Page 44 of Not So Fast
Settled. Mmm-hmm.Mia’s pulse picked up as she pondered the many possible meanings of the wordsettled, all while following him through a cozy great room with brown leather furnishings and an entire wall of books, then to a large central staircase with hefty dark wood handrails and an arched window with a charming pastoral view at the top of the landing.
At the very top of the second flight, he set down her bags and turned to her.
“I feel as though we must have a chat.”
Mia snickered. Delivered in his British accent, it sounded as though she’d done something wrong. And quite honestly, she wouldn’t mind being in trouble with Xander. “Sure.”
“I have prepared the guest room for you.”
Mia’s heart sank all the way down to the soles of her feet. What was with the kiss at the airport? Now he was banishing her to some other room? “Okay…”
He reached down and took her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. “I feel like I’ve known you forever, Mia, but in truth, it hasn’t been long. And we’ve spent far moretime talking on the phone and texting than we have in each other’s presence.”
His blue eyes were wide and earnest; meanwhile, his lips were fuckingbeggingher to kiss him. Or even take a nip.
“So you want to take things slow?” she asked. In some ways it would be a relief, especially since it was always her preference to ease into things.
“I want to defer to you. You control your own destiny. Whatever you want. I’m gobsmacked you were willing to fly across an ocean to see me. You’re a busy woman. With a lot on her plate. And of course, we both recognize that our involvement does not come without risk. You could fall out of favor with your listeners if they learned we were involved.”
She inched closer until they were standing toe-to-toe. He was right about all of that, but she’d already expended energy worrying about those things.
“It’s very sweet that you’ve put so much thought and consideration into this. Normally, I would say yes, we should take things slow.”I also feel like this chance might never come again and I would like to at least have this memory of you.Her heart beat an erratic rhythm as she scanned his face, looking for clues. “But we both knew what this was, didn’t we?”
He delivered a stern and pointed glance, his eyes dark and serious. All the while, he kept caressing her hand with his thumb. Back and forth. Back and forth.
“If we’re being honest, yes.”
“Then I think I should stay in your room.”
“Perfect.”
With one fluid motion, Xander swept Mia off her feet. Quite literally. And she held her breath as he carried her down the hall, past portraits she didn’t have time to look atand several rooms. He strode into what she presumed was his bedroom—dark and moody with navy blue walls and the biggest bed she’d ever seen, topped by a crisp white comforter. On one wall was another stretch of fully stocked bookshelves and in front of it, a cozy reading chair and lamp.
Not that she was taking much note of the furnishings as he set her down on the bed, then pulled his T-shirt over his head while he kept his eyes glued to her, showing her exactly how perfect he was. Long and lean with so much muscular definition it defied all logic, his chest a broad plane with the tiniest patch of hair in the middle. He toed off his shoes, then pulled off his socks and unbuttoned the top button of his jeans. He moved in on her, setting a knee on the bed, rolling onto the mattress and pulling her along with him until she was on top. If he wanted to defer to her, perhaps that was only when it came to living quarters. For now, in bed, he was in charge.
And Mia was so hot for him she could hardly keep up. He pulled her close and kissed her hard, their tongues finally getting acquainted. They swirled in an endless loop while she planted her elbows above his shoulders and combed her fingers into his silky hair. She let her knees settle on the bed and that was when she felt exactly how ready he was for this to happen. He was rock-hard through the layers of his jeans and hers.
“Tell me what you like, Mia,” he muttered, then rolled her to her side and started unbuttoning her top. “Tell me everything.”
She was suddenly struck with a severe case of shyness. It was hard enough for her to let down her guard on the phone. In person was a whole other thing.
“I likeyou.”
He laughed quietly, then groaned as he pushed her top pasther shoulders. “Your breasts are incredible. And that bra. So fucking sexy.” He dragged a finger along the edge of one lacy cup. “Although it’s not staying on for long.”
Mia felt an immense sense of pride—she’d had rave reviews of her breasts before but never from a man as discerning and worldly as Xander. Also, she’d spent a good deal of money on quality underpinnings in the scant eighteen hours she’d had before she got on the plane, an investment that was already paying dividends.
He reached behind and unhooked her bra, then pulled it forward and they both sensed the release and what it meant for them. He tossed the garment aside and rolled her to her back, lowering his head and licking her nipple. He looped his tongue around the tight bundle of nerves, flicking at it and making her head swim with the possibilities. Every lick sent a zap of electricity straight to her clit. That alone might be enough to make her come.
He shifted to his side and stretched out beside her, sucking on her breast while he unbuttoned her jeans. As soon as the zipper was down, he slipped his hand inside her panties and found the perfect spot with his finger.
“You are so wet, Mia,” he whispered into her ear before nibbling on her neck. “I can’t wait to be inside you.”
Mia closed her eyes, letting the sensation take over, trying not to let her brain get in the way. If it did, she’d have a hard time reaching the logical conclusion of this exercise. He rubbed in perfect circles, kissing her with an open mouth and driving her to a peak all too fast. She knocked her head back as the pressure appeared out of nowhere, then mowed her right over.
As the waves of pleasure subsided, she opened her eyes tosee Xander looking right at her. He kissed her with an open mouth.
“I already love watching you come. Let’s see how many times I can do that.”
