They clung together as they soared over the edge and into the endless void, spiralling, falling, spinning out of control, crying out as their pleasure crested with the force of a volcanic eruption and ecstasy took them in its thrall. Their hearts pounded in unison; their breaths were ragged, tortured. Collapsing against Annie, he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her safe and grounded, never wanting to let her go again, overwhelmed at the out of body experience they had just shared.
Annie had no idea how long it was before she could breathe again, let alone think about moving a muscle. She was too exhausted and shaken to even attempt to open her eyes. What on earth had just happened? Making love had always been amazing for them, with Nathan taking her to the stratosphere every time, but this…What they had just shared together defied description or explanation. How could she have lived without Nathan these last five years? How could she have deceived herself so thoroughly? Something about this man called to everything within her. He completed her. Made her whole. And she had stupidly wasted so much of their lives.
Just thinking about that brought to mind all that still remained unsettled and unexplained between them. She hadn’t come here this evening with the intention of doing anything except talking, but events had overtaken her and she had fallen into bed with Nathan without a second thought. Now doubt and anxiety welled inside her. Once again she had acted without thinking. But Nathan only had to touch her, to kiss her, and all common sense deserted her.
What did this evening mean to him? Had it just been a spur-of-the-moment one-off thing because she was available? There was so much yet to be discussed, but the thought of how they were ever going to sort things out daunted her. She still had no idea why Nathan had come to Strathlochan to see her, or what this crossroads in his life was that her mother had mentioned. Did he plan to move on without her once the past had been laid to rest? And what of her own part in events—then and now? Owning up to her selfish mistakes scared her—as did admitting the fact that she had been lying to him since they had met up again.
A ripple of sensation flowed through her as Nathan stirred. He was resting in a position long familiar to her, his head on her abdomen, his warm breath flowing over her navel, the strands of his hair teasing the undersides of her breasts like silken ribbons. One arm was flung over her hips, the other draped across the pillow, curved around her head, his fingers in her hair. Nathan had always made her feel cherished and protected and special, but particularly so after they’d made love.
Her tummy muscles clenched in reaction as Nathan nuzzled his face against her. The rasp of stubble on his jaw across her skin was a caress that had always thrilled and excited her. He moved so that he could swirl his tongue-tip teasingly over her flesh and dip it into her navel. She didn’t think she could possibly respond again so soon, but her body proved her wrong. Arousal and a fresh knot of need were curling inside her, stoking the fire of passion into an inferno once more.
‘We have to talk, Annie,’ he murmured, pressing kisses over her stomach and up the valley between her breasts to the hollow of her throat. ‘About so many things.’
Her fears returned with a vengeance. She had come here with the intention of talking, but now she didn’t want to. Didn’t want all they still had to face to intrude on the magical eroticism and closeness of this moment. What if she never had another chance to be with him?
‘Not now.’
Whatever happened afterwards, she wanted this evening. She drew him to her, taking his mouth with hers, determined to distract him from the questions she knew were preying on his mind. It didn’t prove to be a difficult task. Nathan was immediately on the same wavelength, taking possession of the kiss until she was weak and trembling, all her other worries forgotten, and her body was tight with needy desire, craving the fulfilment that only he could bring her. He looked down at her with drowsy sensuality, his eyes darker than ever, filled with the promise of hot passion.
‘You are so beautiful, Annie.’ The husky roughness of his voice made her warm all over, the reverence of his words tightening her chest with emotion. ‘So special.’
After the wildness they had just experienced Nathan now took his time, driving her insane with wanting as he set off on a journey of discovery, refamiliarising himself with every particle of her body. As his mouth blazed a trail of flame from her throat down to her breasts, her hands grazed over his back and the width of his shoulders, feeling the ripple of muscle under supple flesh. She loved the texture of his skin…masculine, smooth, warm. And every time she breathed in she inhaled the subtle but heady male scent of him.
