She cried out and arched in his arms. With a low murmur of satisfaction, he scooped her into his arms, walked into the bedroom, and laid her on the bed.
His head pounded with an urgency he rarely felt when claiming a woman, and he shed his clothes in minutes to join her on the bed. Aidan took her mouth for a deep hungry kiss, while he tugged the delicate straps of her slip down over her shoulders. Bared to the waist, he stared at her ripe curves with delight, and she squirmed under his gaze, obviously uncomfortable at such rapt attention. Aidan bent his head, grasped one ruby nipple between his lips and sucked. The contrast between her soft skin and the hardness of her nipple made him crazy, and he rubbed his five o’clock shadow between her breasts as he kept up a steady suction. Her head tossed back and forth on the pillow as he pleasured her. Her breasts gleamed wetly in the moonlight, and he muttered his approval as he gently took one rigid tip between his teeth and tugged.
Her body shot up as sensation grabbed her. He laughed low in his throat and worked his way downward, pulling the slip inch by inch to reveal more of her body.
He kissed the flat curve of her belly and nipped at the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. The delicious scents of vanilla and spice drifted to his nostrils. Halfway drunk on her scent and taste, he tossed the slip on the floor and sucked in his breath.
She wore no panties.
“You’re so frikkin’ beautiful,” he rasped. “Look at how perfect you are for me. So ready.” Tight golden curls hid her sex, but he deliberately pushed her thighs open. After a brief hesitation, she allowed him full access, and he spread her wide, glimpsing pink swollen lips. He slipped one finger into her tight, wet heat and shuddered with the intensity of her response. Aidan realized he wouldn’t be able to wait much longer to claim her. She gasped for breath, and her arousal eased the passage of his fingers as he stroked her deep. One finger. Two. Then—
“Aidan!”
“Not yet, baby. I have to taste you first, I’ve waited too long.” He dipped his head between her spread thighs and pressed his tongue against her swollen nub.
Liquid heat rushed over him. He drowned in her sweet taste as he allowed himself to explore her most intimate folds, his tongue stroking while his thumb rotated with teasing motions around her clit. She paused on the edge of release but he kept her there, refusing to give her the strong pressure she needed to climax. His name sang in his ears as she thrashed beneath him. When his own arousal became too much, he reached over to the table and grabbed a condom. He sheathed himself quickly and paused at her entrance. “Look at me, Isabella.”
Her eyes flew open. Deep blue eyes pierced his. Foggy with need. Dazed with passion.
He surged forward and claimed her.
Home.
His whole body shuddered with pleasure as her channel squeezed him and held him tight. He pulled out inch by inch, teasing the tight bud, then lifted her thighs and plunged.
Isabella cried out and spasmed around him. He milked her orgasm and savored every nuance of her expression as she let go, but soon he neared the edge and with one last thrust he climaxed. Every muscle tightened and released in a sweet agony he never experienced. He tucked her into his body and rolled to the side, his lips buried in her hair.
They lay together in the shadows of his bedroom, her heart beating under the palm of his hand. And slept.
Isabella stretched her muscles in luxurious satisfaction and watched the man sleeping beside her. In her wildest fantasies, she never believed she’d have a man make love to her with so much intensity. Usually a bit hesitant, she didn’t want Aidan to think she’d be a quick roll in the hay for a holiday affair. But after two weeks in his company, she knew they had much more.
She’d fallen in love with him.
He slept with as much intensity as he worked and played. One errant blond curl rested on his forehead, and she smoothed it back, caressing the slope of his brow, his crooked nose, the hard line of his jaw. Her thumb pressed over carved, sculpted lips, and her body quickened when she thought of that mouth tasting every inch of her skin.
His body was lean and hard, his hands able to grip her and hold her still as waves of pleasure bucked through her. He filled every inch of her and fought for more space, until she felt completely invaded, her body no longer just hers. No, he’d claimed more than her body in their lovemaking session.
He claimed her heart.
His eyes flew open. The golden depths burned like the sun, then turned warm like a half-lit summer afternoon. “Hi.”
Isabella smiled back. “Hi.”
“What time is it?”
“We only slept for an hour, it’s still early. I want dessert.”
A laugh rumbled through his chest. “I didn’t sate you enough, huh?”
She fought past a blush and knew she’d lost. “You did such a good job I need sustenance. Sugar specifically.”
“Then let’s rip into those pastries.”
She grabbed his shirt and buttoned it halfway, then strode ahead of him. His lusty whistle made her giggle, and she figured she’d be ready for round two sooner than originally planned. Isabella settled herself at the table and had just secured a chocolate croissant when her phone buzzed.
Aidan munched on a cannoli while she punched the numbers in her BlackBerry. Then frowned. “It’s Liz. She marked the text urgent and wants me to call.”
“Probably wants to talk to you about her date last night. Don’t worry.”
“Yeah, but, do you mind if I give her a quick ring?”
He smiled and pressed a kiss on her lips. He smelled deliciously of chocolate chips. “Of course not. But I may eat all the pastries.”
She punched in Liz’s number and drifted into the kitchen. Her friend answered on the second ring. “Hi, what’s up? Is anything wrong?”
Liz sounded wary. “Where are you?”
“At Aidan’s.” Silence. “Liz, you’re freaking me out. What’s going on?”
“Did you have sex?”
“Liz!”
“What? We tell each other everything and this is important.”
Isabella glanced at her lover happily munching pastries and lowered her voice. “Yes. But I’m not discussing details.”
Her friend let out a relieved breath. “Thank God. Then he must have told you the truth and you know who he really is.”
A sliver of ice trickled down her spine. “What are you talking about?”
“The Pasta King, Izzy. Aidan Hunter is the son of the Pasta King. The most eligible bachelor in New York City.”
The room spun and she clutched the kitchen counter for balance. Her mind worked sluggishly to keep up with the information dump. “How do you know this?” she asked dimly.
“I googled him. Right after you started seeing him, I wanted to make sure I could trust him. I didn’t tell you because I figured if it got serious he’d tell you himself. Holy crap, you didn’t know? That bastard! Why is he still pretending to work on a tree farm when he’s one of the richest men in the state?”
Isabella heard her friend droning on with a variety of insults she knew well. Finally, she fought herself back to composure. The silly joy drained out of her body and left an empty void. Her tone was wooden when she managed to speak. “I’ve gotta go, Liz. I’ll be okay. I need to talk to him.”
She pressed the button and ended the call. The past hovered and crashed around her. What game was he playing? My God, had he been leading her on the whole time, slumming with the elementary teacher upstate? Did he plan to return to the gorgeous, poised, city women able to properly handle the heir to an empire? Nausea slammed her stomach and she fought for control. Then slowly walked out to the dining room.