Hot-Blooded by Karen Foley Read Free Book Online Page A

showed evidence of having been broken at some point.
    As he cupped her breast, Elena pushed her hands beneath the hem of his T-shirt. He reflexively tensed, and her fingers skimmed over ridges of muscle across his abdomen. Larry had been a runner, and while he’d been lean, his body had lacked true definition. But not this man; he was sculpted in ways that Elena had never experienced before. She slid her hands higher, reveling in his warm, hard flesh.
    He watched her the entire time, and the only indication that her touch affected him was the way his breathing hitched when her fingertips stroked over the small nubs of his nipples.
    “Take this off,” she said softly, and he complied instantly, reaching behind his head to grab a fistful of shirt and drag it upward.
    Elena couldn’t prevent a small indrawn breath.
    Her first impression had been right; his was a body designed for a woman’s touch, and she was helpless to stop herself from running her hand over his chest. She took note of the small scars and imperfections, realizing she knew nothing of him or what he had experienced.
    “I was right,” she murmured, tracing a long, thin scar that slashed over his ribs. “You’re tough.”
    To her surprise, he laughed. “Oh, yeah. I’m real tough. That’s why I have absolutely no willpower where you’re concerned.”
    Elena slid her arms around his waist until they were skin to skin, absorbing the feel of him. “I’m glad. I don’t want you to have any willpower tonight.”
    With a rough sound, Chase lowered his head and caught her mouth in a kiss so deep that she felt it all the way to her toes. She didn’t object when he backed her up to the bed and pushed her gently down across the coverlet, following alongside her.
    The bedspread was cool against her bare back, but Chase’s skin was hot against her breasts. Dragging his mouth from hers, he worked his way unhurriedly down her throat and over her chest, nuzzling her breasts with his mouth. Elena watched him, spellbound by the sight of his dark head against her pale skin, and feeling the rush of heat and wetness between her legs. When he took a nipple into his mouth and drew deeply on the stiffened tip, she gasped and arched upward, clutching at his shoulders.
    He tormented first one breast and then the other, ignoring how Elena twisted beneath him, her hips shifting restlessly against his. He used his mouth to worship her body, moving from her breasts to her stomach, where he teased her navel with his tongue. His fingers moved to the waistband of her jeans and released the fastening in one easy flick of his fingers.
    “Yes,” she panted, as he slowly drew the zipper down. She lifted her hips, and Chase dragged the jeans down the length of her legs until she lay on the bed wearing nothing but her panties.
    “Oh, man,” he breathed, “you are so damned pretty.”
    If Elena had worried that she might not meet his expectations, those doubts vanished beneath the heat in his gaze. Reaching out, she caught him by the waistband of his jeans and tugged until he came over her on all fours, with her fingers still tucked into his pants.
    “Take these off,” she urged, needing to see him. “Hurry.”
    Dawn would be here before they knew it, and Elena felt a sudden urgency to meld with this man, to own him and belong to him before it was too late. Even now, her duffel bags lay on the floor by the far wall, packed and ready to go. She suspected that if she were to visit Chase’s room, she would see the same.
    “I’ll take them off,” Chase breathed, “but I want to go slow, okay?”
    “Okay,” she agreed, too eager to see him to tell him that she had no intention of going slow. She was past ready for him. Even now, her panties were soaked with desire, and her sex throbbed with need. She’d listened to her sisters describe lust often enough, but she’d never understood the meaning of the word until now.
    Leaning back, Chase unfastened the snap on his jeans, and