A whimper escaped as the heat of his mouth captured one nipple, swollen and peaked with arousal. His teeth nipped teasingly, before his tongue salved the sensual sting. His lips closed, drawing on her hypersensitive flesh. Annie bowed off the bed, arching up to him as he suckled strongly, the deep, rhythmic pull sending shockwaves straight to her womb. One hand shaped her other breast, rolling the crest between finger and thumb, driving her crazy. She couldn’t halt the sobs the dual assault evoked, her fingers clenching in his hair, holding him to her as she writhed beneath him.
Already she felt as if she was balanced precariously on the precipice of release. ‘Nathan, please,’ she begged, unable to bear the delicious torment.
A gust of warm breath huffed over her painfully aroused areola as he chuckled, subjecting her throbbing nipple to one final long, slow, spine-tingling suck before allowing his prize free. Then his sinful mouth began to trail a zigzag path of whisper-soft kisses down her abdomen, around her navel, where he lingered for heart-stopping moments, before continuing down her over the gentle curve of her belly. As her thighs parted wantonly to allow him access he settled himself between them. His fingers zeroed in to explore and caress the feminine treasure he discovered, tormenting her with skilful, wicked touches that had her crying out in response.
‘I can’t stand it,’ Annie sobbed, as Nathan traced patterns up the inside of her thigh with the tip of his tongue, getting closer and closer to the very core of her that cried out in desperate need for his attention.
‘Yes, you can.’ His slow, deliberate, teasing caresses were sensual torture. ‘I’ve waited five years for this—endured five years of misery without you. Now I’m going to take my time and relish every second of doing all the things I’ve been yearning to do to you for far too long.’
Every part of her was trembling and on fire for him. ‘Nathan…’
He stole her breath away with the clever actions of his lips, teeth and tongue as he finally reached her most sensitive flesh. Her hips rose to meet him, but his hands tightened to prevent her moving, holding her where he wanted her, captive to his every desire. Time and again he took her step by step towards the moment of oblivion, only to pull back, refusing to allow her relief. She begged and pleaded until she was hoarse, sure she couldn’t survive the intensity of the pleasure. Despite the fact that her heart was racing like a mad thing, her blood felt as thick and sluggish as molasses in her veins. Her hands fisted in the bedsheet as she tried to anchor herself.
Just when she thought she couldn’t bear it another second Nathan slid two fingers inside her, immediately finding the hottest spot that threatened to send her straight into orbit, stroking rhythmically, slowly, deeply, and with just the right pressure to make her fear for her sanity.
‘It’s too much!’
‘It’s never too much. Come for me, sweetheart. Again.’
He closed his mouth over her clitoris, using his lips and his tongue to send her flying over the edge into the abyss, and the onslaught of ecstasy was too much to cope with as he relentlessly extended and prolonged her climax.
As she gradually floated back to earth, with the aftershocks of her shattering orgasm still undulating through her, Nathan rolled onto his back, taking her with him. He handed her a condom, but she set the foil packet aside, determined to have time to enjoy his body as he had enjoyed hers.
She kissed her way over his chest, li
ngering to feather and swirl her tongue around each male nipple in turn, smiling at the way his hands fisted in her hair, at the groan drawn from deep within him. How could she have forgotten the joy of intimately exploring every inch of such masculine perfection? She nibbled her way across his abdomen and then down the narrow line of dark hair to play at his navel, knowing how sensitive he was there, making him toss impatiently beneath her.
Her hands explored, fingers relearning every plane and curve and hollow of his body, finally zeroing in on his impressive erection. He was hot and hard, swelling further to her touch. She loved the feel of him…the softest skin over the steel core. Moving impatiently beneath her, he cursed as she traced his length with her tongue, savouring the musky male taste of him as she took him into her mouth.
Nathan’s response was immediate, urging her to hurry. Just as impatient, and unable to wait any longer, she searched for the condom, opened it, and rolled it deftly on before moving to straddle him. His hands skimmed her thighs, stroking over her hips and up her stomach to her breasts. She arched into his touch, her cry mingling with his as she sank down and reunited them with one sure motion.
