Читать книгу The Dare Collection November 2018 - Christy McKellen, Avril Tremayne - Страница 16

CHAPTER SEVEN

Leonie

WITH THE CREW in their cabins and Gideon’s guests still ashore, our hasty flight to the master suite on the third deck didn’t attract witnesses.

The moment the door shut behind us, Gideon grabbed my waist and pinned me against the polished wood. His fingers attacked my hair, tugged out the pins and tossed them away.

‘I want you naked,’ he said thickly. ‘Peel that sexy dress off and show me your glorious body.’

‘Only if you show me yours, too.’

He hadn’t got round to doing up all his buttons, so he made short work of shrugging his shirt off without taking his eyes off me. The sight of his bare chest dried my mouth and I watched, slack jawed, as he toed off his shoes. Trousers and boxers followed, and between one breath and the next, Gideon’s vibrantly male body was exposed, mine to shamelessly ogle.

He’d called me beautiful, but he was magnificent. His time on board the yacht had graced him with a golden tan, highlighting every virile square inch of him.

‘You’re only allowed to devour me like that with your eyes if you’re naked, too,’ he growled.

I tossed away my clutch, then reached behind me and tugged on the ties that secured the upper half of my dress. Although loosened, the spaghetti straps held the dress in place.

To tease him, I faced the door and then pulled down the short zip. A small shimmy and the straps fell down my arms. With a hand over my breasts holding the material in place, I glanced over my shoulder at Gideon.

His eyes were hot, heavy, his face a taut mask of hunger as he returned my stare. ‘You want to make me beg, Leonora?’

‘You’ve waited this long. You can wait just a little bit longer, can’t you?’

Next to his muscular thighs, his fists clenched and unclenched.

‘Or is it too much for you?’

At his harsh exhalation, I smiled.

That smile evaporated a second later when he delivered a wicked smile of his own, then wrapped one hand around his cock.

God above, he was hard again, his erection boldly jutting from his groin. ‘Torture me all you like, sweetheart, but you’re only prolonging the moment when you get all of this inside you.’

The memory of him in my mouth drenched me with liquid heat. I let go of the dress. It glided over my skin to pool around my ankles.

Gideon froze, his gaze locked on my body. ‘Jesus,’ he muttered under his breath.

I hooked my thumbs into my panties. ‘Want me to take these off?’

‘Please,’ he begged gruffly.

The sight of his stroking hand, his magnificent body planted solidly three short steps away, almost brought me undone. Struggling to hang on to the last of my composure, I slowly dragged my panties down my thighs and over my knees, the former gymnast in me adopting the perfect pose to drive him out of his mind.

Above the rush of blood in my ears, I heard him curse again. ‘You have a very filthy mouth, Gideon.’

‘And you have a fucking indecent body.’ He released his hard-on and bridged the gap between us. Firm hands recaptured my waist and then he was curling his body over mine, his head lowering until his lips brushed my ear. ‘I’m going to kiss every inch of this magnificent body later. But first I want you to repeat what you said to me in the blackjack room.’

His naked body caging mine robbed me of the ability to think. ‘I said a lot of things, Gideon.’

Calloused hands glided around my waist to my front, caressed my belly before rising to capture both breasts. Mercilessly, he teased the sensitised tips. ‘You know very well what I want to hear. Say it again.’ He nipped at the skin beneath my ear, dragging a wild shudder from me. ‘Tell me what you want me to do to you.’

Need overcame any further urge to tease him. ‘Fuck me, Gideon.’

‘And how do you want it, Leonora?’

‘Hard. Fast.’

‘Your wish is my command.’ He released me, strode to his bedside table. By the time he returned, he was gliding a condom over his cock.

Anticipation rose to fever pitch as he stepped closer.

‘Open your legs wider for me, baby.’

I altered my stance, angled my bottom towards him. ‘Hurry.’

He positioned himself at my entrance, cupped my bottom in a rough squeeze, and then he surged upward into me with his thick cock.

My haggard scream mingled with his tight groan as he filled me up, burying himself to the hilt. ‘Fuck, you feel as exquisite as I imagined you would. So tight and wet and hot.’

