relationship could they possibly have? He was a small town man and she was a chic, sexy New York clothing designer. What in the world did they have in common?
Besides their obvious attraction for each other.
Still, Eli took a step back, but it didn’t seem to faze Nell at all. She smiled at him as she came closer. Pretty soon she’d back him right over his head. He wondered wryly if that was a metaphor for something.
“Yes, this is much better,” he finally replied as Nell reached out with both hands and slid them over his shoulders.
“I didn’t realize how warm it was out of the water.” Nell made small talk as she continued to close the space between them, but just as her body was about to come into contact with his, she dipped her head under water.
Eli sucked in his breath in anticipation of her next move, but when he felt her legs brush against his, he blew the air out of his lungs. She was a tease, but in this case it was a game he didn’t mind playing. It just served to build the sexual tension in his mind and body.
She surfaced several yards away, in shallower water so that the tops of her breasts seemed to float on the dark surface, tantalizing and ripe. Her fair skin was a bold contrast with the inky black water. His pulse quickened in expectation of what might happen. Pulling his eyes away from her tightened nipples, he gazed into her eyes, just as dark as the pond and the sky over their heads. She waited for him, her lips parted expectantly.
His growing arousal was impossible to overlook. This woman was a silent siren he couldn’t ignore and she was waiting to be caught. He pushed through the water until he stood so close that her delicate heat radiated against his chest. He didn’t touch her. Not yet . It was more sensual just to be so close and not to reach out.
“So, are we going to swim?” His mouth hovered, an inch from her ear, and whispered the words.
“I don’t think so,” she whispered back. He felt her breath on his cheek. His mouth grazed over her wet hair.
“What are we going to do then, Nell?” He still didn’t touch her. He wanted her to lead the way, to be the one to reach out and fuel the fire that burned throughout his body and mind. Just one touch and he’d be lost to her.
God, what did she want to do? She wanted him to make love to her. She wanted to wrap herself around his body and feel his touch on every inch of her skin. He’d be an incredible lover, she was certain. Passion radiated from his body, infusing the water between them.
She laid the palm of her hand against his chest. It was cool and wet but there was a steady heartbeat underneath the muscles. She knew if she were to allow her hand to wander further down his fit body, perhaps let it track under the water and along his hips, she’d find another strong pulse. Just the idea made her breath snag in her throat and her heart kick into a rapid staccato beat.
He was waiting for her to do something. Nell could feel Eli’s eyes bore into the top of her head, but her gaze remained on his chest. She splayed her fingers, her pinky trailing over one of his nipples. The tempo of his heartbeat increased.
She closed the space between their bodies. The touch of his skin, mixing with the cool water, created a strange combination of heat and chill. Her breasts brushed against him as she let her hands slide up over his shoulders until they locked around his neck. The results of her teasing and touching pressed insistently against her and she longed to wrap her legs around his waist and take him in. Instead, she pulled his head down to taste his lips.
Nell sank into the kiss with delicious urgency as Eli stroked his hands down her back, then into the water until his fingers hugged her buttocks. Nell moaned against his mouth. A rush of erotic sensations blossomed between her thighs.
The next step should’ve been so natural. His mouth left hers to taste the damp skin of her jaw and neck, nibbling the tender flesh of