was lush and giving and he rubbed restlessly against her thigh as one hand came around to her blouse and tugged it free of her pants, slipping his palm over silky belly and the slight ridges of ribs until he reached the lower swell of a breast. He halted momentarily, afraid to startle her by moving too suddenly. But she didn’t appear to be skittish, and he slipped his fingers beneath the edge of her bra. Slowly, he filled his palm with soft, heavy woman flesh, almost groaning aloud as her tender nipple became a taut little nub beneath his stroking hand.
Carefully he eased his other hand from beneath her, all of his senses centered on the ultimate prize now. He unbuttoned his shirt one-handed and shrugged it back off his shoulders. When her small hands stroked over his bared flesh and explored his chest, he did groan beneath his breath, encouraging her without breaking the moment with words. Words were beyond him anyway; all he could do was feel. Her hands grew busier, yanking at his shirt until it was tossed aside on the floor.
And then it was his turn. He opened her shirt with the same dexterous touch he’d used on his own, still kissing and petting her, until he could shove the fabric away from her torso. She arched up, allowing him access to the clasp of her bra, and he thanked God for an old high school trick he’d perfected, of flicking open a bra fastening with one hand. The bra loosened. He tugged her toward him so she could shrug out of both garments and when she did, he drew away from her mouth for the first time, his hungry gaze devouring the bounty before him.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered hoarsely. He’d been right about her breasts, and yet he’d been wrong. His imagination couldn’t begin to compare to the ripe, soft flesh that greeted him. He looked up from the full, perfect globes of her breasts tipped in the palest of pink crests, into her eyes, smiling at the look of stunned, hope-filled pleasure he saw there. “So beautiful,” he repeated. And then he lowered his head and took one of those tempting tips into his mouth. He suckled gently at first. She sucked in a sharp breath and cried out, and then her hand came up to hold his head to her as he increased the pull on her tender flesh, drawing her deep into his mouth and swirling his tongue around her. The gesture of acceptance inflamed him beyond restraint and finally he had to have more. He quickly unfastened her pants, opening them and shoving both her slacks and panties down and off in one motion.
For the first time, she appeared to withdraw a little, shrinking into herself the tiniest bit. Some men might not have noticed, might not have cared, but he wanted, needed Allison to be his in every way there was, to give him every ounce of her generous warmth and the passion he sensed unfurling within her. He spread one big hand on her belly, gentling her, raising his head and returning to persuade her with his lips on hers. His hand gradually inched down the soft plane of her abdomen until he was brushing the soft cloud of curls at her thighs.
His whole body tensed at the tantalizing touch. He wanted to slide down her slim length, to place his mouth on every inch of her fragrant, scented sweetness, but he knew she wasn’t ready for that. Instead, he simply extended one finger along the plump folds of flesh that protected her feminine secrets, gently increasing the pressure until her body gave way and admitted him to a hot, slick well of womanly Eden. He couldn’t prevent himself from groaning aloud this time.
He withdrew his hand from her to tear at the fastenings of his pants, struggling to free himself from the restricting fabric. When he fell heavily against her naked hip, the heat and silky texture of her skin was almost more than his aroused body could take. He levered himself over her, settling his weight on her and using his knees to press her legs apart.
When he reached down between them, she allowed him to position her for his entry, her arms still about his neck, her hair a wild halo around her. He tore his mouth from hers as he pressed forward, watching her eyes widen at the same time he felt her body’s moist, sweet welcome. He made several shallow forays in and out, his breathing coming in great gasping bellows. Then all control shattered and he pressed himself hard forward, sheathing himself in her until their bodies were pressed together and he was snugly caught.
She jerked involuntarily and a shattered “Oh!” burst from her lips.
He froze. Was she…had she been a virgin? He’d never even considered the possibility. And in truth, he couldn’t consider it now. He needed to move, and he needed her with him, but he didn’t think he was going to be able to wait. “Did I hurt you?” he ground out.
Stupid question. Of course he’d hurt her. He’d just taken her maidenhead with all the finesse of a charging bull.
But then she moved beneath him. Her arms, which had been resting on his biceps, slipped up to his shoulders, gently caressing the taut muscles there. “It’s all right. I want you to—go ahead.” The words were a mere whisper and he noticed she hadn’t answered his question. But his body was screaming for his attention and her permission was a powerful aphrodisiac heightening his urgent arousal. His control, usually an easy part of his sexual experiences, was shredded and fading; he could feel himself already on the edge, each small motion of her tight warm body a sensual torment to his ultra-sensitive flesh. With a muttered apology, he took her hips in his hands and set his mouth on hers, swallowing the sounds she made with his frantic kisses as he plunged in and drew back repeatedly. Her legs came up to clasp his hips and he shuddered as the movement pulled him deeper. And then the storm broke over his head and his back arched in the rhythms of release as his seed jetted deep, deep within her body, until he lay winded and still in the wake of the passing fury.
“Allison.” Kane sounded dazed. He lay heavily over her and she kept her arms linked tightly around him, her eyes closed, pressing herself into the amazing heat of his hard body, savoring the moments in which they were physically joined. But then he pulled away from her and all her strength couldn’t hold him. She winced at the drag of his flesh against her torn, tender opening, and he made a sound of frustration as he levered himself upright and left her. He stood, looking down at her, hands on hips and all she could do was lie in exhausted silence and take in the magnificence of his sculpted body for the first time.
“Why in hell didn’t you tell me you were a virgin?” His voice was a low growl. Her eyes shot to his and she shrank from the dark look in those golden depths.
“I didn’t think about it,” she said in a small voice, shifting a little to ease the discomfort between her thighs. “I was just…feeling.”
He snorted, but the ferocious scowl altered into a less forbidding expression. “Yeah,” he said. “I know what you mean.” His face softened even more, and he reached down and stroked the back of his knuckle down her cheek. “If I’d known, I would have been more gentle.”
“You were perfect,” she said fiercely. “Quit worrying about it, all right?”
“Not all right.” To her astonishment, he bent and slipped his arms beneath her, lifting her up against his bare chest and letting her hair cascade down over his shoulder and arm. He was hot and sweaty and rough with hair, and so exciting that she could feel her toes curl and her abdomen contract, despite the exhaustion that was fast returning.
He held her there a moment, inspecting her face, and then he dropped his head and nuzzled her lips again. “Next time we do this I’ll show you how it should have been done.”
She couldn’t have prevented the smile that broke free as she slipped her arms up around his neck to deepen the light kiss. And when he finally let her breathe again, she said, “Now?”
Kane gave a bark of laughter as he began to walk back toward the hallway. “For somebody who never let a man—”
“Stop!” She put a palm over his lips. “I was a virgin until a few minutes ago, remember?”
And his smile slipped a notch. His voice held a grim note when he answered her. “I’ll never forget.”
Kane took her to the bedroom she indicated, surprised somehow by how soft and feminine it was. He didn’t know why it surprised him and, remembering earlier when he’d seen her hair down for the first time, he felt vaguely ashamed that he’d misunderstood her so completely. In the workplace she was calm, quiet yet always efficient. He’d thought of her as someone, well, bland, and if he’d ever thought