to get me
off of you again, right?”
It may have been the wrong reaction, but she laughed. It
felt good to be wanted. It felt even better to be touched, and when his thumb
flicked over her nipple, sensation zipped up her spine. She gasped.
“You have ten seconds to get that damn skirt off, Lottie, or
I swear I won’t be responsible for how fast I lift it or how hard I fuck you.”
She peered up at him, then blinked, speechless. No man had
ever used that language with her in the bedroom. Always, she had found that
particular f-word a bit vulgar, but coming from Caleb’s mouth with his growl of
desire, it did crazy things to her heartbeat, heated her blood. She drew in a
shaky breath…and realized that the seconds were ticking away.
His strong hands curled around her ankles. He took a moment
to appreciate her one indulgence: red heels. The color of blood, about three
inches high, they were sensible enough to be comfortable, but eye catching
enough to be sexy. Then, one after the other, he peeled them away and tossed
them to the other side of the room.
Their gazes met, clung. Her heart, which had beaten like a
drum against her chest, stopped for a long second.
“Caleb…” She didn’t even know what she was asking for.
Reassurance? A promise that all would be well?
“I’ve got you. I’m going to take good care of you, baby. I’m
going to make you feel so good. But get the damn skirt off. Now.”
Something in that voice made her jump to obey, that steely
tone of authority, she supposed. It wouldn’t lie to her. It wouldn’t let her
down.
Carlotta reached behind her and unzipped her skirt. Slowly,
she wriggled it down, conscious of Caleb’s gaze roaming her. After three
children, her abdomen was not as firm as it had once been. Stretch marks had
faded to faint silvery lines long ago, but time and the years of idleness
during her ankle injury meant that her midsection was no longer anything close
to flat.
“Stop stalling, Lottie. I want to see you.”
Finally, torn between being modest and being attractive, she
lay on her back and pushed the skirt past her hips. The second it reached her
knees, Caleb grabbed the black garment and tore it away, leaving her in nothing
but a pair of lace-trimmed beige hipster panties.
He stared at her there ,
right between her thighs.
Carlotta groped for something to hold on to and found his
arms on either side of her, holding himself up to hover over her. He swallowed,
then bent to her, placing a kiss on her abdomen. It had to feel soft under his
lips, but the lack of firmness didn’t seem to deter him a bit. Instead, he
moaned and kissed his way up, pausing to lave and suck at her nipples. The jolt
of pleasure lit up her veins, sizzling over her skin. Back and forth he
worshipped her nipples, one after the other, until they ached, took on a life
of their own, and she arched to Caleb, whimpering.
“So beautiful, Lottie. So damn beautiful. That’s it, baby.”
He cupped her breast as he sucked deeply.
Restlessly, she wriggled, squeezing her thighs together to
combat the wet ache, but nothing worked. In her head, she knew that Caleb could
see every flaw of her body in the golden sunlight pouring in from the windows
across the room. But her body hardly cared. It soaked in his attention. It
blossomed. It craved more.
She hooked her arms around his neck and dragged him up to
her. His mouth fastened over hers, and it was not simple or gentle or measured.
His tongue prowled inside, taking absolute possession. He kissed her as if he
had every right to every part of her body and he intended to prove it.
Dizziness left her in a shimmering haze of passion. It ignited, firing her
desire to feel him deep. Thoughts fled. Insecurities silenced. Never had she
wanted like this, never known such arousal existed.
Caleb came up with a gasp and wrenched away, balancing on
his knees. “I left the damn condoms in the truck. But I’m clean and I’ve had a
vasectomy.”
She had never