The feel of him so deep and tight inside her was indescribable. She wanted to stay that way for ever, but he took back control, rolling them again in the tangled sheets until she was beneath him once more. Annie clung to him, wrapping her legs around him, never wanting this to end, scared of what would happen when reality intruded once more. Forcing the thought aside, she lost herself in the fiery magic of loving Nathan—of being loved by Nathan—giving everything with her body, heart and soul as fierce pleasure built and built again in an unstoppable swell, overtaking them, sweeping them away on a tidal wave of need and desire.
‘Annie…’
As Nathan buried his face in her neck his hold on her tightened, one hand at her nape, his other arm wrapped around her hips. She closed her mouth on his shoulder, tasting the salty heat of his skin. ‘Now—please.’
‘Yes.’
Crying out in unison, they crested together as her climax triggered his, plunging them into the vortex, racking them with the intensity of release. For a moment Annie thought she actually blacked out. As she slowly regained her senses, gasping for breath, her heart beating a crazy tattoo in her chest, Nathan shifted to one side to ease his weight from her, taking her with him, cradling her against him.
Neither of them spoke. Trying to calm her racing pulse and make sure her lungs were working and receiving oxygen again, Annie nuzzled against him, feeling the frantic beat of his heart beneath her palm. She inhaled the familiar scent of him, mixed with the heat of his body and the musky aroma of their pleasure. It made her feel heady with excitement. She relaxed, spent but exhilarated, soothed by the feel of his fingers stroking her hair, brushing the damp strands back from her flushed face.
Annie wasn’t sure what brought her back to herself. Frowning, she realised she must have dozed off. The bedside light had been switched off, and in the dark silence of the bedroom the only sounds were Nathan’s steady pulse against her ear and his even breathing. Her head still rested on his chest, but his hold had loosened as he slept. Some of her doubts and anxieties returned as she came more awake and her fogged brain began to clear. What had she done? She needed to think—needed to decide how to explain things to Nathan, was all too aware how much they had to talk about in the cold light of day.
Lifting her head, she was shocked to read the time displayed on the digital clock beside the bed, its figures luminous in the darkness. She’d had no idea it was so late. Due at work early in the morning, she needed to get home. Whilst she hated to leave Nathan, maybe some distance between them would be a good thing. The space would allow them to approach all that had happened—both in the past and tonight—with clearer minds.
Slipping out of bed, already feeling bereft without Nathan’s touch, Annie turned on the light in the hallway, using its glow to gather up her discarded clothes. After putting on her boots, she found her jumper on the bedroom floor and pulled it on, unable to bear the restriction of her bra against her sensitised flesh. A blush washed her cheeks when she found her torn panties. Retracing her steps, she discovered her skirt in the living room, and she pulled it on before heading out to the hallway.
‘Where are you going?’
About to open the front door, Annie gasped in surprise at the sound of Nathan’s sleepily sexy voice behind her and swung round. He looked deliciously rumpled, sated, yet with the spark of hunger still in his eyes. She was relieved he had taken time to pull on his boxer shorts. Faced with the perfection of his body in full naked glory, she wasn’t sure she would have survived temptation.
‘I’m on early at work, like you. I have to get home,’ she explained, wishing she sounded less nervous and awkward. ‘Will doesn’t know where I am. He’ll be worried.’
A tense silence followed, and she saw Nathan’s expression close as he shut her off from his thoughts and emotions. Darkly brooding, he closed the distance between them.
‘You’re going back to him? Now? After what we’ve just shared?’ His anger was evident, and Annie suddenly realised how her words had sounded and the way they had been misconstrued. ‘I guess I know where I stand. What was this, Annie? A tumble for old times’ sake?’
‘No, you don’t understand!’
‘I understand you’re not the woman I thought you were. I’m not a plaything,’ he snapped, reaching past her to open the door, allowing in a gust of icy wind.
