Behind Closed Doors (20 page)

She nodded.

Pushing all his doubts and questions aside and all his worries that this was only going to complicate everything, he leaned down and kissed her once again, much gentler this time but full of barely controlled passion. She responded, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him closer. He did the same, lifting her off the bed in an effort to mold their bodies together.

Her lips were so soft, and he tried to convey all the emotion he was feeling through their kiss, but it was impossible. What he was feeling was too complicated. She was precious to him and yet at the same time he wanted her in a very primal way. The two were hard to reconcile in his mind and right now Chris wasn’t trying.

As they kissed, he slid his hand down her neck to her collarbone and lower, following the outline of her dress. He felt the curve of her breast and traced the outline up one side and down the other until she was arching up.

She moaned pressing her herself into his touch. The feel of her beneath him was already amazing, and they were still wearing all their clothes. He wanted her, but for some reason now that he had her in his bed and willing, he was in no hurry. Not knowing if this would ever happen again, he wanted to savor every minute of it and commit it to his memory.

He sucked on the soft skin just below her ear, and she shifted her hips as she moved her hands over his shoulders and through his hair.

He gave a gentle squeeze to her nipple, and she gasped and dug her fingers into his back, giving him a sense of satisfaction he hadn’t felt in, well, ever. He needed to see her.

Leaving her breast momentarily, he slid the strap of her dress off of her shoulder, trailing kisses over the newly uncovered skin, first one side and then the other. The dress clung to her cleavage, not wanting to reveal what was beneath.

Seeming as anxious as he was to remove the obstacle keeping him from his goal, she rolled over, and he unzipped her dress, pushing it down as far as it would go. The fabric fell lose, and he quickly pushed it down out of his way to reveal the most perfect breasts he’d ever seen.

Without rational thought, he leaned down, sucking a nipple into his mouth. She responded by burying her fingers into his hair and holding him to her. He’d been dreaming about this since he’d first laid eyes on her. The reality was so much better.

Elizabeth floated in a world of sensation. Downstairs, when Chris had first kissed her, it had been raw, aggressive. Now he was treating her as if she might break. It was such a contrast, just like him. Chris could be hard and demanding, but he had also been there for her as no other man had.

Her brain was barely functioning as he used his teeth to draw her nipple into his mouth. Everything she felt was so different, new, better than she remembered.

She held her breath as his mouth left her breasts and moved down her body. He moved her dress out of the way, as he continued lower.

Suddenly her dress was gone, and Chris was kneeling between her legs looking down at her. The only thing left of her clothing was the pair of black panties.

Even with the lights off, she felt bare, and insecurity reared its ugly head as she frantically reached out for the blanket to cover herself. With clothes, she’d learned to hide her flaws. There was no masking them laid out like this.

Chris grabbed her wrists, stopping her. Their eyes met and he leaned in, covering her. “Are you cold?” he asked, placing a soft kiss just below her ear.

“No.” She shook her head.

He buried his face in her hair, brushing it out of his way before going back to work on her neck. “Then why are you trying to cover yourself?” When she didn’t answer, he lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. “You’re beautiful, Elizabeth. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“But—”

“No, buts. Your curves are what dreams are made of. I want to worship every inch of you, and then do it again, and again.”

Chris looked so earnest as he hovered above her. The doubts were still there, but she wanted to believe he was being truthful.

Pushing that nagging voice away, she planted a quick kiss on his lips and then lay back down on the pillow, giving him what she hoped was a sultry smile. “If that’s the case, you’re wearing way too many clothes.”

Chris belly laughed, quickly removing his shirt and unbuckling his jeans, pushing them down his legs. Then he threw them in the corner, leaving him only in his underwear.

He was back on top of her. “Better?”

“Better.” She gasped as he kissed her again.

Chris could not remember the last time sex had been this much fun. They laughed and joked with each other, but it didn’t take away from his need to be with her. In fact, it was only increasing it.

She always seemed to have her guard up. It was nice to see her enjoy herself, happy.

The kiss he’d initiated had quickly gone from playful, to heated. Lips and teeth were coming together, desperate to connect. Tongues were seeking, exploring. Hands were moving, caressing. Everywhere she touched him was charged with an energy that pulsed through him, demanding more.

