Page 40 of Vincent
Mrs. Bennett had already left for the evening after completing the paperwork and leaving behind a very tidy office. The womanwas proving to be a monumental asset. Althea was beginning to wonder how she had ever managed without her.
She was just turning off the slow flame under the sauce when she heard the crunch of tires on the gravel.
He was here!
"Okay, girl. Play it cool. It will not do to have the man seeing how discombobulated you are."
She had already taken a long, hot bath and rubbed her skin with a cream she had brought back with her from Paris. She had on a clingy blue sweater that was barely riding her thighs, and she had not bothered with underwear. Why make things more difficult? she thought smugly.
She heard him open the door and pause just inside the hallway, no doubt to remove his overcoat.
Concentrating on dribbling the sauce over the pastries, she kept her head bent, even when she felt his presence just inside the doorway.
"It smells like heaven in here."
The sound of his deep voice sent her blood pressure racing to the roof.
Making a noncommittal sound deep in her throat, she continued to dribble. When he came up behind her, she bobbled the spoon and had to take a deep breath.
"Hi."
"Hi." Putting the spoon down and acknowledging that her concentration was shot to hell, she leaned back against his solid frame. "I saw you on the news."
"Hmm." He was enjoying the taste of her. "You smell great."
"I took a bath." Picking up one of the flaky pastries, she turned to pop it into his mouth. "What do you think?"
Instead of responding, he clamped his hands around her waist and placed her on the counter.
"What- Vincent, I have food-" She swallowed the rest when he crushed his mouth to hers.
"Why don't we taste it together?" he suggested huskily.
She swallowed half of it before he claimed her lips again. With a sigh, she wrapped her hands around his neck and sank into the kiss.
"I've been thinking about doing this all day."
"All day?" She arched her neck as he trailed kisses along her throat.
"Hmm. All day. Couldn't concentrate on a bloody thing." He nibbled on the spot where her pulse was beating madly. "I was hard during the drive here, just anticipating what was going to happen between us." His hands raced up her thighs, sliding the sweater away so he could touch her flesh. She knew when he realized she was just wearing her skin and nothing more.
His head jerked up, eyes smoldering and darkened with passion.
"You're bad."
"Hmm." She fought with the buttons on his pale pink shirt, and she realized he had come straight from the office. It sent a thrillthroughout her body. Pushing the shirt away, she grappled with the white undershirt and tossed it to the floor.
"I was expecting you." She undid the belt buckle and then the zipper. He was not idle. His hand had snaked between her thighs to cup her warmth, causing her to purr deep inside her throat.
He felt his stomach muscles clench when she reached in and wrapped her fingers around his hot and swollen shaft. It was throbbing with the desperate need to be sheathed by her.
With that and only that in mind, he dragged the sweater over her head, and in one fluid motion, picked her up and turned her towards the wall. Toeing off his shoes, he kicked them away and wriggled his hips to get rid of his trousers.
The need rising up inside him was enormous. He had told her he had been thinking about her all day, and that was the plain truth.
It was embarrassing how desperate he was to have her. Gripping her hips and shoving her up against the wall, he entered her swiftly.
"Vincent." Her voice, husky with passion, wrapped tentacles around his heart and had him moving inside her.