‘Move, Gideon. Fuck me.’

He shuddered at my demand, sliding his delicious length completely out before cramming back inside me again. My vision blurred, my lungs forgetting to refill as he executed a series of thrusts that rocked me to the tips of my toes. Every thought evaporated from my head, my only focus the glorious sensations climbing through my body as Gideon turned me inside out with pleasure.

Over and over he dragged me to the edge only to leave me hanging as he changed angles, introducing me to a whole new world of sensation I never knew existed. He lifted me clean off my feet. Easily supporting my weight, he continued to fuck me, rasping deliciously filthy words in my ear with every penetration until I couldn’t take it any more.

‘Dying to come, aren’t you?’

‘Yes!’ I groaned.

‘Go on, then. Milk me with that tight little pussy the way you sucked me off in that alley,’ he urged hotly.

Like floodgates opening, I succumbed to the wild rush, letting go as sensation completely engulfed me.

With a tight groan, Gideon peeled me off the door, invading me even deeper as he shackled both arms around me.

‘God, yes,’ he groaned. ‘I can feel your every convulsion. Feel you attempting to wring me dry. I’m not going to let you yet. You sucked me off so beautifully and now I can go all fucking night.’

With that promise, he stalked to the bed and lowered me onto it without disengaging. I was lost in bliss; the touch of the cool sheets on my skin felt like heaven. And even as I climbed down from one peak, Gideon started fucking me again.

Toes curled, my fingers dug into the sheets, and I lost my mind all over again as he thrust in and out of me with a languorous rhythm that melted my very bones.

‘Do you have any idea how many times I’ve dreamed of having you like this in my bed?’

I squeezed my eyes shut. God, he was just too much. ‘Gideon...’

‘Shh, don’t speak. Just let me pleasure you.’

I wasn’t prepared for him to pull out and roll me over. I squealed as he buried his face between my legs, inhaling me long and deep before he licked me with bold sweeps of his tongue.

I tunnelled my fingers through his hair, mild shock giving way to pleasure. My hips rolled mindlessly, already straining for more as I ground myself closer.

He raised his head a fraction, speared me with those intense grey eyes. ‘I love it when you fuck my face. I love it even more when you come all over my mouth.’

Like a Pavlovian response to his words, flames engulfed me. Within minutes, another climax barrelled through me. I came hard, the power of it arching my torso clean off the bed.

With eager sucking sounds, Gideon lapped me up. Then, barely waiting for me to descend from my high, he kissed his way up my body, gently cupping my breasts as he slid inside me again.

Sensitised inner tissues welcomed him, the sensation even more acute after two powerful orgasms.

‘I can’t get enough of how phenomenal you feel.’

I groaned into the decadent kiss he initiated. This time the rhythm was slow and steady until sweat slicked his body and glistened on mine.

When harsh colour tinged his face, he braced himself on his elbows. ‘Cup these glorious breasts for me, sweetheart. I want to watch you playing with them when I come.’

Capturing my tits, I squeezed them for a moment before catching the tight peaks between my fingers. At the absorbed look in his eyes, I went one better, sucking one forefinger and then the other before rolling them over my nipples.

Gideon’s eyes turned almost black, and his thrusts grew frenzied as his need overtook him. I repeated the action, until the tips of my breasts glistened.

‘Fuck,’ he groaned, then he gave a guttural roar, his mouth-watering body straining as he came. The sheer pleasure of watching him lose control tipped me over the edge again.

Unbelievably, another climax slammed into me. My legs locked around his waist and he dropped on top of me, burying his face in my neck as shudders rolled through him. Long lazy minutes passed. When we’d caught our breath, he rolled off me, trailed kisses on my cheek before rising from the bed.

‘Stay right there,’ he instructed.

I couldn’t have moved if the world were on fire, so I contented myself with watching him head into the bathroom. He joined me beneath the sheets when he returned and pulled me close. Gentle fingers cupped my jaw, angling my face up to his. ‘Spend your day off tomorrow with me?’

My heart gave a little lurch even as I attempted to dampen down the excitement. ‘What about your guests?’

