He immediately pressed his hips toward her, driving his erection into her belly.
He was already hard, she thought happily. Hard to her wet. She closed her lips around his tongue and sucked as she remembered what it had been like last time, when he’d driven into her so deeply, she’d been forced to come over and over.
He reached for the hem of her T-shirt. She released him long enough to step back and hold her arms up over her head. He pulled the shirt free, then expertly unfastened her bra.
Then his mouth was on one breast with his fingers matching the movements on the other. As he stroked and sucked and licked, she ran her fingers through his hair and tried to remember how to breathe.
It was perfect, she thought, her head falling back. With each tug on her nipples, she felt an answering contraction between her thighs. Her shorts confined her. She needed to be naked, her legs spread, him between them. Going down on her or plunging inside of her, she didn’t much care. Just something.
He straightened and claimed her mouth again. She didn’t complain because he covered her breasts with both hands and continued to caress her. Even as he kissed her over and over again, he nudged her back. She allowed him to urge her into the bedroom where the high four-poster bed beckoned.
When she bumped into it, he lifted her onto the mattress. She scooted back, only to be stopped by him unfastening her shorts. Somewhere along the way, she’d kicked off her sandals.
When he released her, she continued to scoot while he held on to her shorts. Her panties came off with them. When she was naked, he grinned and went to work on his own shirt. Minutes later, he was next to her, touching her everywhere. She traced the muscles of his chest and skinny line of hair that led to his arousal. He teased her belly button before moving lower and slipping his fingers into her wetness.
They lay on their sides, facing each other, eyes open as they pleasured each other. He kissed her cheeks, her forehead, then her nose.
“The difference is,” he said quietly, “that I very much want to make you come, but you do not have the same goal.”
She continued to stroke his hard length. “Are you sure about that?”
“Of course. If you make me come now, how will I slide deep inside you later? How will I part your legs and move faster and faster?”
“We’ll have to wait, what? Ten minutes?” she asked with a smile.
“Any time would be too much.”
He had a point, she thought as she reluctantly released him. He, however, kept touching her, rubbing back and forth, occasionally dipping his fingers inside of her. She had a leg over his hip and they were so close she could see the various colors that made up his irises.
Not that she could really focus on them. Instead her attention kept slipping to the building tension in her body.
This was just sex, she reminded herself. Really great sex. And she wanted more. She wanted more touching and rubbing and dipping. She wanted to come like this, then do it all again.
“You have always been difficult,” he said conversationally.
“What? We’re naked and you want to discuss that now?”
“I can think of no better time. You never do what you’re told.”
“I take great pride in that,” she said, finding it difficult to speak, especially when he bent down and licked her nipple. She was close and getting closer. The rhythm of his fingers drove her crazy, but in the best way possible.
More, she thought. She just needed a little more.
“But sometimes instructions are a good thing. For example…”
He eased her onto her back, all the while continuing to touch her. He positioned himself between her legs. He had to be millimeters from entering her, but he didn’t. She strained toward him.
“Rafael,” she breathed.
He stared into her eyes. “Come for me, Mia. Come now.”
The unexpected order shocked her. She felt him pushing slightly, but he didn’t enter. He waited.
Suddenly she knew he would thrust inside of her the second she started to climax. She tightened in anticipation of his hardness filling her over and over again.
That was all it took to push her over. The first shudder of her release claimed her. She arched her body.
“Now,” she breathed. “Do it hard, Rafael. Do it.”
He plunged inside of her. At that first thrust, her contractions increased. Pleasure poured through her as she wrapped her legs around his hips and held him in place. Again and again, thrusting deep and fast, claiming her.
She held on to him, climaxing until his body stilled and shuddered.
Rafael lay still on the bed. Mia lay next to him. The sound of their breathing filled the quiet of the room.
Once again the power of their lovemaking surprised him. He hadn’t thought she would really give in, but now that she had, he felt the first whisper of hope.
Perhaps all was not lost. Perhaps there was still a way to make her believe in him again. Because that is what he wanted. Over the past couple of weeks, he’d begun to see all he had lost with his deceptions and arrogance.
He wanted to make things right with her. He wanted her in his life because she wanted to be there. He needed her.
“Mia,” he began, not sure what he was going to say.
She smiled, then stood. “I’ll give full points for that one. It was great.”
Her lush body distracted him until she reached for her clothing.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Getting dressed. I need to get back. I don’t want to miss dinner.”
“You should stay here,” he said. “We can talk.”
Talk? Had he really said that?
“I appreciate the invite, but I’m okay.” She pulled on her panties and picked up her bra.
“You can’t leave,” he told her.
“Actually I can and I’m going to.”
She quickly finished dressing, then walked to the door.
“It was sex, Rafael. Nothing more. I haven’t forgiven you and I’m still pretty sure I don’t like you. Unfortunately, I have a mindless reaction to your body. I’ll get over it. I did before.”
And then she was gone.
17
Mia held her bravado until she’d driven out of the hotel parking lot and was confident she was out of sight of anyone watching from a second-story window. Then she pulled to the side of the road and tried to catch her breath.
What had she done? The why was easy-no point in wondering about that. The why was the incredible sexual chemistry that had always existed with Rafael and the things that happened to her body when he touched her. But the what…now there was a question.
What on earth was she supposed to say the next time she saw him? How was he going to take her seriously if she fell into bed with him every time he smiled pretty? Because the man smiled pretty on a daily basis. He was born to smile pretty.
She leaned back in the seat and did her best to hold back tears. Lately she’d produced as much waterworks as a class 2 hurricane and her emotions were about as unpredictable. She had a good excuse, but still, where was her pride? Bad enough the man could make her come without breaking a sweat, worse if he also got to her heart.
Except her heart was the main problem. Her brain was firmly on the side of “Rafael, bad.” Her body was weak, and despite physical evidence of the bones in question, spineless. Still, she could control her body simply by never being alone with him again. Wanting didn’t necessarily have to lead to doing. But her heart. Her traitorous still-in-love-with-him heart…what was going to happen there?
She wanted him but knew she couldn’t have him-at least not again. She hated him and still had to deal with him. She loved him and couldn’t trust him.
She wasn’t just fighting him, she was fighting herself, and that was one battle she didn’t know how to win.