Читать книгу Wild Fantasy - Janelle Denison - Страница 10

THE VERY LAST THING Nicole wanted to do was end up in Mitch’s arms, surrounded by his virile heat, his intoxicating scent, and his blatant masculinity. He gave her little choice in the matter and no time to issue a protest that wouldn’t draw the unwanted attention of other people. Still holding her hand securely in his, he tugged her toward the parquet dance floor. Just her unfortunate luck, at that moment the band ended the fast tune they’d been playing and eased into a slow, romantic song one of the guests had specifically requested.

A heartbeat later she found herself wrapped in Mitch’s solid embrace with her own hands gripping his arms in startled surprise. Any desperate ideas she might have had about stepping back to keep a few inches between them were quickly banished when he slipped his arm tight around her waist and pulled her firmly against his hard, muscular body. Automatically, she tensed, but her rigid posture did nothing to dissuade him or ward off her own awareness of him.

Every inch of Mitch seemed to be touching some part of her. His shoulders were incredibly broad, and her breasts crushed enticingly against his wide chest, making her nipples peak and harden and ache at the heated contact. Her belly aligned with his, and somehow, someway, he’d effortlessly managed to slide his jean-clad thigh between hers in a way that was completely natural to the kind of slow dance they were engaged in.

The gradual pressure he exerted there was deliciously exquisite. To her dismay, an insistent throb pulsed low and deep. The uninhibited beat of the music dictated the sensual rhythm of their bodies, heightening her own longing for something more carnal and forbidden with Mitch. The assault on her senses was almost more than she could bear, and she struggled to keep a tight rein on her physical response.

His free hand slipped beneath the heavy warmth of her hair, and the tips of his fingers brushed the nape of her neck. “Relax, Nicole,” he murmured next to her ear.

Suppressing a telltale shiver of pleasure, she squeezed her eyes shut. Inhaling a fortifying breath, she summoned a convincing reply before she opened her eyes again. She pulled back, meeting his teasing, sexy gaze with a capricious grin of her own. “I’m perfectly relaxed, Mitchell.”

Clearly, he didn’t believe her. Doubts shimmered in his eyes, right along with something more devious. Sweeping a hand down her back in a long, meandering caress, he splayed his large hand at the base of her spine, right at the curve of her bottom. Lightning spears of sensation spiked through her and she stiffened at his penetrating touch, contradicting her attempt to pretend indifference to him.

One corner of his mouth tipped up in a knowing, beguiling smile. “That’s hardly the response of someone who’s relaxed.” He pressed closer to her, if that was even possible when she already felt like a part of him. His gaze grew more intimate, his voice softer, but she had no problem hearing him above the band’s entertainment. “Do I make you nervous?”

“Of course not,” she scoffed, the automatic fib a defense mechanism to protect her emotions from this man.

“Then prove it.” Indulgence and insistence warmed his eyes. “There’s no one here that we know to watch us, so quit fighting what’s between us and let your body soften against mine. Move with me to the beat of the music, Nicole.”

His request beckoned to her, the kind of dare she’d come to expect from him. The current song ended, giving her the perfect opportunity to bow out gracefully with some kind of clever quip. But when the band cued up the next tune with a seductive, bluesy tempo, she changed her mind. As hot and restless as he made her feel, she refused to give him the power of knowing just how much he affected her. In fact, she was fully prepared to turn the tables on him and be the one to walk away from this challenge unscathed. Just to prove she could.

Blocking out everything around them, she captured his gaze in the dim lighting. Relaxing, she let the driving, pulsing beat of the music dictate the movements of her body, the sway of her hips, the shimmy of her shoulders and breasts, and the deliberate glide of her thigh between his.

Lost in the moment and unnoticed by the other couples around them, inhibitions and reservations peeled away. Nicole softened and flowed into Mitch, just as he’d requested. Through lashes that had fallen half-mast, she watched the flame of desire and need burn bright in his gold-brown eyes, just as she’d intended.

A surge of triumph welled in her, making her bold and too assertive. “So, what do you think, Mitchell?” she asked huskily as she smoothed her hands down his chest, experiencing equal measures of satisfaction and pleasure as his muscles rippled at her touch. Tossing her head back, she arched into him in a very suggestive manner. “Is this relaxed enough for you?”

“Most definitely.” His free hand slid from her side, down past her waist and settled on her hip, leaving a trail of heat in the wake of his petting. “We’re very good together, don’t you think? Both of us qualified and definitely competent.”