‘The moment my lawyers approve the deal, I’m tossing Vadim and his gang off the boat,’ he replied without an ounce of regret. ‘Until then, they can entertain themselves. My plan is to stay here with you for the next twenty-four hours.’

My brain attempted to skip ahead to what happened after tomorrow but I reined my thoughts in. What happened tonight had been unbelievable, so much more than I’d imagined. But it was still just sex.

Sex I wanted to experience a whole lot more of, sure. But—

‘Leonora.’

I blinked to find Gideon staring at me, incisive eyes attempting to burrow into my thoughts. Within the grey depths were deeper, turbulent waters I didn’t want to navigate.

It was just sex. Nothing more. ‘Sure, I’ll spend tomorrow with you.’

Sunlight was slanting through the shutters when I next opened my eyes. The space beside me was empty, but there was a note propped up against the pillow. I unfolded it and read Gideon’s impatient scrawl.

Gone to toss some Russians overboard. Stay where you are. I’ll bring breakfast.

Smiling, I traced my fingers over the black ink. Even the way he wrote indicated an arrogance that endeared and grated at the same time. He’d brought those qualities to bear with wicked results last night. The reminder heated me inside and out and I rolled over and buried my face in his pillow. He’d promised me an all-night fucking and he’d more than delivered.

The force of his possession lingered between my thighs, muscles I’d forgotten existed twitching with each movement. We’d eventually tumbled into sleep around dawn, my body draped over his in a useless heap of satiation.

The thought of another twenty-four hours experiencing more of the same sent a decadent thrill through me.

But...twenty-four hours and then what?

Acidic unease burned through my anticipation and my smile. Like black crows storming the horizon, unsettling questions flooded in.

The text about Gideon’s deal had interrupted our conversation last night but not before he’d dropped the bombshell of his fiancée. Pictures I’d seen online of him and his cousin Damian were over four years old. They’d been as thick as thieves before so it didn’t take a genius to surmise the two might be connected.

The burn in my chest intensified, startling me with the possibility that if Gideon’s playboy lifestyle was just a front, then it hid something deeper. A carefully guarded pain?

Whatever personal angst rode him last night had been close to the surface. And there’d been sizzling recognition when I retold Adam’s betrayal.

Someone I trusted took what belonged to me. More than one someone, actually. Between them they destroyed something precious.

Was I foolish getting involved, even temporarily, with Gideon? My misery didn’t want company, especially not if it involved an ex who’d driven Gideon to cultivate that veneer of a dangerous, transient Lothario.

Or was I way off base, overanalysing what should be a simple fling before we went our separate ways?

The sound of a helicopter taking off startled me. Gideon had successfully rid himself of his guests.

As the sound faded, I attempted to distance myself from my disturbing thoughts by flinging aside the sheets and rising from the bed.

My wobbly legs reminded me how thoroughly Gideon had used my body. No matter how today ended this would remain an unforgettable experience. So why did the thought of it ending make me anxious?

What the hell was wrong with me?

Impatiently catching my hair up in a knot, I hurried to the bathroom, eager to wash my thoughts away.

Like every other amenity on the yacht, the bathroom was the last word in luxury. A spacious sunken Jacuzzi took up one corner, while the other housed an ultra-modern shower complete with a wide bench and multiple showerheads. I headed for the shower.

For endless minutes I let the jets wash over me, hoping it’d help blank my mind. When it didn’t I reached for the shower gel, then froze when the bathroom door opened.

‘You were supposed to wait for me in bed,’ Gideon grumbled.

My heart jumped into my throat as I watched him pull on the ties of his dark-coloured lounge pants and kick them off. Naked and shamelessly aroused, he walked into the shower and plucked the bottle of shower gel from my hand.

‘I got impatient,’ I said. ‘And hungry.’ Not to mention a whole load of other things I wasn’t about to voice.

‘I brought breakfast as I promised. But now you don’t get it until I’m done with you.’

He squeezed gel into his hands, rubbed them in slow sexy circles before gliding them over my shoulders. I welcomed the hot swell of desire that left no room for thoughts of Gideon’s past or the knot of anxiety that came with considering that today would be all I had with him.

