The Seduction Request (10 page)

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack!” she admonished.

“Didn't anyone ever teach you not to drink and swim?”

As his shadowy form became clear, she saw him raise something to his lips. Probably her beer. “What are you doing out here?”

“Watching you skinny-dip, I think. These
are
your clothes I'm holding, aren't they?”

Her hands automatically flew up to cover her breasts. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“I was faking it.” She made a sound of indignation and he laughed again. “You didn't seem to mind so much when you were looking at my butt.”

“You did that on purpose?” Embarrassment set her face on fire.

“You didn't have to wait until I was sleeping. All you had to do was ask and I would have shown it to you.”

Faint light penetrated the darkness and she could almost make out the smirk she heard so clearly in his voice. On the beach the bonfire crackled and hissed, spitting flames high into the air. She didn't think she'd built it that large, then realized Matt must have added wood.

He set her beer down on the dock and stood, looming high above her as he shoved his shorts down his legs and kicked them away. She could see enough to know that he was as magnificently built as he had been in high school. She stood enraptured, unable to make herself look away as he slipped almost soundlessly down in the water beside her.

“I was getting lonely in bed all by myself,” he said. She heard husky desire in his voice and he circled her in the water, like a shark stalking its intended victim.

Her heart hammered in her chest and she closed her eyes, waited to feel his hands on her skin. She shivered in anticipation, but he didn't touch her. Finally she turned to him and realized he was gone. He resurfaced several yards away from her, shaking water from his hair.

“Aren't you going to swim?” he asked, treading water.

Actually I was thinking more along the lines of screaming sex, thank you.

It was time she took the initiative, even if she did have zero experience seducing men. And suppose he'd changed his mind and didn't want her anymore? If she came on to him, and he rejected her, she wasn't
sure she could take that. It had taken her years to work up the courage to tell him her feelings the first time. Although, since he'd been back, he'd been pretty relentless in his pursuit. And she'd been pretty relentless in her refusal.

She pushed herself backward into the water, sinking below the surface, then rising up to float on her back.

Matt watched her. Backlit by the fire blazing on the beach, the silhouette of her breasts bobbed temptingly in and out of the water. In and out. He couldn't wait to get a good look at them, to take that nipple ring between his teeth. It had nearly become an obsession.

In his life, he didn't think he'd ever been so mystified by the idea of touching a woman. Of course, in his life, he'd never met another woman quite like Emily. When he'd heard her standing in the hallway, he'd hoped she would climb into his bed, not that they both would have fitted in it. He liked the idea of making love to her on the beach again even more. Their eleven-year reunion. They could make it a tradition. Although he wasn't sure he wanted to wait another eleven years to be with her again. Maybe this should be an annual event. Monthly would work, too. Daily and he would be in heaven.

Maybe after the restaurant was built. Maybe then he could slow down, think seriously about exploring a committed relationship with a woman. With Emily. If she wanted that from him.

He swam closer to her, but stayed far enough away that he wouldn't be tempted to touch, enjoying this heightened anticipation. Each time she drifted toward him, he drifted away.

Finally, she rose in the water, naked from the waist up, her skin glistening, her pert breasts begging to be caressed. Oh, man. Not touching her was going to be hell.

But something wasn't right, something in her body language told him she wasn't having nearly as much fun with this as he was. Then she reached up to shield her breasts and he knew he was losing her.

“I think I'll go back to bed now,” she said, turning away from him and wading toward the beach.

“Em, wait.” He followed, grabbing her arm to stop her. “Why are you leaving?”

“You obviously don't want me out here.” Her voice quivered and he realized she was genuinely upset. “Every time I come near you, you move away.”

“I'm sorry, Em.” He pulled her to him. She was a bundle of warmth and softness against him. And that was what he'd forgotten. Emily had a soft, vulnerable side. Unlike the women he normally came into contact with, the barracudas. The ones who didn't hesitate to let a man know exactly what they wanted, and what they were willing to give in return.

What had made him think Emily would be one of those women?

