He said nothing, holding his breath, knowing she hadn’t finished. She’d called him Ash for the first time. Surely that meant something more positive was following?
She looked up into his eyes. “And yet… Somehow I can’t believe you’re lying to me.” Her brow creased. “I’m confused.”
He smiled. “Sometimes we have to accept things, even though we don’t understand them.”
“You’re talking about faith again. I can’t do that. I have to understand. It’s the way I’m made.”
“Honey, you don’t have to accept that I can talk to the dead. Maybe you just have to accept that
I
believe I can.”
She studied him for a moment. He could almost see his proposition moving through her thoughts like a fish through water, her brain trying to sift through the advantages and disadvantages, trying to make it work.
He went to tell her not to think too much, but before he could say anything, she stepped closer and slid her arms around him, resting her cheek on his chest.
For a second, he just stood there, arms held out, droplets running from his wet hands onto the tiles, too shocked to move. He could smell her shampoo, something fruity, strawberries maybe, and feel her soft body pressed against him all the way down.
Slowly, he leaned across to pick up the tea towel and dried his hands behind her back. He replaced the cloth, put his hands on her hips and turned her so she was leaning against the worktop, then pulled back slightly so he could cup her face with his hands, lifting her chin so she looked up into his eyes. He slid her glasses off and put them on the worktop.
Then he kissed her.
Her lips were unbelievably soft and she tasted of peppermint. As he pressed his lips against hers, he slid a hand around to the nape of her neck, which was bare as she had her hair up, and he didn’t miss her answering shiver as he stroked the skin gently.
At first, she remained stiff and unyielding, not pulling away, but just accepting the touch of his lips without moving, and he could feel nervousness coming off her in waves. He continued to kiss her, however, with soft, gentle brushes of his lips, his mouth leaving hers to kiss lightly across her cheekbones, then returning once again for a moment, before he finally lifted his head.
A light blush now filled her cheeks. Her eyes were wide, and for the first time since he’d met her, he couldn’t tell what she was thinking, because she didn’t say anything. He stroked her neck with his thumb. “Want me to stop?” he said huskily.
She moistened her lips with her tongue. Then she gave a very slight, almost imperceptible shake of her head.
He smiled and slid his arms around her, and this time a shiver ran from the top of his head to the base of his spine as she responded, hesitantly at first, then more confidently, her hand coming up to touch his face, her thumb brushing his stubble. Her mouth opened under his, and tentatively he brushed her bottom lip lightly with his tongue, thrilled when she returned with a stroke of her own.
He kissed her leisurely, slowly, tasting her, stroking her back, enjoying the softness of her breasts against his chest. He couldn’t help himself and let his hands slide beneath the hem of her blouse to rest on her waist. She wore something tight and silky beneath her clothes, some kind of all-in-one piece of underwear that probably had cups and straps and poppers underneath, something so feminine, unfamiliar and erotic that he grew instantly hard. He knew she’d be aware of it, considering he’d pressed his hips against hers.
Sure enough, she pulled back and looked up at him, and she was breathing hard, her eyes dilated but also filled with uncertainty.
“Want me to stop?” Ash murmured again.
Grace’s heart was thumping so loud she was sure he could hear it, even without his ESP, or whatever he thought he had. The guy was so gorgeous. How had she come to be standing in his kitchen, kissing him, letting him slide his hands under her blouse, where they hovered, clearly itching to move higher? If she shook her head again, saying she wanted him to carry on, she knew where it was going to lead, and the thought of having sex with Ash Rutherford made her feel faint with excitement. But equally, she could still clearly remember the disaster of her last sexual adventure. It had not ended well, and the thought of repeating that with this delectable man made her want to cry again.
He was studying her now, his blue eyes gentle, although his hands were still warm on her waist, his fingers seeming to enjoy stroking her silky abdomen.
“No,” she said eventually. “But…”
He brushed his lips against her temple. “But what?”