Instead, I let myself burn in the carnal promise etched on his face as he cupped my breasts and flicked his thumbs over my nipples.

‘I heard the helicopter leave.’

‘As of ten minutes ago, my colourful guests have been dispatched,’ he replied without taking his eyes off my breasts. ‘Do me a favour and give the crew a day off, would you? I want to be alone with you on board today.’

Excitement leapt through me. ‘And what will we do with all that time?’

His cocky smile swept into place. ‘We’ll find something, I’m sure. I can be very inventive when properly motivated.’

‘Then I guess we’ll have to find ways to keep you fully motivated.’

He chuckled. And then speech became redundant. With mind-boggling attention to detail, Gideon washed every inch of my body. Then, sliding one hand under my knee, he lifted my leg to curl around his waist. He plucked a condom off the shelf, his gaze not leaving mine as he tore it open.

I took it from him, slowing my movements as I slid the rubber over his steel-hard length.

The hand wrapped around my hip tightened as his lips parted on a hoarse pant. ‘Who named this boat, Leonora?’

I dragged my gaze up his glorious body to his face. ‘What?’

‘La Sirène. The siren. You named it, didn’t you?’

‘What if I did?’

‘Then this insanity you wreak in me will be totally understandable.’ The raw confession shook me to my toes.

‘Gideon—’

‘I can’t go five fucking minutes without thinking about you,’ he interrupted harshly. ‘Do you know that?’

The wild thrumming in my blood intensified. ‘You don’t sound too happy about it.’

‘If you want to make me happy, put me inside you, let me feel you hot and tight around me again.’

With a helpless moan I dragged him closer, gliding my fingers over him for one stolen moment before guiding him to my entrance.

Hand on my hip and the other hooked under my knee, he thrust hard and deep inside me. I screamed, my nails sinking into his nape as pleasure tore through me.

Gideon slammed inside me over and over, his movements growing frenzied. ‘Fuck, Leonora, I can’t get enough of you.’

I kept my mouth shut, instinct warning me not to vocalise my own growing addiction to him.

The instantaneous attraction I’d felt from the moment we met had only intensified with each minute I spent with him. Admitting unguarded feelings would be inviting trouble. So I let my moans and my touch and my writhing hips speak for me.

But Gideon wasn’t content with that. With a grunt, he pressed me against the wall and dropped his gaze to where we were intimately connected. And then piercing grey eyes reconnected with mine. ‘Do you like what I’m doing to you?’

‘What do you think?’

‘I think I’d love further demonstration.’

‘Why, Gideon. You sound almost insecure,’ I muttered huskily as he surged inside me.

Bewilderment mingled with arousal. ‘Funny thing, that. I’ve never felt like this with anyone else. You make me want to do things I don’t normally do, Leonora,’ he gritted out.

Oh, God. I squeezed my eyes shut, the potency of his words threatening to shatter my defences. ‘Things like what?’

He leaned close, bit the corner of my lip before gliding his tongue over it. ‘You’ve reduced me to constant begging. I find myself baring my fucking soul like I’m at confession. And I’m not even Catholic.’

He surged deeper, lifting me to the tips of my toes.

‘Oh, God!’ The tempest brewing in my veins intensified. I dragged my eyes open, met turbulent ones. ‘This feels one-sided to you? You want to see what you do to me?’

‘Yes,’ he encouraged thickly.

I dragged one hand down his body and transferred it to my own. The first brush of my fingers over my swollen clit tightened my internal muscles, nearly sent me over the edge. My whole body shook with the precursor to my impending climax.

‘Fuck yes. More, Leonora,’ Gideon demanded gruffly.

I touched myself again, this time prepared for the zap of electricity.

Gideon swivelled his hips, aiming his thrust to hit me at an angle that turned me liquid.

‘Gideon.’ His name was a drawn-out moan. ‘I...I don’t know if I can take it.’

Teeth clenched, he continued to work me, his eyes growing darker by the minute as we both surged towards completion. ‘I have you, sweetheart. Go wild for me.’