Annie shivered, more from the hurt disgust and chill in his dark eyes than from the coldness of the weather. ‘It’s not like that. Please let me explain,’ she begged him, distraught at how the situation had run away with her.
‘Get out.’
‘Nathan—’
His hand closed around her upper arm and she found herself outside before she could explain further. ‘I’m not into sharing. I have more respect for myself. And for Will. Even if you don’t.’
‘Please…’
‘We’re done, Annie.’
The door closed in her face and the lock snapped shut. She called his name, rang the bell and banged on the door without success. Desperate, she bent down to peer through the letterbox, in time to see Nathan’s retreating figure disappear from view. His bedroom door slammed, effectively closing her off from him.
Tears coursed down Annie’s cheeks. How could everything have gone so terribly wrong in an instant? How could she have been so stupid? Instead of sorting things out she had made them worse—had stumbled and stuttered and given Nathan entirely the wrong impression. The white lie she had told in a moment of desperation that first day he had appeared back in her life had turned into a deception of mammoth proportions. And she had hurt Nathan. Badly. Again. He would never forgive her, even if she tried to explain the web of lies and misunderstandings in which she had entangled them. And why should he? She had done him wrong now, just as she had five years ago.
Nathan thought she had used him and betrayed Will, that she had become the sort of woman who slept around and cheated. She had no one else to blame but herself. This whole situation had rapidly spiralled out of her control. She had tricked Nathan into believing her relationship with Will was a genuine one, so how could she fault him for misunderstanding, for being principled and looking at her with such distaste? She had messed up for a second time in the most awful way possible. Not only hurting him once more but destroying his respect for her and his trust in her. Not to mention any love he still felt for her.
Brushing the tears from her face, she walked unsteadily down the path to her car. Her heart and her soul were shattered. Making love with Nathan again had made her realise how right they were together, how much she had missed him, wanted him in her life. Too late she knew the truth—she loved Nathan with every fibre of her being. She had then and she did now. More than ever. For a second time she had blown it. And thanks to her own stupidity she might never get another chance.
All she could do was go home
and try again when she saw him at work the next day, hoping he would have had time to cool down. She had to believe he would listen as she confessed to her mistakes, to her deception. She owed it to him—to them—to lay everything on the line in the hope it wasn’t too late. Whether Nathan could ever forgive her was another matter entirely.
Nathan sat on the bed, numb with shock, battling to re-erect his shattered defences, feeling as if all hope had been stripped from him. The pain was worse than ever, and he was furious with himself for being sucked in again, for allowing himself to believe in fairytales. After their evening making love he had thought there was more than a chance for them, that Annie had come to him wanting to put things right. He’d been a fool a second time.
Her casual remark that she was going home to Will had cut him to the core. Nothing had ever hurt so much. How could she behave that way? His Annie would never have done anything like that. And whatever her game-plan was, whatever she thought of him, how could she treat Will so badly? He didn’t know this woman at all.
Oppressive loneliness ate away at his insides, doubling him up. He had only himself to blame for his own idiocy, for believing all this time in a love that clearly didn’t exist. Not on Annie’s side, anyway. She had broken his heart once before and now he’d been stupid enough to let her do it again. Even after five years of pain she had drawn him like a moth to a flame. He’d come here to see her, and had known at once it had been a huge mistake because the love he felt was still there, yet he hadn’t been able to make himself leave. She’d remained unfinished business for so long, a wound that refused to heal, and now she had taken a scalpel to that wound and ripped it wide open again.
Cursing aloud, he rose to his feet, switching off the lights as he walked through to the living room. He couldn’t stay in the bed—not when it held memories of her, smelled of her. Hell, he’d probably never sleep anyway. He curled up on the sofa in front of the fire, feeling chilled to the bone. Why did he keep torturing himself like this? Why was Annie the one woman he couldn’t get out of his head?
The emergency doctor claims his wife Page 11
