Page 113 of Christmas at Sturcombe Bay
Shelley felt her heart flip over. This was the moment that had filled her fantasies for weeks. And now that it was here, she had no doubts.
She glanced down at the big dog, snoozing contentedly at their feet. “I think he’s asleep. He must be exhausted from all the excitement of getting a new home.”
“We’ll try not to disturb him.”Alex glanced around the room. “He should be safe enough in here.”
Very carefully they eased their feet out from under the big dog. Both suppressing their laughter, they crept hand in hand to the bedroom. Alex closed the door quietly, listening for a moment for heavy paws or an indignant bark. Silence.
“Yes, I think he’s asleep.” He smiled down at her, his eyes filled with warmth, and glanced towards the bed. “Shall we?”
She could only nod her head — there wasn’t enough air in her lungs to speak.
Outside it was dark, the sky mostly covered by clouds, no moon or stars. Alex drew her over to the bed and turned on the low lamp on the table beside it, filling the room with a soft, warm glow.
He drew her into his arms, and his mouth came down to hers again, warm and soft, his sensuous tongue sliding into the corner of her lips, coaxing them apart. He wasn’t invading or demanding, as other men she had known had been. And she wasn’t surrendering — she was his equal, wanting this as much as he did.
His hands slid up beneath her sweater, smoothing over her back. With a swift movement, she lifted it over her head and tossed it aside — and then did the same with his.
His body was beautiful. In the soft glow of the bedside lamp every muscle was sculpted, his skin was tanned to a pale gold,and a smattering of dark curling hair shadowed his wide chest. Resting her cheek against it she breathed his subtle male scent, letting it drug her senses.
His soft hand stroked down her spine, then round to her midriff and up over the ripe curve of her breast in the dainty lacy cups of her bra, sending little hot shivers running over her skin.
Her head felt light, dizzy, as they tipped together onto the wide, comfortable bed. She gazed up to look deep into his eyes, drowning herself in their mesmerising darkness.
His mouth was hot against her skin and he let his hand trail slowly over her body, caressing her with a warm gentle sensuality that reached right into her heart.
She felt him stroke over the aching swell of her breast, felt the tender bud of her nipple ripen in the tight constraint of her bra. Then with deft fingers he unclipped the lacy scrap and tossed it aside, and his hand brushed over the naked roundness, stirring her responses.
Her own hands were moving down over his wide shoulders and the powerful muscles in his chest, trailing a path through that crisp, black, curling hair that darkened his smooth skin.
He bent his head, dusting a slow path of kisses down over the long column of her throat and along her collar bone, then on to the aching curve of her breasts, circling tantalisingly around first one dainty pink peak, then the other.
She closed her eyes, luxuriating in the strange, sweet rapture of it. Her breathing was shallow, and she heard herself moaning softly as his tongue swirled languorously around one taut, tender nipple. Then he drew it into his mouth, suckling at it with a deep, hungry rhythm, reducing her to a state of quivering helplessness.
He had unfastened the zip of her jeans, and as he tugged them down over her slim thighs, she wriggled herself out of them, then reached out her hands to do the same with his. Herlace-trimmed cotton briefs disappeared along with his jersey boxers.
Propping himself up on his elbow, he let his gaze drift down over her naked body. She closed her eyes, a soft moan escaping her lips as she stretched languorously, savouring his smooth touch stroking up over the soft inner flanks of her thighs.
“Beautiful.” His voice was low and husky. “You’re so beautiful — every perfect inch of you. Your skin’s like silk.”
Her breath seemed to be trapped in her lungs as she felt his hand slip into her most intimate core, and with unerring skill, he found the tiny seed-pearl nestling in its secret velvet fold. As his thumb stroked over it, a shock of pleasure sizzled through her.
A low ripple of laughter purred in his throat as he tormented her with the exquisite sensations. She was caught, helpless in the elemental force of her desire until she felt as if she could endure no more of this rapture.
And then she felt the heat of his mouth tracing a languid path of kisses down over her body. With a shimmer of delight, she felt him dip his head between her thighs, and his sensuous, rasping tongue took the place of his thumb, languorously swirling over that acutely sensitive nub, firing her blood with a fever that scalded her brain.
At last he moved to lie above her, pausing briefly to reach over to the bedside table and take something from the drawer. A small foil pack. Teasing him with a mischievous smile, she took it from him and ripped it open, then carefully smoothed the gossamer sheath down over his hard length.
As his mouth closed over hers again, his tongue plundering all the sweet, secret corners within, she twined herself around him, drawing him in. For one long moment they lay still, just absorbing this moment of complete intimacy.
Then they began to move, slowly, in perfect harmony. He was careful to hold his weight from her, but she could sensethat he was restraining the driving forces inside him as he built the rhythm, tantalising her with shallow thrusts and circling to stretch her deliciously.
She was long past the point of conscious awareness. Wrapped in her own velvet darkness, she was aware only of the subtle male scent of his body, and the ragged sound of their breathing as the pleasure rose inside her in waves.
Time spun away into an endless eternity, until at last the sheer primitive forces driving them exploded like a million stars, and with a last shuddering climax, they collapsed together on the bed.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Shelley lay curled up in the crook of Alex’s arm. He was sleeping, his breath lightly stirring her hair. He hadn’t turned his back on her, rolled over and ignored her, as other men had. He had snuggled her in, made sure she was comfortable, chatted quietly for a while. It felt so good to be here, warm and protected . . .