I fondled myself again, gliding my fingers on either side of his thrusting cock. Then I brought my fingers to my clit, circling my needy flesh. Once started, I couldn’t stop.

‘God, you’re so beautiful, Leonora.’

Raising my gaze from the intensely erotic sight of our joining, I met Gideon’s compulsive gaze. We stayed like that, an intense and hypnotising connection locking us in place.

Then he gave a harsh groan. ‘I feel you, baby. You’re ready to explode, aren’t you?’

Words failed me. A moment later, he fused his mouth to mine just as a tsunami of sensation smashed into me.

Gideon’s shout filled the heated space a moment later. I felt him catch me as every ounce of energy rushed out of me and my vision blurred.

When I came to, he was seated on the bench and I was sprawled all over him. Soft kisses trailed down my face as his hands smoothed back damp tendrils. ‘This was how I wanted to wake up. Good morning, Leonora.’

I smiled, feeling beyond sensational. ‘Good morning, Gideon.’

With a deep chuckle, he rose with me in his arms. At the door he set me down long enough to drape a thick bathrobe over me and one over himself before we returned to the bedroom.

Our breakfast was still warm and I followed him as he pushed the breakfast trolley onto his private balcony. The smell of scrambled eggs and bacon and coffee reminded me that we’d barely made it past starters last night.

We wolfed down a plateful of food in silence. Then he lounged back in his chair, lazily watching me as I devoured a small bowl of strawberries.

‘Are you going to give the crew the day off?’ he asked, his gaze dropping to linger where my robe gaped to show the curves of my breasts.

I shrugged. ‘If you don’t need them, they’ll be thrilled to have a day off.’

‘Good. And let them know that under no circumstances are they to return to the upper decks before midnight.’

I smiled. ‘What exactly have you got in mind?’

‘For starters, I’m going to watch you sunbathe. Nude. After that—’ he shrugged ‘—you get to pick. Will you do it?’ he asked with a gruff plea.

His unique way of disarming me when I needed to keep up my guard unnerved me further. Like last night when he’d asked to join me for dinner. I stared at him, knowing in my heart I wasn’t going to refuse this either. I’d already agreed to spend the day with him anyway. What we did during that time didn’t really matter.

It should.

I ignored the voice, took a sip of coffee before I answered, ‘Yes, I will.’

‘And would I be pushing my luck if I said I want a repeat of the same when we dock in Sicily, too?’

So he wasn’t leaving for another couple of days.

I cleared my throat and strove to maintain a neutral expression. ‘Yes, you would. For all I know spending today with you might prove a huge ball of disappointment.’

His eyes gleamed. ‘Is that the challenge, Leonora?’

‘Maybe...’

He rose, a wicked smile turning his face even more mouth-wateringly gorgeous as he held out his hand to me. ‘Then I guess it’s game on.’

He spent an hour videoconferencing with his office, while I video called with Andrea.

‘So everything’s going well?’ she asked, peering into the screen.

I prayed my face didn’t give me away as I nodded. ‘Yes, no major dramas so far, thank goodness.’

Andrea smiled, then winced as her overexuberant baby kicked inside her. ‘And? Is he going to buy the yacht?’ she asked eagerly.

I wasn’t about to confess I hadn’t given it much thought in the last couple of days. Now that I’d decided to remain in the South of France, there wasn’t an urgency to make the sale. The consortium had given me a year to find the right buyer, and I was confident I would.

So I shrugged. ‘I’m not hard selling. He’ll either buy it or he won’t. If he doesn’t, I’ll cast my net wider.’

Andrea nodded. ‘Sounds like a plan. Well, don’t worry about the office. It’s been pretty quiet. I’ll email if anything crops up that I can’t handle.’

I signed off, went to my cabin to grab my sun protection.

Four hours later I was sprawled on the top deck, glistening from head to toe in the coconut-scented sunscreen Gideon had liberally massaged into my skin. With my only apparel the oversized sunglasses shielding my eyes from the sun, I waited for him to return with the cocktails he’d gone to the bar to make.