She swallowed. “I…I’m a bit nervous.”
He cupped her chin again and kissed her slowly. “What about?” he murmured in between kisses.
“Disappointing you,” she admitted.
He chuckled and dropped his hand back to her waist, sliding it around the silky material to her back. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I don’t mean the underwear. I mean…me.”
He pulled back and looked at her then. He frowned, and she thought he was going to say something, but instead he placed both hands on her hips and lifted her easily onto the worktop, making her gasp. So he was going to show her, rather than tell her. Her heart thundered, but she couldn’t have pushed him away if her life depended on it.
He nudged her knees open so he could move closer to her. As he did so, her skirt rode up and exposed the tops of her stockings, complete with white garters. He sighed, resting his hands on her thighs, brushing his thumbs across the point where the garters fastened to the stockings. His eyes were mischievous, slightly lusty, and a thrill ran through her at the thought that he found her desirable and wanted to touch her. Unable to resist, she kissed him.
His lips were firm and warm, his tongue soft as it brushed into her mouth, and she raised her arms around his neck, letting him pull her closer, to the edge of the worktop. He returned his hands to her thighs and slid his fingers to the tops of her stockings, then to the band of bare skin above the nylon.
He drew back very slightly, hovering his lips above hers, exchanging breaths with her as he ran his fingers around the tops of her thighs to the outside, then back to the centre again. Her heart thumped as his warm hands rested on her skin, his thumbs brushing down, grazing the sensitive area at the top of her thighs, not quite touching her silky underwear.
“Oh,” she whispered, feeling slightly melty, like a chocolate button left on a radiator. Jeez, the guy was only brushing her thighs. If he did anything more intimate, she’d self-combust.
“You are the sexiest creature I’ve ever met,” he murmured, kissing up the line of her jaw to her ear, touching his tongue there. She shivered and he groaned. “Oh God, don’t do that.”
“I can’t help it,” she said breathlessly as he caught her earlobe between his lips and nibbled. “You make every single piece of me tighten and stand on end.”
“Oh, Grace, for the love of…” His lips hovered above hers again as he slid his hand up to her waist and under her blouse, then slowly up to her breast. Cupping it gently, he brushed a thumb across her taut nipple, so sensitive beneath the silky cup of her underwear.
She gasped and automatically arched her back, and all reason flew out of the window. He tightened his other arm around her and kissed her fervently, his hand warm on her breast, and a rush of moisture soaked the panties of the silky body she was wearing as she moved her hips, feeling him hard against the soft, swollen part of her. He kissed down her neck, murmuring something she couldn’t hear, and she leaned back on her hands as his tongue traced down her skin, pots and pans clattering behind her as she bumped them.
He began to undo the buttons on her blouse, and she held her breath as he reached the bottom and pushed the sides apart. His face was a picture as he studied the white body that, with its touch of Lycra, clung to her figure, the cups topped with white lace outlining her breasts perfectly. “Whoa.” He pushed the blouse off her shoulders and then lifted her down to the floor. “Sorry, but I’ve got to get a better look at that.”
She waited shyly as he unzipped her skirt, slowly letting it drop to the tiles. For a moment, he just studied her, from her sheer stockings, to the white garters, to where the garment dipped between her thighs and then up to her breasts before his gaze reached hers once again.
“Miss Fox, you are absolutely stunning.”
She laughed. “My underwear says thank you.”
He lifted the strap on her shoulder with a finger. “Do I get to see what’s beneath it?”
She clamped a hand on top of his, eyes wide with alarm. As he raised his eyebrows, she shook her head. “I…um… Can I keep it on? It makes me feel…sexy.”
“
You
are sexy,” he said, stepping closer to her again, his hands resting on her hips. “The underwear’s gilding the lily. But it’s up to you. I’m hardly complaining.”
“What about you?” she said, tugging at the bottom of his shirt.
