Page 42 of Auction Time
“Haven’t what?”
“Haven’t done anything… much.” Other than kissing, the furthest I’d gone with anyone was the other day with him. “I’m just worried that I won’t be what you expect. And I’m nervous that I’ll embarrass myself trying.”
Those blazing eyes of his darkened with molten desire. “What if I told you I was worried and nervous too?”
I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be a joke. This was one of those times when it was difficult to distinguish between when he was being serious and when he was joking around.
“Now’s not a good time to lie to me.” I laughed nervously and brought my hands together.
He pushed away from the wall and moved closer. He stopped a breath away, reached out, and touched the edge of my jaw with his thumb.
“I’m not lying, Vanessa. I don’t want to disappoint you either. I want you to remember this. Me with you. I want your first time to be memorable.” He sounded serious. It was the first time he’d spoken and that playful edge was missing from his voice. “It’s always hard being first. Worse when I want you so badly.” He held my gaze as he said that, making my heart now flutter as if it longed to hear those words.
“Me?” I asked breathlessly.
“You, just you. You just the way you are.” He spoke with that same adoration he’d showed when I saw the paintings. “I want you, Vanessa.”
“I want you too,” I told him, and there it was; that forgetfulness entered me yet again.
As I stared at him, there wasn’t one reason that was prominent enough to stop me from being with him, or that would stop this from happening.
“Then trust me... can you do that?”
Trust?
Want and desire raged inside me. It welcomed the blind trust I was allowing to take over my mind. Anything to allow the temptation of him. Temptation I wanted.
I nodded. “I trust you.”
The warmth of his palms against my cheek heated me up all over as he smoothed over across my face and bent low, pressing his mouth to mine. I pressed against him, holding him too. Smoothing my hands up to the sharp chisel of his jaw as I kissed him with reckless abandon and the same passion he gave me.
Ten years had passed, and I couldn’t say that I’d stopped wanting him. I couldn’t say that I wanted him any less than I did ten years ago. All I knew was it was so much more.
As the kiss turned hungry and he swept his tongue into my mouth, it felt more like a prelude of what was to come.
What was on the way. Not mindless and wild like in the changing rooms at the stadium, and not like the way he’d kissed me at his house.
This kiss was wild but searching, exploratory and needy. All at the same time. It was just like him. It was the kind of kiss that made my body bend to his will. Under control and not wanting to be anything other than that.
He turned with me and pressed me against the wall, pulling out of the kiss so he could look at me with that sinful smile.
Cole backed off his jacket and reached for me again, tugging on the little zipper on my dress.
I watched it go down when he pulled it and the soft satin lay open, unveiling the strapless bra I wore.
“Lace.” He smiled. “Lace is definitely a good look on you, Vanessa Cartwright. You know what looks better than that on you?”
“What?”
He chuckled deep and low and snapped open the little butterfly clasp holding my bra together. My breasts fell out, puckered and heavier with arousal. He looked at them and nodded.
“Nothing. Just that fiery attitude of yours.”
My nerves scattered as he pushed the dress down my legs, leaving me in just my panties and heels. Naked before him and completely aware of myself.
He took a moment to look at me. He just stared doing a full, slow sweep of my entire body from head to toe, his eyes drinking me in like he was committing me to memory.
I didn’t think I would ever be able to forget the way he looked at me. It was a look I never thought I’d have from him.