I’d dismissed every crew member, including the captain after he’d found us a private cove to moor the yacht a short distance from Budva. We had six hours to ourselves. I wasn’t sure whether it was being completely alone with him or the promise of more sex that had me hyperaware.

I heard him approach and, unable to help myself, lifted my head to watch him. Like me, Gideon was completely naked. Unlike me, though, there wasn’t an ounce of self-consciousness visible as he set the tray of drinks down next to me.

‘You never answered my question.’

‘What question?’

‘The boat. Did you name it?’

Smiling, I accepted the dirty martini he handed me. ‘Yes, I did.’

He chuckled. ‘Thought so.’

I sipped my drink and attempted to play it cool beneath his intense scrutiny. But it was no use. The moment his ravenous gaze dropped to my breasts, they began to tingle and tighten. ‘Stop that.’

His smile widened. ‘I don’t plan to. You really are incredibly beautiful.’

There was an odd note in his voice that trigged a series of rapid heartbeats but I played it down.

‘You’re not so bad on the eyes either.’

He dropped down next to me. Completely ignoring his drink, his gaze slid down my body with growing hunger.

‘Will you be visiting England any time soon?’ he asked abruptly.

The unexpected question threw me. There was something almost wrong with discussing my future plans with a man I’d probably never see again the moment he stepped off the yacht, never mind doing so while I was completely naked.

‘I’d planned to visit my mother and grandmother when the season was over.’

His forefinger drifted down my collarbone. ‘Where in England are they?’

I tried to read his face, but I saw nothing but steady interest. Well, that and the ever-present hunger that lurked in his eyes when he looked at me.

A girl could get hopelessly addicted to that full-on intensity.

Then it’s a good thing this thing is temporary.

I clenched my gut against the sharp arrow that lodged itself in my chest. ‘They live in the Lake District.’

He caught a strand of my hair and teased it through his fingers. ‘What about your father, Leonora? Any reason he’s not quite in the picture?’

I tensed, fiercely glad for the protection of the sunglasses. ‘He never wanted to be. But that didn’t stop him from selfishly dipping in and out of our lives when it suited him.’

His mouth twisted. ‘I’m not sure which is worse, a parent’s physical presence and emotional absence, or a deprivation of both,’ he mused bitterly.

I caught his hand, a strong urge to connect with him making me mesh my fingers with his. ‘In the long run, I preferred the latter because the former fed me with hope that was never fulfilled.’

He brought our joined fingers to his lips and kissed my knuckles. ‘Do you still see him?’

Pain spiralled through me. ‘Not if I can help it. Unfortunately my mother hasn’t abandoned the idea of using me as bait to hook an imagined relationship. We butt heads over the issue more often than I want.’

He remained silent for a long time before grey eyes met mine. ‘So this is yet another area where we’ve both been fucked over. Perhaps we should form a support group.’

The words were throwaway but his eyes held an intensity I desperately wanted to fixate on. ‘I prefer not to spend time raking over the past.’ Or rabidly dwelling on the many other ways I wished we were connected. ‘I’d rather help you celebrate your deal.’

‘I’m already celebrating. You’re my prize.’

‘I’m no one’s trophy, Gideon.’ That smacked too much of what I’d seen my father do to my mother. When the whim took him, he’d arrive in a blaze of glory, take her down from the shelf he’d placed her on. Play with her until he grew bored. Then he’d toss her back until the next time.

Gideon’s face slowly straightened, his eyes darkening. ‘Too bloody right, you’re not. You’re so much more.’ Again that peculiar note throbbed in his voice.

Before I could decipher it, he caught a thicker strand of my hair, wrapped it around his hand and pulled me close. He reached into the ice bucket and plucked out an ice cube.

Wild tingles raced through my body. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Open up,’ he said.

He placed the ice on my tongue, then he took my glass, held it to my lips. He allowed me a small sip before setting the glass down on the tray.

When he brought his fingers to my lips again, I shook my head. ‘It’s mine now.’

His breathing altered a little. ‘What are you going to do with it?’

I let my gaze drift down to his cock, and then up his body. ‘Have you ever been fucked with ice, Gideon?’

