if I know.”
He claimed her lips with a deep, passionate kiss that chased all rational thought from her mind. The fears faded, the questions were no more. She gave herself up to the pressure and the minty taste of his tongue as it circled hers and plunged in deeper.
As she angled her head to let him claim her, she placed her hands on his shoulders. His skin was warm and smooth. Muscles rippled as she slid her fingers down his back, then up again.
He cupped her face, as if he felt the need to hold her in place. Had she been willing to break the kiss, she would have told him that she wasn’t going anywhere. Instead she tried to show him with her body by leaning against him and by her kiss. She thrust into his mouth and explored him until she felt herself wanting more.
Need grew inside. At least she was pretty sure it was need. Her breasts ached and the feel of the cotton gown on her bare breasts was both erotic and uncomfortable. There was a heaviness between her legs. Her thighs trembled and her skin seemed too tight for her body.
Without warning, Dev stepped away. Before she could protest, he caught her in his arms and carried her the few feet to the bed. There he lowered her onto the cool sheets, then settled next to her, leaning over her as he once again rained kisses on her face.
She touched him. His shoulders, his arms, then the breadth of his chest. His skin was smooth to her touch, but not soft like her own. He was all hard planes and unyielding strength. He felt different than Jimmy had. Jimmy had been skinny and…well…different.
She closed her mind to anyone but Dev, then arched her head back on the pillow when he kissed his way along her jaw and down her neck. She wouldn’t have thought that part of her body was especially sensitive, but when his damp kisses trailed to her collarbone, she felt goose bumps on her arms.
He knelt on the bed, then crossed over her, pulling her with him as he went so somehow she landed on top of him, their bodies pressed together. She looked down at him and saw the bright fire in his eyes. Her muscles clenched instinctively and when she moved, she felt the hardness of his arousal against her body.
The physical proof of his need gave her courage and excited her. She leaned in for his kiss as he claimed her in another dance of lips and tongues. He moved his hands down her back to her hips, where he silently urged her to straddle him. She parted her legs and shifted so that her center pressed against his erection.
The contact was shocking, yet delicious. Her insides ached, but not from pain. She wasn’t sure of the cause or how to fix it. Instinctively, she rubbed herself against him, then stopped as tiny bolts of lightning shot through her body.
“Do that again,” Dev breathed.
She raised herself and moved her hips back and forth, moving her center the entire, thick length of him. Pleasure poured through her and the need to do more nearly overwhelmed her. But before she could get started, he brought his hands to her breasts and cupped her curves.
They were covered by nothing more than a thin layer of soft cotton. She could feel his fingers, his thumbs, his palms. His gentle touch made her breath catch. Then he brushed his fingers against her nipples and she gasped.
It was as if a road of nerves connected her breasts with that place between her legs. As he continued to touch her nipples, circling them, lightly rubbing them, moving back and forth, she felt a distinct tugging deep inside. Muscles tensed and the need to rub herself against him harder and faster nearly overwhelmed her.
Dev reached for the hem of her nightgown and before she could figure out what he was doing, he swept it over her head. She instinctively reached to cover herself, but he got there first. He shifted her onto her back on the bed, bent over her and took her right nipple in his mouth.
A moan of pure pleasure started low in her belly and worked its way up. The combination of heat and dampness and the magical way he flicked and swirled and sucked nearly drove her to madness. It took every ounce of control to keep from grabbing his head and holding him in place. He must never stop. If he did—she would die.
Fortunately he continued to caress her breast with his mouth and tongue. At the same time, he put his hand on her stomach and slowly moved it toward her panties. When he encountered the barrier, he slipped under the fabric, moving until he slipped between her legs.
Jimmy had touched her there, she thought, remembering the few seconds of rough rubbing before he’d entered her. Dev was different. He went slowly, easing down between swollen flesh, making her anticipate his next move.
Without thinking, she parted her legs. He continued exploring her, touching everywhere, pressing lightly. It was nice, she thought. Very different from—
A bolt of pleasure jerked the breath from her body. She had never felt anything like it before and wasn’t sure what—
It happened again. Dev slipped his fingers inside of her, then brought them back to that one tiny place. He circled it over and over again, moving closer but not touching until she felt she wanted to scream. He had to do that again. She had to know what it felt like if he kept stroking her.
But instead of continuing, he raised himself on his elbow and smiled at her. “Take off your panties.”
Five minutes ago, she might have been embarrassed. Now she didn’t care. If a lack of panties meant he’d do that again, she was all for it.
She pushed off the scrap of fabric, then kicked it away. He stretched out next to her and began to kiss her mouth. As their tongues danced, she felt his fingers return between her legs.
He went right for that one spot and rubbed it. His fingers moved in an ever-increasing rhythm until she found herself lost in a haze of desire and need. Everything he did felt so good and she never wanted it to stop, yet she felt herself straining for something more. Something that was just out of reach.
She began to pulse her hips, as if urging him on. She opened her legs wider, then held onto the sheets. He moved faster and faster until her entire body throbbed with need.
When she didn’t think she could stand it much longer, there was a single moment of stillness, then an unbelievable wave of pleasure swept through her. It was as if every part of her trembled with delight. She couldn’t control herself or her reaction. She wanted to scream. She wanted to be more naked, more exposed, more everything. Her muscles contracted over and over again.
And still Dev touched her. He moved slower and lighter until the trembling eased and amazing contentment flowed into her.
He stopped moving, but kept his hand between her legs. She opened her eyes and found him staring down at her.
“Wow,” she managed, her voice husky and low. “Was that what I think it was?”
He smiled. “Uh-huh.”
“You could feel it, too?”
“I could tell by your breathing and the way your muscles contracted. If I’d been inside of you, I would have felt even more.”
Inside of her? “How would that have felt for me?”
“I don’t have a clue.”
She grinned. “Right. Because you’re the guy.” Her smile faded. “I had no idea it could be like that. If it feels half as good for you when you, well, you know, why on earth would
