soon snapped to, however, when his hand abandoned her back and started paying her more intimate attention. Today, she was just all excitement. She’d abandoned embarrassment as a lost cause; Ryan didn’t have an embarrassed bone in his body when it came to sex. Everything in his view was natural and healthy, every part of a woman’s body put there for his pleasure. And her own.
After a while, however, Laura didn’t want to just lie there, letting him do what he was doing—though it was lovely. She wanted to do things to him for a change. With a small moan—it was seriously tempting just to stay where she was and let him have his wicked way with her—she rolled over abruptly. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she sat up and met his somewhat startled eyes.
‘You can do that later,’ she said breathlessly. ‘It’s my turn now.’
His eyebrows arched. ‘Your turn to do what?’
‘Will you please stop talking? Oh my goodness!’ she gasped when she pushed him down onto his back and she saw how aroused he already was.
‘How long was I asleep?’ she asked him in amazement. After all, they’d already made love quite a few times before she had dropped off, including that incredible time in the shower.
‘Long enough,’ he growled.
‘Obviously,’ she said, unable to stop herself from reaching out to touch him.
When she encircled him in her hand, he sucked in sharply, sending her eyes to his. This was the one thing she still hadn’t done. Up until now it had been all him doing things to her.
‘Do you like women going down on you?’ she asked him, her voice thick with excitement.
‘I do if they do,’ he replied, his voice sounding strained. ‘You said you didn’t—like it, that is.’
‘True. But that was before and this is now. I think I will like it with you.’
He groaned when she began to bend her head, groaning again when she put her lips to him in a tender kiss before slowly, ever so slowly, licking the head all over.
She didn’t just like doing it, Laura realised dazedly by the time she drew him fully into her mouth. She loved it. Loved the feeling, not of power so much, but of knowing how much he was loving it. He’d given her so much pleasure; now it was her turn to give him pleasure. Lots of pleasure, by the strangled sounds he was making. She didn’t care if he came in her mouth. She wanted him to come. Wanted him to stop struggling for control—which she sensed he was—and just let go. Determined, she picked up the pace, lifting and lowering her head to the rhythm of the thudding drumbeat her own blood was making in her head.
But, just when she was sure he was about to come, he grabbed her and dragged her upwards, his strong hands lifting her up over him then lowering her down so that she was straddled across his hips.
‘I want you with me,’ he growled. ‘Here, put this on me,’ he ordered in gravelly tones, shoving a condom into her hands. ‘Hurry,’ he snapped when she hesitated.
She had a little trouble sliding the protective sheath over him but managed at last, amazed when he slid inside her with shocking ease, her internal muscles automatically taking hold of him in a vice-like grip.
‘Hell on earth, woman,’ he choked out, his face twisting.
Laura’s face fell. ‘Am I hurting you?’ This was the first time she’d ever been on top in her life. Mario and Brad had both been the kind of males who would never allow a woman to take the reins during sex. ‘I’m sorry. It’s just that I … I haven’t done it this way before.’
He stared up at her. ‘You’ve never been on top?’
‘No. Never. I’m so sorry.’
‘There’s absolutely no need for you to apologise.’
‘But I hurt you!’
His smile was rueful. ‘There’s a fine line between pleasure and pain, Laura. I promise you that what I’m feeling is more pleasure than pain. Now, this is the way,’ he said, cupping her buttocks with his large, strong hands and moving her.
She gasped. Oh, how heavenly it felt. She soon didn’t need any help, riding him all by herself, faster and faster. His hips began to lift from the bed, pushing him even deeper inside her. She moaned and leant forward, her breasts swinging free of her chest wall, her bottom lifting slightly. Incredibly, the level of her pleasure increased with the change of angle, each forward thrust sending electric shocks charging through her body. Her climax hit with such blinding force that she cried out. Ryan cried out as well, his body spasming wildly within hers. She collapsed across his chest, her head coming to rest over his madly galloping heart.
It was then that she began to weep, her whole body suddenly surrendering to a storm of emotion that she was yet to understand.
‘Hush, my darling,’ Ryan crooned as he wrapped his arms around her back and held her tightly against him. ‘Hush. There’s no need to cry.’
‘I know,’ she choked out. ‘I’m being s … silly.’
‘Not silly at all,’ he murmured. ‘Just … over-tired. Time for you to get some proper sleep, I think. And time for me to go.’
Her head shot up off his chest. ‘But you promised to stay the whole night!’
‘I’ve changed my mind about that.’
‘I don’t want you to go,’ she wailed.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll be back,’ he said, and firmly put her to one side whilst he sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed.
She only just stopped herself from grabbing him to make him stay, but couldn’t help asking, ‘When? Tomorrow night?’
He sighed. ‘I know I shouldn’t but, yes, I promise to come back tomorrow night. Unless, of course, you’ve changed your mind about becoming my girlfriend for real,’ he added, glancing over his shoulder at her. ‘Then I could pick you up from your office, take you for drinks and dinner then back to my place for a very pleasant evening.’
Oh, how tempting it was to agree to his offer. So, why didn’t she?
Because all the reasons why she’d rejected his original proposal were still there: he didn’t love her. He would never love her. The fact that that realisation cut even deeper into her heart reinforced her decision to keep her affair with Ryan as short as possible. It worried her sick that she was already falling in love with him. How easy it would be to surrender to her emotional nature and just go along with whatever he wanted.
Don’t do it, Laura, the bitter voice of experience insisted. Stay strong!
‘I haven’t changed my mind,’ she said much more firmly than she felt.
‘Fine,’ he bit out as he climbed off the bed and reached for his clothes. ‘But don’t go thinking you can have it all your way indefinitely, Laura. I’m not happy with this arrangement. Not happy at all.’
‘Really?’ she couldn’t resist saying. ‘I would have thought it was right up your alley—all