He felt like a jerk because he'd never stopped to look at it from Emily's point of view. He'd come back after ignoring her for more than a decade, chased her for days, and when she finally made a move toward him, he moved away. What the hell had he been thinking?

“You're confusing me,” she said softly. “Do you want me or not?”

“Yes, I do.” He held her snugly against him. “I
was acting like an idiot. I'm sorry. I thought it might be fun if I could get you to chase me for a while. I guess my ego needed stroking.”

“You could have any woman in the world, Matt. Why does it matter if I chase you?”

He drew back and cupped her face in his hands. “Because of all the women in the world, the only one I want is you.”

H
e'd said the words out loud—words he'd denied for more years than he cared to admit—and the world hadn't come crashing down around him. It actually felt good to finally have it out in the open, as if he'd been released somehow.

Emily only smiled, smoothing a hand across his cheek. He couldn't tell if she believed him, or thought he was just humoring her. But then it didn't matter, because she looped her arms around his neck, pulled his face to hers and kissed him.

It started with a bang, hot and deep and full of passion, and it only got hotter. Once she got into her comfort zone, she was an explosion waiting to happen. He was so blown away, for a second he only stood there, barely able to keep up as she ravished him. It was as if she was starving and only the taste of his mouth could satisfy her. The buzz of mosqui
toes around his head, the cool water lapping against his waist, all faded into the background. There was only Emily. Her lithe body forming just right against him, her breasts a soft contrast to the hard planes of his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her, smoothing his hands across her shoulders, down her back. Every inch of her skin felt exquisitely soft. Naturally soft. Somehow he couldn't imagine Emily seeking the aid of expensive creams or spa treatments. Everything about her was natural and pure. Which was more than he could say about the thoughts running through his head. They were anything but pure.

He cupped her behind, and she moaned into his mouth, arching against him. “Cottage or beach?” he asked, leaving the decision up to her, though he had a definite preference.

She didn't disappoint him. She smiled up at him and said, “Definitely the beach.”

He lifted her up out of the water and she locked her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck. Still, as he started toward the beach she began sliding out of his grip. “It's hard to impress you with my strength and charm when you're this slippery. Hang on tight or I may drop you.”

The arms around his neck tightened and she whispered, “Don't worry, I'm already impressed.”

When they reached the blanket he dropped to his knees and set her down. They stretched out together, and though he felt he couldn't wait another second to make love to her, he could do nothing but stare. They lay side by side for the longest time simply looking at each other. It had been so long since he'd seen her this way he'd almost forgotten how damned
perfect she was, and maybe in his youth he hadn't completely grasped what she'd so eagerly offered him. No supermodel or actress he'd known could hold a candle to her beauty. It shone from both inside and out. What she'd given him that night was a gift. One that he hadn't fully appreciated until now, now that he'd realized just how empty his life had been without her in it.

He hadn't had time for her then. Suppose now he could
make
time. What would she say if he asked her to come back to California with him? The possibility buzzed in his head, making his heart race. Was he ready to make that kind of commitment?

The only thing he knew for sure, was that nothing had ever felt as right as holding Emily in his arms. Not back then, and certainly not now.

Firelight danced across her moist skin. He gazed at her lush mouth as it drew up into a semi-shy smile. There was nothing about her that didn't turn him on. Her body was long and lean yet so soft and feminine. She'd matured, filled out just the right amount in all the right places. His eyes were drawn to the gold ring in her left nipple. It glinted in the firelight, shimmering against her tawny skin.

“Damn, that's pretty.” He reached up to skim his finger around it, then closed his eyes and sighed. “My life is complete.”

Emily laughed lightly. “You're sure easy to please.”

“You have no idea how much I've wanted to see this. And do this…” Holding her gaze, he lowered his head and gently took the ring in his teeth.

Emily's lips parted and her eyelids grew heavy.

He tugged just a little bit and she gasped lightly. “Sensitive, huh?”

“Hmm,” she said, a dreamy look on her face.

“I don't suppose you would consider getting the other one done.” He tugged again, a bit harder, and the dreamy look became one of pure ecstasy.