“Oh, yeah.” He grabbed the shirt at the back of his neck and tugged it over his head then dropped it to the floor, running a hand briefly through his hair before returning it to her hip.
“Oh my God.” Grace nearly imploded. She placed her hands on his chest and ran them up, brushing his flat nipples and light brown scattering of hair, moving them across to his shoulders, finally running them down his arms. He was magnificent, built like a warrior, a perfect example of strength, vitality and maleness rolled into one. He smelled of the fresh outdoors, and his muscles beneath her fingers were hard, the skin stretched over them like warm cotton over steel.
“Miss Fox, speechless?” he teased. “I’m hoping that’s a good sign.”
“It’s a very good sign.” For some peculiar reason, she felt tears sting her eyes. He was so lovely—he could have any woman he wanted. What could he possibly want with her?
Chapter Six
He slid his hand underneath her chin and lifted it, his blue eyes searching hers. There was something about him that was so reassuring—he exuded calmness, and his gentle gaze made some of the tension flow from her, letting her return his smile before he slowly lowered his lips back to hers.
This time he pulled her to him, sliding his hands up her ribcage to cup her breasts, circling his palms over her nipples before brushing them with his thumbs until they hardened. Grace sighed, heat beginning to build between her thighs, and Ash deepened his kiss as if he could sense her rising passion. Her heart thundered beneath his hand, and as he squeezed her nipples gently she sighed again, tipping back her head, pressing her hips against his, desperate to feel his hardness pressing against her.
He planted kisses down her neck, bending his head to cover a nipple with his mouth, and small fireworks went off throughout her body, tiny explosions in her breasts and between her thighs that made her gasp.
Ash ran his hand up her thigh, slipping his fingers beneath the panties of her silky body, sliding them into the curls of her hair, then down into the part of her that ached for his touch. They both groaned at the hot slipperiness of her, and he moved his fingers into her to catch the wetness, sliding them back up to start caressing the sensitive folds of her skin. Grace inhaled as his mouth hovered over hers, and he lightly circled the silky area around her clit before finally stroking it, making her groan again and clutch hold of the worktop with both hands, afraid if she let go, she might collapse.
“Bed?” he queried, brushing his lips against hers.
She shook her head. “Here.” The bedroom was too intimate—it was as if they were saying they had a relationship. Here it was just sex, a spur-of-the-moment thing, almost as if she didn’t have a choice.
She wondered whether he’d protest, but he said, “Okay,” and without warning lifted her back onto the worktop, laughing.
She squealed, laughing too, wrapping her legs around him, putting her arms around his neck as he kissed her again. She couldn’t believe this was really happening. Was she really about to have sex with Ash Rutherford, here, in his kitchen, just as his daughter had predicted? As Mia had predicted? His hands moved back to her breasts, and all sensible thoughts fled her mind.
“Ah, God…” She gasped as he slid down a cup of the silky body and drew her nipple into his mouth. He brushed the sensitive skin with his tongue, and then he sucked, nearly making her come on the spot. “Ash…please…”
He kissed back up to her lips—and then, to her surprise, stopped. He pulled back to look into her eyes.
Damn it.
What had she done? Panic rose within her.
He ran a hand through his hair. “Shit. I’ve just realised—I haven’t got any condoms in the house.” He gave an embarrassed laugh. “I’ve never asked a woman back here. I don’t think I even have one in my wallet. Jeez, some Romeo I am. I should have listened to my daughter.”
She supposed she should feel irritated, but she didn’t. Instead, she felt a warmth flood through her at the thought that he hadn’t planned this, and he obviously didn’t do it regularly. She gave him a tentative smile. “It’s okay. I’m…I’m on the pill, if you want to carry on. And I’m clean, Ash, I promise.”
He touched her face gently. “Me too. Are you sure?”
“Oh yeah,” she said vehemently.
He gave a relieved laugh. “Thank the Lord.” He started unbuckling his jeans.