Nicole swallowed hard, unable to find the words to issue a sassy retort. She was too mesmerized by the irresistible, sexual allure in his raspy voice, too stunned by the depth of her body’s craving for him to think, let alone speak.

Gently, he rocked her hips against him, igniting another frenzy of restless yearning within her. “The way we move together in such unison, the perfect fit of our bodies, is exactly the way it should be. Can you feel it, too?”

She felt too much. Every touch and illicit caress expanded the heat between them. Every slow, purposeful brush of his body against hers scalded her senses until she was burning with the kind of need only making love could assuage. It had been a very long time since she’d wanted a man that much.

She closed her eyes at that lusty thought but couldn’t shut out his murmured words, which painted such erotic and vivid pictures in her mind. She saw them flesh to flesh, clinging to each other in a dance between lovers. Witnessed the perfect fit of their inflamed bodies. Felt him filling the achy emptiness in her. Felt her own thighs clench his much too shamelessly. Tension coiled in her belly and right where the pressure he exerted was the greatest.

A tremor shook her, a warning that immediately jolted her out of her daze. “Stop.” The uttered command slipped from her lips before she could intercept it, and Mitch went still and quiet, though loud voices and music still swirled around them.

She blinked her eyes open wide, scattering the provocative images behind her lids. She stared up at Mitch in balanced increments of shock and mortification—and annoyance for his part in arousing her with his sexual monologue. Her breathing escaped her in soft pants, and she was feverishly hot, her skin flushed and tight.

Unable to believe she’d nearly allowed him to seduce her in such a public place, she attempted to untangle herself from his embrace. He held her secure, pinned against his athletic, all-male form, seemingly not ready to let everyone see just how affected he’d been by their exchange. She could feel his burgeoning erection between them, and another unwanted thrill raced through her.

She glared at him for turning what should have been a simple dance, an uncomplicated dare, into something far more tempting. “You don’t play fair,” she said, conveniently dismissing the fact that she was just as much at fault for provoking him.

He had no qualms about reminding her. “Oh, and you do?” he asked wryly.

Her chin lifted mutinously as her heart rate finally calmed. “You started all this, not me. I would have been satisfied kicking your butt in a game of darts.”

Fleeting humor etched his expression, and he gradually eased them back into dancing to the song the band was currently playing, this time, in a more platonic manner. “At least we finally proved one important thing.”

Curious, she took his bait. “And what’s that?”

“How compatible we are.” His tone was husky and soft, his gaze serious. “And that you want me as much as I want you.”

She rolled her eyes at that, grasping for levity and a believable fib. “We’re hardly compatible.” She found it more difficult to deny his second claim, so she didn’t even try for fear of him disputing her in sexy, tantalizing ways she wouldn’t be able to fight. “We’re complete opposites, Mitchell, and if it wasn’t for the sake of this charity contest, we wouldn’t be together right now.”

“Mitch,” he said unexpectedly, his voice vibrating with a tinge of frustration. His gaze turned equally intense. “For once, call me Mitch.”

The sudden change in him startled her, but also made her more determined not to give into his demand. “Mitchell suits you much better.” She fingered the collar of his red knit shirt. “Responsible, respectable and much too strait-laced for me.”

Her blithe comment was meant to point out their vast differences and establish much-needed distance between them, but only served to spark a fierce, steely determination in the depth of his eyes.

Without preamble, he grabbed her hand firmly in his and pulled her through the crowd still enjoying the reception. He nearly dragged her down the dark, secluded path toward the beach, his long-legged strides easily eating up the distance while she had to use quick double-steps to keep up with him in her heeled shoes. Her head was spinning when he finally stopped where the walkway ended at one of the small shacks used during the day for guests to borrow beach towels.

Abruptly, he turned around to face her. Silver moonlight cast shadows over his lean, handsome features and made his eyes glitter with purpose. He was unadulterated male magnetism, raw and untamed, and a trifle dangerous. But it wasn’t him she feared; rather it was her own electrifying response to all that strong-willed aggression.

Excitement and apprehension mingled. She’d met her match. She shivered at the thought, aware that they were very much alone. She could hear the faint, faraway voices of the people at the mixer and the crash of the waves on the shore behind her—or was that the frantic pounding of her heart against her chest that was echoing in her ears?

He stepped toward her, and she took a hasty step back—and found herself pressed up against the locked door of the shack. He moved closer and, before she could side-step him, he flattened his hands on either side of her shoulders, trapping her between hard, rough wood and his unyielding length. He didn’t touch her physically, not yet anyway. But she could feel the simmering heat of his body and see the predatory light in his stare. While everything within her urged her to duck beneath his arm and bolt, she stood her ground.