“I might.”

And if she did, would he be around to enjoy it? Or would he wake in the morning and realize he wasn't ready to commit his life to anyone yet? Could he be happy with Emily, all the while fighting the feeling that something was still missing? Would it be fair to her?

She brushed a finger across his nipple and he shivered. “Maybe you could get yours done, too.”

If it would make her happy, he might consider it. There wasn't much she could ask of him right now that he wouldn't do.

Lowering his head, he took the ring and the entire blush peak of her nipple into his mouth, tasting the tang of metal and Emily's own unique flavor. Emily moaned, tunneling her fingers through his hair.

So the other nipple wouldn't feel left out, he leaned over and flicked that one lightly with his tongue. After only a minute the ring called to him like a magnet and he couldn't stay away.

He felt Emily's hands trail downward. Over his chest, across his stomach. His pulse surged and liquid desire saturated his blood. When her hand wrapped around him, it felt so damned wonderful he could have passed out.

She pushed him onto his back and rose up on her elbow as she stroked him. His eyes were glued to the movements of her hand. She lowered her head
and swiped the sensitive tip with her tongue and his body coiled with pleasure.

Her eyes never leaving his face, she took him deep into her mouth. If it were anyone but Emily the sight wouldn't have been half as erotic. Her total lack of inhibitions still blew his mind. That first night, she'd taken whatever he was willing to give, and didn't hesitate to give back in return. He could see that hadn't changed.

When it would have been so easy to lie back and enjoy it, he rose up on his elbows, knowing instinctively she needed eye contact. It had been like that before. She never took her eyes off his face, as if she thought that when she looked away he might cease to exist. It had been so intimate, so deeply personal. He'd felt a connection with her he'd yet to experience with another woman.

The pleasure in his groin began to build, radiating out until he felt his control slipping. With his eyes on her every move, it was impossible not to lose it. She was just so…hot, yet there was an innocence to her actions that mystified him. He groaned and let his head fall back. “Em, stop. I'm too close.”

“I can keep going,” Emily said. He had no idea how long she'd wanted to do that again. To see that look of rapture, of total submission. He had no idea how arousing she found it. “I will if you want me to.”

Eyes closed, chest heaving, Matt shook his head.

“It didn't feel good?”

He looked up at her, his eyes so dark with desire they looked jet-black. “It felt
too
good. Ladies first.”

“You're sure?” she asked, licking her way across his belly.

He tangled his fingers in her hair and ground out between his teeth, “You're making it really difficult for me to do the right thing.”

“Sexist garbage,” she said, lowering her head to take him into her mouth again. And the next thing she knew, he'd flipped her over and pinned her to the blanket. Damn, he was quick. “No fair.”

“Sue me,” he said, a grin on his face. He perused her body in a way that made her skin feel too hot and tight. He took her nipple ring between his teeth again, tugging lightly, and her stomach almost turned itself inside out the pleasure was so deep. He switched to the other side, scraped the nipple lightly with his teeth, then closed his mouth over the entire peak and sucked so deeply she cried out.

He backed off to admire his work. The firm tip glistened with moisture and was tinted deep red from the intense suction. “Perfect.”

“Not big enough,” she said, so breathless she barely had enough air to get the words out.

“Emily, your breasts are perfect.” He kissed each one gently. “Everything about you is perfect.”

If he was lying, she didn't even care. She just wanted him to keep touching her.

He kissed his way down to the lowermost edge of her rib cage, stopping to caress, to taste. Then lower, down the center of her belly, around her navel. For every inch he sank, her pulse quickened. Watching her, he slipped between her thighs, pressing them apart. Exactly the way he had that first night. And she was filled with the same restless anticipation. She'd heard girls in school giggle and whisper about oral sex. It sounded so private. So forbidden. So…
wonderful.
But she didn't think people really
did it. Adults maybe, with years and years of experience. But not teenagers. Then Matt had slipped down between her legs and she'd known what was coming next, and she'd
wanted
it.