Soon his good intentions of going slow were out the window as he removed the final bit of clothing between them and reached into the drawer beside his bed for a condom, thankful he’d never thrown them out in one of his rare deep cleans and hoping they were still good.

Reaching between them, he made sure she was ready before guiding himself inside. Feeling her was, hands down, the best sensation Chris had ever experienced. Words failed him as he began to move.

Her sounds and her body moving in time with his was something he never wanted to forget and hoped he’d get to experience again in the near future. She felt right beneath him. Every curve molding to his body as if it was made to be there, pressing against him.

Every moan, every gasp, spurred him on. She was beautiful laid out on his bed like this. His only wish was to have his lamp on so he could see every inch of her without the shadows. He made a note of that for later. He needed to know why she had been so fearful.

She gripped his shoulders as her breathing picked up and he leaned down, sucking one of her nipples into his mouth as he reached down to where their bodies were joined. Not two minutes later, her head was pressed back into the pillow, her mouth opening wide as she screamed his name.

Seeing her find her release, he quickly followed.

Falling forward, he tried to keep his weight off her as much as possible, but it was difficult because her arms were wrapped tight around his waist. She seemed to be clinging to him for dear life.

He placed small kisses along her face and neck, hoping to calm her. She only clung tighter, and he wondered just what was going through her mind.

He knew more about her marriage than most. Given the way she had reacted to being nearly naked in front of him, he figured her husband hadn’t been all that generous with compliments about her body. Now, he was wondering about how he’d treated her after they’d made love. Had he just tossed her aside? The thought made his blood boil, and he knew he had to calm himself. She needed to feel cared for right now, not deal with his anger issues toward her dead husband.

Eventually, he knew he needed to move and as he pulled away, she clung to him for a second longer, but then reluctantly released him. He didn’t want to leave her, but he needed to clean up.

Hoping to soften the blow, he kissed her forehead and whispered, “I’ll be right back.”

She nodded, but didn’t look at him.

Elizabeth watched him walk into the bathroom. She couldn’t believe they’d had sex, but she wouldn’t change it for the world. He’d made her feel special, wanted.

She put her fingers to her lips, still feeling the aftereffects of his kisses. Chris had been attentive and made sure she’d enjoyed their time together just as much as he had.

The light went off in the bathroom and Chris, in all his naked glory, walked confidently toward her. He slipped under the covers, lifting one side. “Join me?”

It was strange. She was more nervous about spending the night with him than she had been about the sex.

As soon as she was under the blankets, he reached for her, tucking her head in the crook of his arm and closing her eyes.

“I care about you, you know,” he whispered.

“I know.”

“I’m sorry I reacted the way I did tonight. The thought of you going out with my brother . . . well, I didn’t handle it well.”

She chuckled. “I noticed.”

All was quiet for a few minutes before he said, “I meant it, though. I don’t want you seeing him again. I just . . . the thought of you with him . . . it drove me crazy. Him kissing you . . .” His voice trailed off and he tightened his grip.

“Nothing happened,” she said. “Trent and I are just friends.”

He nodded but held her closer still as if making sure she was really there.

Neither of them said anything more, and she began to relax. It felt good to be in his arms.

As conscious thought leaked back into Chris’s brain, he felt a warm presence beside him. Elizabeth. The memory of what they’d done last night flooded his mind, and all he could think about was doing it again.

Opening his eyes, he found her sprawled out on her stomach, arms over her head, legs stretched apart. The sheet was tangled around her waist and legs, leaving her upper body uncovered. The sunlight was streaming in through the large window across the room, playing on her skin. It was breathtaking.

Before he could second-guess his actions, he slid down the bed halfway so that his mouth was in line with the small of her back.

He hadn’t been exaggerating last night when he’d told Elizabeth that her body was what dreams were made of. She was no stick figure model. She had curves in all the right places. Her breasts were perfect. And her hips were the kind that just made you want to grab hold and never let go.

Slowly, he removed the sheet, unveiling the perfection beneath. When she didn’t stir, he mentally gave himself a pat on the back.

Then he positioned himself in between her open legs and leaned down to place kisses on her backside. Other than a barely-there moan, there was no reaction.

He continued with soft kisses up her spine until he reached her neck. There he paused, but her breathing was still slow and even, so he continued with his plan, slipping his hand between her legs as he sucked on her neck.