She’d never been afraid of confrontation or conflict—she’d experienced plenty of both through her childhood and her one-sided relationship with Jonathan. She refused to retreat now, no matter how much this man continually evoked varying degrees of emotions from her. At the moment, wicked desire was most prominent.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, and wished her voice sounded more convincing, instead of so breathless.

He bent his head and skimmed his mouth along her cheek to the delicate shell of her ear, a riveting touch all the more erotic for what it promised. “I’m about to prove I can be just as reckless and daring as you,” he said, his voice a ragged kind of velvet as dark as the night around them.

Her pulse quickened as she watched his full, sensual lips descend toward hers to make good on his word. She prepared herself for a wild, outrageous kiss—the kind of frenzied joining that would reflect their tempestuous relationship so far. Her posture stiffened, ready to divert his domination with some kind of defiant response.

She couldn’t have been more wrong in her assumption.

With lazy deliberation, he brushed his mouth along hers, throwing her off-kilter with his featherlight, velvety strokes designed to soften her demeanor. Warm, delicate kisses to coax an ultimate surrender. And despite knowing she ought to do something to stop his slow seduction, her lashes fluttered closed and she rewarded his sensuous efforts with a sultry moan that was pure pleasure, without a trace of any protest.

Mitch knew the moment that Nicole was his for the taking, and experienced a surge of supreme satisfaction. This woman, for all her impudence and stubbornness and sass, couldn’t refute the undeniable craving between them. Her warm, fragrant breath fanned his lips, intoxicating him with the ambrosial scent of sweet apricots and chocolate, a rare delicacy he had every intention of sampling deeper. Very, very soon.

Threading his fingers through the thick, silky strands of her hair, he smoothed his thumbs beneath her jaw to keep her face tipped up and her mouth poised right below his. Holding her slumberous gaze, he closed the distance between their bodies, gradually easing his hard length against her ultrasoft curves until he’d imprinted her from breast to thighs with scorching heat and pulsing awareness.

This time, it was him that groaned, at the rightness of this woman in his embrace, and the primitive need that gripped and consumed him. Done tormenting them both, he settled his mouth over hers. His tongue flicked out to taste and tease and gather the exotic flavor that was uniquely hers, and her lips parted on a breathy sigh, giving him the invitation he sought.

Tipping her head just slightly, he slanted his mouth across hers. His tongue delved deep inside in a slow, thorough invasion that was as sensual as it was possessive. He kissed her languidly, and with consummate, insatiable patience, until she grew pliant and just as needy as he.

He swallowed the raw whimper that rumbled in her throat, but there was nothing he could do to stop the restless way she moved against him. Not that he wanted her to stop, but she was making him harder and more aroused than he could ever remember being. She raised her hands, sliding them between their bodies—not to push him away, but to press her palms to the flat planes of his belly, explore along his waist, and caress the slope of his back. Her open and honest touch kindled a fever in his blood, caused his heart to beat a heavy cadence, and spurred him to higher levels of desire.

Their kiss turned hungry, rapacious—deep and wet and every bit as sexual as the currents arcing between them. Loosening the fingers of one hand tangled in her hair, he glided his palm down the smooth column of her throat and swept his thumb over the rapid pulse at the base. She shuddered and parried her tongue with his, leaving him aching with anticipation and overwhelmed with need.

Wanting to experience more of her, as much as she’d allow, he continued his downward journey and cupped the lush softness of her breast in his hand. She groaned and arched and offered more. He felt her nipple tighten and bead against his palm, and guessed that she was wearing a very flimsy bra—one of those sheer, lacy numbers that was more for show than substance. The erotic images leaping to life in his mind, combined with the reality of the moment, nearly sent him over the edge.

He rubbed his finger over the straining tip, wishing she was naked to his gaze, so he could take her in his mouth, finesse the budding hardness with his teeth and tongue, and taste her as he’d thought about earlier. A low growl erupted from him and he almost lost it completely when she skimmed her hands over the curve of his buttocks, clenched her fingers in the tight muscles encased in denim, and rocked her hips against his. Sensations bordering on pleasure and pain ricocheted through him, demanding he make a choice between release or restraint, and quickly, or else his body would make the decision for him.

There was nothing remotely responsible, respectable or strait-laced about what they were doing, as she’d accused him of being. Which reminded him of his purpose in seeking seclusion and deliberately playing this seductive game. Indisputably, he’d proved that he could be just as reckless and daring as her, but there was one other concession still left unresolved between them, and he meant to revel in that victory, too.

