Page 31 of Dance All Night
She never wanted this to end.
But the song did end, with a long, soulful note, and Nik brought them to rest where they’d started, right next to their glasses. Without taking his gaze from hers, he handed her the drink.
Her heart was in her throat and in her eyes. The magic of the day was getting to her. Or maybe it was the Prosecco. She took another sip, then set the glass aside again. No, it wasn’t the Prosecco. It was Nik. He’d given her three dates, doing everything in his power to help her enjoy the holiday season and showing her his true self in the process.
It would take a stronger woman than she to resist all that.
She slipped her fingers into the waistband of his jeans and tugged him closer.
“No mistletoe?” she teased.
“If I have to trick you into kissing me, I’m doing something wrong.” He drained his glass, put it on the counter, and cupped her face with both hands. His eyes smoldered, the amber color hot and dreamy, like smooth caramel.
“You tasted like champagne the first time we kissed,” he said in a low voice.
“And potato chips.” Her reminder was nothing more than a murmur, but his lips curved.
“Sour cream and onion,” he said. And then his mouth came down on hers, and it was everything she’d waited for all day, allyear. God, yes, she’d been waiting all year to be with this man. How had she refrained from jumping on him the second she’d seen him in that silly shirt with the ornaments hooked to it?Whyhad she? Instead of dragging him into a hallway to ask why he was commenting on her pictures, she should have found a dark room and had her way with him. His mouth, his lips, his touch…wereeverything. The way he savored and sipped at her—but with an edge, as if his slow movements masked a raging sense of hunger—stoked her own desire to a fever pitch.
Heat rushed through her as she slipped her hands under his shirt and traced her fingers over his abs, like she’d done in the hot tub. He broke the kiss to rip the shirt over his head and toss it aside.
“Your body is amazing,” she said, the words ending on a groan as her hands roamed his exposed skin, outlining the hard lines, curves, bumps, and angles of his body.
He laughed under his breath and trailed his fingers down her ribcage. “That’s my line, milochka.”
The term of endearment gave her shivers. “Now you’ve done it. I’m going to need you to whisper sweet nothings in my ear.”
He bent closer, and as his hands stroked her body, he unleashed a sensuous stream of Russian. The unfamiliar syllables fell from his mouth in a deep, dark rumble, like approaching thunder. His lips tickled her ear and his breath caressed her neck, heating her from the inside out. The subtle scent of his cologne and the sharp freshness of the Prosecco drugged her senses. She stood in the middle of a storm, powerless against the crush of sensations and emotions tangling within her, toppling all her last defenses.
Without her walls, without her guards, it was just the two of them. And finally,finally, she could just sink into the moment with him andbe.
When she threw her arms over his shoulders and leaned into him, he lifted her up. Their mouths fused, her legs locked around his hips, and she whispered one word against his lips: “Bed.”
* * *
In the cabin’smaster bedroom, Nik laid her on the bed with care, as if she were made of the finest spun glass. To him, she was just as precious.
At first, he was content to just lie beside her, kissing languidly. But spinning her around the kitchen for their waltz had been all sorts of foreplay, and she’d already gotten him out of his shirt. He wanted to touch her, too.
His lips stayed on hers as he skimmed his fingers under the bright orange sweater she wore, enjoying the feel of her warm, smooth skin. Slowly, he edged the fabric up, revealing a lacy black bralette.
Groaning, he traced his fingertips over the lace, warmed by her body. Jess pulled off the sweater and her hands went to the button on her jeans, but he stopped her.
“Ne speshi,” he murmured, urging her to slow down. Everything else with them was a rush, but he wanted this to last. He wanted to savor every sensation, every sound, every touch. He wanted to imprint something lasting in her memory, to show her that she could trust herself with him, even in this.
In his eyes, she was worthy of worship, of appreciation, and he would use every tool at his disposal to show her how he felt, even pleasure.
He bent and tongued her nipple through the lace. Holding her in his arms while she gasped and twisted in pleasure was the best thing he could have ever imagined. Her lithe body responded to his every touch, and like a dance, her moves called forth answering waves of arousal in him.
Covering her body in kisses and caresses, he managed to remove both their pants. Clad only in boxers, he sat up and unzipped a small pouch sitting on the side table, revealing condoms, lube, a silk blindfold, and a small, bullet-shaped magenta vibrator. When Jess shot him a surprised look, he jerked one shoulder, suddenly feeling awkward. “I didn’t know what you preferred, so I wanted to have some options.”
Her gaze softened. “Are you this thoughtful about everything?”
“I try.” His tone was serious. “I don’t jump into things lightly, Jeshka.”
From the look in her eyes, she got that he was talking aboutthem. About the intention he’d declared at the mall.
“I’ve had all year to think about it,” he said, setting the bag aside to smooth his hands over her body.
