbed her hips again, this time to keep her from moving, and pulled away from the kiss, his chest heaving to drag in a breath.
She looked down at him, her eyes narrowed in confusion.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing. I just want to make sure you’re really up for this. Because I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out.”
Her confusion evaporated, replaced by that look a woman gets when she knows the guy is putty in her hands. Well, not putty. Something longer and infinitely harder.
She rocked on him again, and his breath hissed through his clenched teeth. She leaned forward, her lips moving over his as she spoke. “I hope you can hold out at least long enough so I can get you out of these clothes.”
He pulled back, his heart beating against his ribs hard enough to hurt. His whole being screamed at him to keep his damn mouth shut and accept what was being offered like a good little boy. But he wanted no mistakes here. Lena wasn’t some one-night stand he could screw and walk away from. It wouldn’t be a screw at all. The words “making love” floated through his head, and for the first time he actually meant it.
“Are you sure?”
She gazed down at him. “More sure than I’ve ever been.”
She eased her hand between them and cupped him, wrapping her fingers around him through his shorts. He sucked in a breath and jerked beneath her, thrusting into her hand. She squeezed him harder, smiling against his lips.
“Oh, that’s how you want to play, huh?” he said.
Her laugh turned into a squeal when he surged up, keeping her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“The bed. I need a little room to work.”
“Wait.”
He froze.
“Do you have…in my pack…I have, you know…in case you don’t have…”
He laughed. “No worries. I’ve got a box.”
Her face fell for a second, and Elliot realized that she probably assumed he’d come to the hotel prepared to have a little fun with some random hookup.
“I made a little stop in the gift shop earlier.”
“Was I that sure of a thing?” she asked, a slight frown creasing her brow.
He kissed her forehead. “Not even close. But a guy can be hopeful,” he teased. “I wanted to be prepared. Just in case.”
Before he could say anything else, she squirmed in his arms, reaching up to pull him down for another kiss. He didn’t wait for her to say yes again.
Chapter Eight
They made it inside the bedroom, but not much farther. Lena’s legs clenched around him and Elliot sucked in a ragged breath. He spun, pressing her against the wall. His mouth worked over hers, and she moaned into his mouth. He ground his hips against her. She whimpered, desperate for more. His teeth grazed a trail down her neck.
“Ah!” she gasped, tightening her legs around him so she could press herself closer.
He groaned and kissed her again, walking them backward until his legs hit the bed.
They tumbled back, and he rolled them over so he was pressing her into the mattress, his mouth and hands stroking her into a frenzy. Her blood raced, igniting every nerve ending in her body.
He sucked at her nipple through her dress, and she struggled for breath.
“Tell me what you want,” he said, his hand massaging her other breast¸ rolling the nipple between his fingers.
She flung her head back, her body twisting under the delicious torture his mouth and hands were inflicting.