His breathing was harsh and ragged when he finally, reluctantly, stopped the madness and broke their kiss. Instead of withdrawing completely, he let his lips drift along her jaw and down the side of her throat. Seemingly lost in the haze of passion, her head fell back to give him better access as he scattered hot, damp kisses up to her ear.

“Call me Mitch,” he murmured, his voice a husky command. Nuzzling the sensitive hollow where neck met shoulder, he laved her fragrant skin with his tongue and wasn’t surprised to taste the delectable essence of sweet, ripe apricots. He lifted his head and stared deep into her eyes. “Say my name, Nicole.”

Her tongue slid across her lower lip, pink and swollen from their ardent kisses. “Mitch…” she complied on a hushed moan.

It was as much of an acquiescence as he could expect from her, and he’d take it for now. “I knew you had it in you, sweetheart. And now that we’ve established that we’re equally competent and qualified, and extremely compatible, there’s only one thing left to do.”

As if she just realized what her palms were fondling, she dropped her hands from his buttocks and planted them flat against the wall behind her. The silvered moonlight highlighted the becoming flush that swept along her cheekbones. “And what’s that?”

He grinned at her uncharacteristic show of modesty, especially after how uninhibited she’d been with him only moments ago. “All that’s left is for us to sign up as a team, and then the games begin.” He winked at her.

Grabbing her hand, he led her back to the reception, taking their return slow and easy so she could regain her equilibrium and so his own libido had time to cool. A few people eyed them, noting their reappearance, but considering this fantasy island and the charity’s purpose was to bring couples together, he figured their tryst was acceptable. And it served to clearly stake his claim on the woman beside him.

Nicole was unusually silent and obviously distracted as they filled out the paperwork that would bind them together for the week. When he suggested that they enjoy a few more dances or find other entertainment on the island for the next hour or so, she politely declined his invitation.

“I think I’m going to turn in for the night,” she said abruptly and tossed a saucy glance his way. “I suggest you get some rest, too. You’re gonna need it to hold your own in the competitions tomorrow.”

He chuckled at her parting remark, immensely relieved to see that their newfound intimacy hadn’t altered Nicole’s impetuous attitude at all.

HIS STROKING, skillful hands were cool on her hot, bare flesh, arousing feminine nerve endings to a fevered awareness. She reached for him, desperate to sate the empty yearning deep within her. Whispering her name on a soft groan, he covered her body with his, his mouth eliciting a heady rush of sensation as his lips and tongue found and lavished slow, exquisite attention on all her most sensitive pleasure points. Her breasts swelled and ached with each decadent swirl of his tongue along the velvety crest of her nipple, and the muscles in her abdomen contracted when his warm lips skimmed lower, and lower still.

The erotic touch of his mouth against her inner thigh, the damp heat of his breath, caused her to tremble. The caress of his tongue sent her to the verge of paradise and kept her poised on the threshold of a stunning climax. She shifted restlessly to try to accommodate him, but he’d somehow trapped her legs against the heavy weight of his hard thighs, keeping her from experiencing the ultimate possession of him burying himself deep inside her and pushing her over the sharp precipice of release….

Nicole awoke with a start. She blinked her eyes open to find herself alone in the king-size bed in her cottage, cheery rays of morning sunshine filtering into her room through the double slider leading to the beach. Her breathing was aroused and labored, her entire body throbbing with unfulfilled desire—a hunger Mitch had instigated last night, and one that had obviously carried over into her sleep.

She groaned at the injustice of having woken up before she’d had the chance to enjoy the end result of her sensuous dream. While she knew it would be incredibly easy to take the edge off the tension thrumming through her, self-gratification just didn’t appeal when she was coveting someone else’s touch.

Mitch’s touch.

Hoping the gentle pulses reverberating through her body ebbed soon and on their own, she attempted to roll to the side of the bed to get up and realized her legs really were confined. The cool cotton sheets were twisted around her waist and ankles, which explained the sensation her mind had conjured. The early dawn breeze drifting in through the window fluttered across her skin and the silk of her chemise, accounting for the fleeting kiss of an ardent lover.

All fanciful illusions—not Mitch, as she’d imagined in her dream.

With a sigh of disappointment she wasn’t quite ready to fully analyze, she untangled the covers from her body and slipped off the bed. At the moment, the best cure for what ailed her was a cool shower, and something to appease her appetite. Then she’d decide what she was going to do about the sexual cravings Mitch evoked.