Chapter 51

Jon stretched his fingers and went to work on the row of hooks down her back. But instead of simply stripping her down he took care with each hook, tasting each precious inch of flesh. When he heard the wineglass hit the carpet with a dull thud he smiled.

When the last hook was freed he leaned forward and traced his lips then his tongue along the dip in her spine enjoying the smooth skin and the soft sighs she made. Her skin sparkled a little in the dim light and he knew he’d be going home with a fleck or two of that on him by the end of the night.

She groaned when the bristle of a day’s worth of stubble brushed over her shoulder and down the side of her. Her hips moved restlessly as his gentle touch drove her mad. Soft kisses and the barest tips of fingers teased her to the edge then he eased back and rolled her over. His kisses started at her knee and moved up the inside of her thigh.

Her eyes closed as his breath came hot and warm over the center of her but didn’t touch. Instead his tongue skimmed over her mound and up the line of her torso. Ever so gently he nuzzled under her breast. “Open those pretty green eyes, Tessa.”

She could feel him all around her, the warm length of him pressing against her thigh…the hard planes of muscles and hair roughened skin as he nudged her legs open. Peeling the last of the lace free from her breasts he took one nipple into his mouth, rolling it over his tongue as he drew from her, reaching for another packet.

Watching, utterly fascinated by how he knew just what to do to make her crazy, his blue eyes met hers an instant before he slowly pushed inside of her. Each inch seemed to stretch her, filling her completely. He rose above her, slowly rocking into her as their eyes held intensifying the connection.

Her fingers slid up his arm and over the straining muscles in his shoulders as he braced himself above her holding himself just slightly away from her to keep the rhythm soft and slow. She curled into him, dragging him deeper…closer to her. Her silk clad thigh shifted higher on his hip and she hissed when the angle changed.

She could feel the build, not wanting to let go of him yet…to lose herself in the release he so easily gave her. Wanting to hold onto him a bit longer she pulled him down to her and their lips met as easily and gracefully as their bodies.

His stroke was long and sure. His chest and the arrow of hair that roughened at the base of his cock rubbed over her driving her higher. Her fingers dug into the power of his back muscles dragging him down to her so there was no space, just flesh and breath. His lips were rough and demanding now. Teeth scraped over flesh as the madness began to choke both of them and passion flared out of the sweet and soft.

She felt the moment when he let go. Control shattered as he drove into her, mindless with needs that flowed sweeter than any wine. Her fingers grasped at the flexing muscle of his ass as he pounded into her. She wanted him closer, deeper and she shouted her own release holding him close as she could as he came.

His lips pressed into her neck, gently soothing where’s he’d been careless. His arms gathered her close, rolling them so she settled along the front of him. Their breathing settled and with it he was able to clear his mind. Just touching her left him raw and unsure of himself. He understood passion, it was as important to him as breathing but the brain blasting heat mixed with her special brand of sweetness and he was pretty sure he was sunk.

Loving someone again was something he never would have thought possible. It also scared the fuck out of him. Giving himself to a woman again wasn’t in the plan he had for himself. Though, with her it felt right and as natural as breathing.

Tessa traced the line of his pectoral muscle, curving along the ridge of muscle beneath the swirling hair. “I love you,” she said softly.

Jon’s heart jumped and his entire body stilled.

She laid her cheek against his chest, pressing the flat of her palm over his heart where she could feel it beat beneath her cheek; hear the quick trip of adrenaline at her words. Her own heart raced as she rushed on. “Don’t say anything,” she smoothed her thumb over the crisp hairs, unwilling to take her hand away from the tripping beat. “I don’t expect anything I just needed to say it.”

His hand slid up her arm and into her hair.

The tumble of words clawed out of her throat. “Part of me says it’s too soon. How can I throw that word around when we can count the number of days that we’ve known each other on one hand? But it’s true and it’s there.”

“I-“

Her fingers crept up to the firm, scruffy jaw and found his mouth, stilling his words. “Don’t say anything, okay?” She propped herself up on her elbow and met his gaze replacing her fingers with her lips. “I don’t want to ruin this day with words you’ll regret,” she murmured.

He deepened the kiss and rolled her again. “I couldn’t regret anything about us.” The words were there and burned inside his chest. Knowing it wasn’t the right time to convince her he let her know without words. Words defined him for so long and while she wouldn’t accept them right now, he showed her with each touch, each kiss and each sigh how much he loved her right back.

Her gift was more precious to him than she’d ever know in that moment.