Fervent excitement leapt in his eyes. ‘Are you offering to blow my mind, Leonora?’ he asked hoarsely.

‘Lie down and let’s find out,’ I instructed.

He complied with a feline unfurling of his body.

I settled on my knees beside him, the effect of his eager anticipation already making me wet. With languid movements, I lowered my face to his until our lips were an inch apart.

A drop melted onto his lower lip. He licked it off with a lazy swipe of his tongue. I allowed another two drops to drip before closing the gap.

He sucked in a sharp breath as I dragged the ice cube back and forth over his lips. Despite the blazing sun’s heat at my back I shivered at his unfettered response.

His eyes darkened dramatically as he watched my nipples pebble, his throat moving in a convulsive swallow.

‘Take your shades off, Leonora, I want to see your gorgeous eyes.’

I pushed the ice between his lips, then pulled away before his lips could cling to mine. ‘Not yet. You only get what I give you.’

He smirked. ‘Yes, boss lady.’

That cocky smile evaporated when I grabbed another cube of ice. By the time I trailed it down between his hard pecs to his left nipple, Gideon was panting. ‘Sweet Jesus...’

‘Too much?’ I asked.

‘Too fucking good,’ he slurred.

Without warning, I transferred the cube to his right nipple, then lowered my head and grazed his left with my teeth. His back arched off the deck, his teeth clenching until his jaw was rigid with barely leashed control.

Between his thighs, his cock jerked to stiff attention.

‘I love the way you show your pleasure,’ I murmured.

‘I love the way you provide it,’ he croaked.

I returned to my task, not stopping till the ice melted.

He was cursing and groaning by the time I grabbed the next one. A slow trail down, I dropped it on his belly button, swung my thighs over his lean hips, then retrieved the ice.

‘Watch me, Gideon. Don’t move.’

With his eyes locked on mine, and the tip of his cock inches from my heated core, I dropped my head back and trailed the melting ice down my body. Electricity zapped up my spine when the chilled cube touched my nipple. My rough moan made his stomach muscles tighten.

‘Jesus...Leonora,’ he muttered brokenly.

I felt my pussy dampen shamelessly, the need to fuck him a twisting live wire inside me. Still, I took my time, torturing us both with my slow, excruciating tease.

Gideon groaned when liquid dripped from my body to his. His gaze swung feverishly from my sex to my breasts to my mouth.

When need grew too much to contain, I slid my hand over my belly to my clit. With a sucked in breath, I pushed the die-sized cube into my pussy.

‘Bloody hell. Have mercy,’ he rasped, his black gaze on the finger I was using to hold the ice inside me.

‘Put the condom on, Gideon,’ I ordered hoarsely.

His gaze left mine for the mere second it took to snatch up the condom, then he was ripping it open, his movements frantic as he sheathed himself.

My impending orgasm whistled in the distance as I braced myself over him. Then with a twist of my hips, I took him deep inside me.

His shout of pleasure was music to my ears. Muscles straining in his neck as he tried to hold himself under control made my blood sing. With my hands planted on his chest, I went to town.

‘Fuck, Leonora. Fuck, fuck, fuck.’

I didn’t give him a moment to regain control, driving us both towards the edge until Gideon’s teeth clenched and he shouted his climax. Only then did I let go and surrender to my own blissful orgasm.

Spent, I collapsed over him, sighing in pleasure when his arms immediately folded around me.

‘Bloody hell,’ he muttered again.

I smiled against his heated skin. ‘I’m guessing that was your first experience with ice, too?’

He chuckled, and then we were both laughing. ‘My first but hopefully not my last.’

My laughter slowly died. I averted my face from his even though I had no right to let thoughts of other faceless women in Gideon’s future intrude in the moment.

I was still telling myself that when the dart of pain expanded in my chest. When it reached the point when I couldn’t quite catch my breath.

Relief washed over me when I heard the steady sound of Gideon’s breathing and knew he’d fallen into light sleep.

Only then did I allow myself to glance into his face, knowing that I’d crossed a certain line that would be hard to uncross again.

And that I only had myself to blame.