Page 36 of Just The Way You Aren't

"I'm so sorry?—"

"I don't care," he cuts me off, before claiming my mouth again. "I'd sacrifice my entire art collection to keep touching you."

His hand resumes its exploration while he kisses me deeper now. When his fingers find the sensitive bundle of nerves at my center, I gasp against his mouth. One of his fingers slips inside me, then another, and my hips buck involuntarily.

"I need to see you," he whispers against my ear. "All of you."

Before I can respond, he's walking me backward, his mouth never leaving mine. We're headed toward what looks like a plush ottoman in the center of the foyer. My legs hit the edge of it, and he breaks our kiss long enough to tug my dress up and over my head.

I'm suddenly standing in his marble entryway in just my panties and heels, with a priceless oil painting staring down at me from the wall. I should feel exposed, but the way Damien looks at me—like I'm the masterpiece—makes me feel powerful instead.

"You're so goddamn beautiful," he says, voice reverent.

"So are you." I finish unbuttoning his shirt and push it off his shoulders. "But you still have too many clothes on."

He grins and quickly rectifies the situation, shucking his pants and boxer briefs in one efficient movement. And... wow. Damien Langley naked is a sight to behold. He's all lean muscle and perfect proportions, like some sort of Greek sculpture come to life.

I must be staring, because he raises an eyebrow. "Like what you see?"

“Oh, yes.” I pull him close for another kiss, gasping as our bare skin touches for the first time. The feel of him, hard and hot against my stomach, sends a fresh wave of desire through me.

"Wait," I gasp, suddenly remembering something important. "Are you... I mean, should you get...?"

He pauses, his expression clearing as he understands. "Protection. Right. Are you on the pill?"

"Yes, but..."

"I get tested regularly," he assures me. "And it's been..." He looks almost shy for a moment. "It's been a while, actually."

"Me too," I admit, surprised by his confession. "I'm clean too."

"Good." His smile turns heated again. "Because I don't want anything between us."

"Not even these?" I ask, hooking my thumbs into my panties.

His answer is to help me slide them down my legs, leaving me in nothing but my heels. I don't have time to feel self-conscious because his hands are immediately on me again, his eyes drinking in every inch of my exposed skin.

In one fluid motion, he guides me backward until my back meets the wall beside the door. The cool surface against my heated skin makes me gasp, creating a delicious contrast with the heat of his body as he presses against my front.

"Is this what you want?" he asks, his breath hot against my neck.

"Yes," I whisper, wrapping one leg around his hip to bring him closer. "Please, Damien."

He positions himself at my entrance, one hand braced against the wall beside my head, the other gripping my thigh to hold my leg in place. Our eyes lock as he pushes into me in one long, slow thrust that has both of us gasping.

"Fuck," he breathes, his composure completely shattered now. "You feel amazing. So tight."

For a moment, he doesn't move, giving me time to adjust to the fullness. Then I rock against him impatiently, and whatever restraint he's been clinging to snaps. He withdraws almost completely before driving back in, setting a pace that's just shy of punishing.

The wooden door creaks nearby as he pins me against the wall, his hips pistoning in a steady rhythm that hits exactly the right spot. My nails dig into his shoulders as I cling to him, my other leg now joining the first around his waist. He supports my weight easily, his hands gripping my thighs as he drives into me.

"Yes," I gasp as he shifts angles slightly, hitting deeper. "Right there."

He responds by pressing me harder against the wall, holding me open for him as he increases his pace. Every thrust pushes me higher, building toward a peak I hadn't thought possible so soon after our foreplay.

"I've thought about this every day," he confesses against my ear, his voice a rough whisper. "What it would feel like being inside you. I knew it would be good, but... damn."

The image of him fantasizing about me while I was busy thinking he was an uptight jerk is enough to push me closerto the edge. "Damien," I warn, feeling the tension building. "I can't hold back."

---