She flushed and wrapped her arms round herself.
He groaned. ‘I didn’t say “fat”.’
‘I am compared with the stick insects you normally date.’
‘I might date them,’ he said softly, ‘but it doesn’t necessarily mean I sleep with them. And, for the record, I happen to like curves. And yours are gorgeous.’ He slid the tips of his fingers underneath hers. ‘Don’t be shy with me. I want to see you, Isobel.’ Gently, he prised her hands away from her body. ‘You’re lovely.’
She dragged in a breath. ‘This isn’t fair. You’re still wearing your jeans.’
‘I’m all yours, honey. Do with me what you will.’ He spread his hands in invitation.
It had been a long, long time since she’d played this sort of game with anyone. Towards the end, with Gary, sex had been primarily to make a baby, not an expression of love. And when that had all gone wrong…
‘Touch me, Bel,’ he said, his voice sinfully inviting.
Isobel reached out and undid the top button of his jeans. And the next. And the next. She could feel his erection straining against her fingers as she continued unbuttoning his fly. What was sauce for the goose, she thought with an inward smile, and traced the outline of his penis with one fingertip.
He shivered. ‘I think I should warn you not to tease me.’
‘Is that a threat?’
He shook his head. ‘You can tease me as much as you like, later. But I want this first time to be for you.’ He took her hand and kissed it, sucking each fingertip in turn.
The movement of his mouth against her skin made the pulse beat hard between her legs. If he could make her feel like this just by playing with her fingers, what was it going to be like when he touched her more intimately?
She sat up again and pulled his jeans down over his hips. On impulse, she pressed her mouth against his abdomen.
He groaned. ‘I warned you about teasing me.’ He rolled to one side and ripped off his jeans and socks, then joined her on the bed.
‘I half expected you to go commando.’
He laughed. ‘No. ‘Then his expression went serious. ‘Bel, just for the record, I don’t sleep around. I date a lot, I have a good time, but I’m fussy about who I take to bed. And in the past I’ve always used protection.’
She nodded, appreciating his candour. And she believed him absolutely. ‘I haven’t—’ she dragged in a breath ‘—slept with anyone since I split up with Gary.’ Two years. More, if you counted the last disastrous months of her marriage. She’d dated a couple of times but she’d never gone further than a goodnight peck on the cheek.
He stroked her cheek. ‘Then we’ll take this slowly.’
He was going to stop? Now?
She must’ve said it aloud, because his eyes darkened. ‘I’m not going to stop, Bel.’ His voice was deep and husky and sexy as hell. ‘And, as much as I feel as though I’m going to implode if I’m not inside you in the next nanosecond, I want this to be good for you.’
He wanted her that much? Oh-h-h. ‘I need you inside me, too,’ she whispered. And she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt that needy. The last time she’d wanted sex for its own sake and not to make a baby.
Gently, Alex removed her knickers and slid one hand between her thighs. She felt the long, slow stroke of one finger against her sex, a movement that had her quivering and needing more. As if he could read her mind, he did it again. And again.
‘This is taking it slowly?’ She could hardly get the words out.
‘Uh-huh.’
‘You’re driving me crazy, Alex. I want …’
‘This?’ He pushed one finger inside her.
She gasped. ‘Yes.’ The word came out as a hiss of pleasure.
He continued circling her clitoris with his thumb, and she wriggled against him, wanting more.
‘You’re so warm and wet for me,’ he whispered. ‘Just how I want you.’
‘Alex. Now. Please,’ she said huskily. ‘I need … I want …’ Why couldn’t she even string a sentence together? She was never this inarticulate.
He smiled. ‘Guess what? I want you all the way back.’ He stripped off his jockey shorts, then took a condom from his discarded jeans and rolled it on before kneeling between her thighs again and kissing her. She felt the tip of his penis nudge against her entrance—and then he was inside her with one long, slow, deep thrust.
She shuddered.
He stilled, letting her body adjust to his. ‘Are you all right, Bel?’
‘Yes—I just wasn’t expecting this to … Oh-h-h,’ she said as he began to move again.
She could feel the pressure growing, warmth curling at the soles of her feet and spreading up through her body into ripples, then waves.
She’d known Alex would be good at this—Alex was good at everything he did—but she really hadn’t expected it to be this good, taking her to a completely different world.
‘Bel,’ Alex demanded softly. ‘Look at me.’
She opened her eyes—and saw the same wonder she was feeling reflected in his own eyes as her climax hit her.
It was a while before she could even think, let alone speak. And she was cradled in Alex’s arms, her head resting on his shoulder.
‘I think,’ he said softly, ‘that proves we’re pretty compatible.’
‘Yes.’ More than she’d ever expected.
He stroked her face. ‘So. We like each other. We have a lot in common. And the sex is good.’
She had a nasty feeling she knew where this was heading.
‘So how about we don’t burst anybody’s bubble?’ He shifted so he could kiss her lightly. ‘If we get married, it’s going to solve all the problems at a single stroke.’
No, it wasn’t. Because she was going to have to tell him about the miscarriages. ‘Alex—about the baby business …’
‘It’s fine.’ He pressed his forefinger lightly against her lips. ‘Stop worrying. I know you love your job and you’re good at it. I’m not expecting you to give it up. If we do have children, we’ll work something out. If we don’t, then we’ll carry on exactly as we are.’
He said that now, but how would he feel later?
‘It’s a win-win situation.’
Hardly. Because Alex didn’t love her. Which meant their marriage would be one-sided—and if he had any idea that she was falling in love with him, he’d back off straight away. He made no secret about the fact he considered himself allergic to love.
‘Bel. Stop panicking.’ He stole a kiss. ‘It’s going to be fine.’
‘Is it?’
He smiled. ‘I think I’m going to enjoy spending the rest of today proving it to you. Very, very slowly.’
Her face felt hot. ‘Alex!’
‘I’m going to get us something to eat.’ He climbed out of bed. ‘Stay put. And I mean it, Bel. No worrying. This might just be the best idea either of us has ever had.’
THE alarm shrilled; Isobel rolled over to hit the snooze button and collided with a body.
A