Page 32 of Vincent
"I got it in Italy," she told him with a husky laugh. "Spur of the moment. You know how I love butterflies."
"Hmm." Interesting, he thought. Unable to resist, he traced the shape, the red and green colors brilliant against her skin tone. It was sexy as hell.
"Vincent?"
"Just enjoying the show." He continued to trace the tattoo slowly, until she felt as if she was going to go mad. When she thought she could not stand it anymore, he lowered his head, his lips touching hers ever so lightly.
He was holding back, he knew. But there was something inside him that was raring and desperate to be freed. The need inside him was so intense, he was afraid of it sweeping them both away. So, he was taking his time.
He sipped from her lips, drawing her tongue into his mouth. Her breath made him dizzy with want, the desire washing over him like a tidal wave. She moved restlessly, longing to wrap her arms around him, to feel his body against hers. But he held her hands imprisoned, curtailing her movements.
She did what she could. Opening her mouth, she participated in the kiss, returning what he was doing with an ardor that fired his response. Smothering a groan, he deepened the kiss, his tongue moving on hers with desperate hunger until they were both breathing hard and fast.
Ending the kiss, he trailed his lips over her cheek, chin and then her throat where the pulse was beating madly beneath his lips.
A gasp escaped her when he moved down to her breasts. His lips hovered for a fraction of a second, before closing over the tight bud. Althea moaned softly, her hands flexing helplessly.
"Vincent, please."
"Not yet." She tasted like dark whiskey and was going to his head. Pulling the bud into his mouth, he suckled hungrily.
She felt it straight to the core of her, the heat spiraling out of control until she thought she would die from it.
Balancing on his elbows, he hovered over her, his face harsh and strained with passion.
"Release me. Please." She was arching towards him, dying to feel his body on hers. "I want to touch you."
"I never knew," he declared, his voice hoarse. "I never dreamed-" Letting go of her wrists, he cupped her face between his palms as he lowered himself to close the gap between them.
Althea wrapped her hands around his neck, her body trembling, the tremors starting from her stomach to her center. For most of her life, she had wondered and dreamed about this. About being with him this way. Of making love with the man she had been in love with most of her life, but the reality stunned her, took her completely off guard. He entered her slowly, his eyes on her face.
Her moist warmth sheathed him completely, swamping him. He felt the electric shock of acute awareness flooding through his entire body and had to stay still in order to get his rampaging emotions under control.
If he stopped to think, he would have realized that nothing had ever felt so good. If he thought on it, the guilt would come. So, he dismissed it from his mind. He wanted nothing to interfere with this defining moment.
He moved then, his head bent as he seized her lips in a kiss filled with hunger and raw passion. It was over much too soon. Her body erupted under his, her cries swallowed deep in his throat.Her blunt fingers roamed up and down his back restlessly, gripping the bunched muscles as sensation after heady sensation clamored for release. The pleasure was so acute, so sharp and potent, she felt as if she was dying.
He came then, flooding her with his life, his body shuddering on top of her. There were no words to describe what he was feeling. Lifting his mouth from hers, he called her name. It was her name that was dragged from his throat, hers alone, and that was the sweetest sound to her. He saw her. All of her fear had been for nothing. He saw her.
Collapsing on top of her, his body still shaking, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, her scent filling his nostrils as he fought to control his breathing.
Several long minutes later, he stirred and would have eased away, but she held on, her arms wrapped around his neck.
"I'm crushing you." Reality was crashing back now, and with it were the questions he was not prepared for. She was his best friend, had been his best friend for years. And he had never thought of her in this light. Or had he? "You're tiny."
"I pack quite a wallop."
Lifting his head, he stared down at her, examining each feature as if seeing them for the first time.
"What?" she asked.
"You used to bemoan the fact that you were petite. You wanted to have long limbs so that you could be a model."
She laughed, pleased that he remembered. She had seen the brief shadow in his eyes and knew where his thoughts had gone to. What they shared just now was mind-boggling, out of this world, and she was fervently hoping he would not say anything to spoil this wonderful moment.
"I got over that quick enough."
She felt him withdrawing, not just physically, but mentally as well, and felt the coldness sweeping over her skin when he moved off her.
