had felt right. More like her teenage dreams than her adult reality. But she’d maxed out her courage simply by meeting him at the restaurant, let alone coming here. To imagine doing more was absurd.
It might be the chance of a lifetime, but if she died of stress in the middle of sex that would probably be a net loss.
Pushing off from the door she braved the mirror. The bathroom was very cool and modern, like the rest of the loft. Tiny, of course, with just a toilet and sink. He must have an en suite by the bedroom.
Well, she wouldn’t be finding out anytime soon. A tissue and some careful dabbing got rid of the mascara tracks. She added a fortifying coat of her Chanel Velvet Rouge but didn’t see the point of adding lip gloss. Then she practiced her exit line in the mirror, the way she always practiced giving speeches. Nothing clichéd because he’d been so nice, and she’d come willingly. Besides, she could afford to admit the truth. They’d never see each other again.
They’d never see each other again.
Her red-rimmed eyes widened as she thought about that. Even after the coughing debacle, she knew he wasn’t going to kick her out the door. He liked her. They’d connected in their odd way, and she was glad she’d met him. The one thing that might cause her regret, shockingly, would be quitting now.
Clearly, Max Dorset had some smooth moves, which undoubtedly came from plenty of experience. He was an amazing man, and she imagined he could walk into any bar or club in town and find himself with a wealth of opportunities.
One thing Natalie knew for sure was that the best way to learn anything was to find a teacher who was deeply passionate about the subject. Not that she knew for a fact that Max was a sex aficionado, but it was more than an educated guess. What might she learn from him?
The woman in the mirror blushed, but so what? They’d never see each other again. It would mean getting naked, which would really give her something to blush about. If she let him see the travesty of her underwear. If not, that meant turning out the lights, which would be comforting in one way, but dammit, when would she ever be in bed with someone that handsome again? If she was going to do this thing, she wanted to see what was going on.
So, she’d make a joke about her panties. God, they were full briefs. Polka-dot full briefs. There were no jokes funny enough.
With a sigh, she turned to leave, but stopped before her hand hit the doorknob. She could take them off now. Put them in her purse. He’d think she hadn’t worn any, which was not a terrible option.
Lifting her dress was simple enough, but actually removing her underwear was daunting. She really intended to do this thing. To have sex with a man she barely knew with no expectations of anything else. Not a follow-up phone call, no second date. And no expectations meant she wouldn’t be crushed by disappointment when neither of those things happened.
The polka dots hit the floor. Color rose to her cheeks. Again. But so did a grin. No use walking into this unless she was prepared to have a great time. Which she most certainly was.
“Take that, Oliver, you big idiot,” she said, straightening her back and running her hands down her body, surprised at how naughty it felt to be bare down below. “All this could have been yours. Ha.”
With that, and at the last second remembering to fold up her panties and stuff them in her purse, she opened the bathroom door.
Max stood a few feet in front of her in his white poplin shirt, the sleeves rolled, baring strongly corded forearms. When her gaze moved back to his face, his tentative grin broadened. Before she took her third step, he was inches away. She had to look up to meet his eyes. His finger brushed her cheek, light as a feather.
“Eyelash,” he said, even though she knew it was a lie.
Her lips parted, but whatever she’d been going to say slipped away when he leaned in for a cognac-flavored kiss. It was mesmerizing. Surprisingly intimate.
A second passed, then another. They moved together at the same time. Slow, in stages. Lips against lips, the tip of his tongue tracing the seam in between hers until she let him in. She made a sound that wasn’t quite a whimper, and it must have been the sign he’d been waiting for.
He brought their bodies together as the kiss deepened. All she could think was that this wasn’t her life. No man had ever felt this way before, had ever been as smooth or sure. And, thank God, she’d never see him again. Coming this far had been brave. Going further was a crazy risk.
But this was the new Natalie, and she wanted—needed—to know how much she would dare.
* * *
MAX RAN HIS hands down Natalie’s back, stopping just under her waistline. He’d take his time with her. That she was in his arms was his great luck, but he could tell she wasn’t entirely certain she should be. Now that he’d felt her against him, how she curved in the middle, he wasn’t about to lose her to his own impatience. It wasn’t exactly a hardship to move back up again, to feel her twitch under her sexy red dress. Not when her nipples were so hard.
He was getting hard himself, and shifted his hips so his nascent erection wouldn’t spook her.
She huffed against his lips, and then shocked the hell out of him with a firm hand on his right butt cheek, which got his attention.
“You don’t have to tiptoe,” she whispered, her mouth barely an inch away from his own. “I’m not a virgin or a delicate flower.”
It was a good speech, and he would have bought it completely if she hadn’t been trembling. “I can see that,” he said, holding himself very still. “But I don’t want you to regret this.”
She breathed out and he inhaled. “I’ve got you for one night, and then we’ll never see each other again,” she said. “I doubt I’ll have another opportunity like it. Please don’t think I’m exploiting you for your sexuality.” Her brow furrowed, then relaxed. “Scratch that. I do want to exploit you for your sexuality. If you have no objections.”
“Can’t think of one. Please, be my guest. Anything you’d like.”
“Anything?”
“Within reason.”
She pulled back to look at him. Her cheeks were pink, her pupils had taken over her beautiful brown eyes and her lips looked swollen and well kissed. Perfect. “‘Within reason’ covers a lot of territory.”
He grinned. “No lasting scars. At least, not where they’d show.”
Her laugh was as sexy as her chutzpah. “I have no intention of hurting you. But you should know I haven’t had a great deal of experience. With men.”
“I understand. I’ll do my best to expand your horizons.”
“I don’t need acrobatics or accessories. Just, well, I hope like crazy that the men I’ve been with were...unskilled. Because there hasn’t been one single bell or whistle.”
Now he leaned back. “You’ve never had an orgasm?”
Her eye roll was impressive. “Of course I’ve had an orgasm.” Then she hid those same wicked eyes with her lowering lashes. “I’ve never been given one, though.”
“Ah. Okay,” he said, the word stretching as he thought of everything that could go wrong. “I’ll do my best.”
“I don’t mean to pressure you or anything.”
He had to laugh. “Tell you what. Let’s both just have a good time.”
“Yes. Yes, that’s what I want.” She nodded. “Although you’re probably limp as a noodle by now.”
“You don’t have an internal censor at all, do you?”
She removed her grip from his ass. “Too much, right? When I’m nervous I either clam up completely or say everything that comes to mind. But I can tone it down. I’m sorry. I got carried away.”
“No,”