Page 35 of A Lifetime of Afters
Foregoing the offered drink, I took his hand and led him to his bedroom.
He smiled at me, amused, muttering, “I’m not really a man who takes a woman’s lead.”
I cocked my head to the side and teased, “Even if it’s me?”
“I could perhaps make an exception for you,” he acquiesced, gently pulling me flush to his chest and wrapping my arm around his back.
My other hand rested over his beating heart. I splayed my fingers wide and pressed, reveling in the proof offeelingbeneath my palm.
Tunneling both of his hands through the hair at my temples, he took his time gathering my hair into his fist and held me immobile as his lips brushed softly over mine. “Will you follow my lead?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately.
His eyes flashed with heat even as his lips tightened with irritation.
I whispered, “Don’t punish me because you weren’t there, and I won’t punish you for marrying a woman who wasn’t me.”
Taking a deep breath, he pressed his forehead to mine. “I’ll try not to, Noelle.” With his fist wrapped around my hair, he pulled my head back just enough to arch my body further into his and captured my gaze. “Take everything off, Noelle. Sit on the edge of the bed. Eyes on me.”
He dropped my hair and moved back a step.
I bent my head to release the buttons on my blouse.
Suddenly, he was back, his finger firmly pressing my chin upward. “Noelle, eyes on me.”
My mouth went dry. This was a different level of intimacy. Intense connection. I tried to swallow. Tried to speak. Settled on nodding instead.
I followed his path around the room while I removed my clothes, hanging my blouse on the end of his bed, shimmying my round hips out of my jeans. Stepping out of them.
He placed candles at intervals, lighting them as he went. “These are new,” he told me calmly. “I don’t normally keep a stock of candles. I bought them today in hopes you’d be here with me.” He lit a candle and trailed his eyes up my body. “I want to be able to see you.”
My imperfect body was mine to offer. I’d long since gotten over my insecurities. Holding his eyes, I reached around and unclipped my bra. It, too, fell to the floor.
“Beautiful,” he praised as he set out another candle, lit it, and moved onto the next.
Hooking my thumbs around the edge of my panties, I pushed them down my thighs, walked to his bed, and sat on the edge.
Tossing the lighter onto his dresser, he wasted no time crossing to me, his movement causing the candlelight to flicker wildly. “Lean back on your hands,” he ordered. “Drop your head back. Relax.”
I heard the soft flicks of the buttons on his shirt, the near silent brush of it falling down his arms, the ends of it barely trailing over my quaking knees. The stiff button of his jeans, the rasp of his zipper.
The desperate desire to see.
A deeper need to please.
His finger drew a line beginning at my bottom lip, curving over my chin, trailing down my throat, dipping between my breasts, sliding over my soft tummy to rest on my tightly closed thighs.
He tapped my flank. “Open.”
I parted my thighs. Stuttered out a breath.
Dropping to his knees, he grasped my ankles and placed my feet on his shoulders. His voice soft, he licked the inside of my ankle. “Watch, Noelle.”
Drunk with desire, righting my head took effort. Seeing my body spread open for him sent a shudder through my frame. And when he dropped his mouth to my core, my body bowed, seeking more.
“When you need to, you can lie back but don’t move your feet from my shoulders.”
My eyes greedily drank in the sight of his dark head between my thighs, that perfect mouth latched onto my clit, his tongue by turns lashing and soothing.