There hadn't been anything she wasn't willing to try. Matt had given her her first orgasm that way. And she hadn't hesitated to return the gesture, finding that the girls at school had been dead wrong. There had been nothing gross about it. The look on Matt's face alone, the blind pleasure, knowing
she
was making him feel that way, had made it worthwhile. She'd had so many firsts that night, each more wondrous than the last.

“You're thinking about that night,” Matt said.

“Yeah,” she murmured. He always seemed to know just what was going on in her head. Sometimes so keenly it scared her.

“Are you remembering the way I touched you?” Matt's rough chin grazed her sensitive inner thigh and she shuddered.

“Uh-huh.”

“Like when I did this?” He lowered his head, touching her lightly with his tongue.

Her body tensed and rocked upward.

“Easy.” Flattening his hand against her stomach, he held her down. “Relax.”

Relax? Was he kidding? She was on
fire
here.

He did it again, stroking with his tongue. So frustratingly light. She had to fight to keep her body still, not to arch up against his mouth. He stopped altogether to kiss her inner thigh. Then the other thigh. Then he was suddenly fascinated with touching the back of her knee. Then her ankle!

He was moving in the wrong direction. Not that it
wasn't all sheer ecstasy, but a woman could only take so much.

She made an impatient noise to move things along.

He lifted his head and looked at her. “You in a hurry, or something?”

“I don't remember it taking this long last time.”

“That's usually the case when you're a teenager,” he said, then went back to work on her other ankle. By the time he worked his way to her thigh she was sure the anticipation would do her in.

Finally he was pressing her legs even farther apart, and he was…oh! Biting. So softly it was barely more than a tease. She dug her fingers into his damp hair where it curled at his nape, so he couldn't get away again. He nibbled here, tasted there…completely missing his target. Maybe he'd forgotten how, or needed a refresher course in anatomy.

She cleared her throat.

“Don't rush me,” he mumbled.

While she was sure she would go out of her mind, he concentrated on that tender, aching, tangle of nerves—

Emily groaned and pressed up hard but Matt held her firmly in place. Her body tied itself into a million aching little knots and her vision went blurry. Pleasure built inside her slowly, like waves lapping gently against the sand, and just before she reached a crest, before release set her free, Matt sat up.

Still teetering on the edge of complete bliss, her mouth refused to form words. She could only moan her displeasure at his abrupt departure.

“Look at me, Em,” he said.

She opened her eyes and found Matt braced over her, lowering himself between her thighs. He was
going to make love to her again. She almost couldn't believe it was really happening. For only the briefest of moments did she entertain the notion that it might hurt, then he was inside her. He filled her so completely, she gasped at the sudden invasion.

“Oh, Em,” he groaned, and she knew he'd felt it, too. One look at his face and she was lost again. Pleasure caused her muscles to clench and flex around him. Every thrust propelled her higher, each level more excruciatingly wonderful than the next, until the pleasure finally peaked and exploded in a brilliant spectrum of color.

She clung to him, awash with sensation as Matt drove hard inside her and she felt him reach his own shuddering release. He stilled and settled against her and for a minute they both lay there, quietly catching their breath, arms and legs intertwined. In her life she'd never been closer to another person. Not physically, not spiritually.

It was official, Matt had completely ruined her for other men.

He lifted his head from where it had been resting on her shoulder. “You okay?”

She looked up at him with eyelids she couldn't quite keep open all the way. “You have to ask?”

“Just making sure.” He kissed the tip of her nose, her jaw, the corner of her mouth. “If I didn't know any better, I would think…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

“No, tell me,” she said. “You would think what?”

“You were just so…” He paused, as if he couldn't identify the word he sought.

“So…?”

“
Tight.
It's almost like you haven't done this since…” He shook his head again, a rueful smile coaxing out his dimple. “Just wishful thinking on my part, I guess.”

Emily bit her lip and looked away. So he had been able to tell. Not that it was something she was trying to hide. But it was a little embarrassing.

Matt frowned. “You're not saying anything. You always have some sort of sassy comeback. What's the deal?” He lifted her chin with his index finger, forcing her to look him in the eye. “Em?”