by Ruth Langan
“You mean the real me isn’t very sexy?”
“You’re sexy as hell. And you know it.”
She struggled to ignore the tremors that rocketed through her. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I really am a good actress and this is all just an act.”
He shook his head. “I’ve had plenty of chances to watch you. How you deal with things falling apart. The lack of privacy. The lack of heat and electricity. The lack of hot water.” He brought his hands to her shoulders and began gently massaging the knot of tension. “You’ve managed to take it all in stride. That’s not acting.”
“That’s just a need to survive. It’s called…” She saw his gaze center on her mouth. Knew that he was going to kiss her. Felt her throat go dry a second before he lowered his face. “…desperation.”
He swallowed the word with a kiss that was so hot, so hungry, it rocked her back on her heels.
“No,” he whispered against her lips. “This, Hollywood, is pure desperation.”
This kiss wasn’t like before. His other kisses had been tentative, testing, tasting. Exploring uncharted territory. And purely spontaneous. But this was bold, possessive. And absolutely deliberate. Not so much taking as demanding. A kiss that drained her, then filled her. And she gave without thinking. As eagerly as he took.
She couldn’t seem to catch her breath as she responded to the urgency of his kiss. Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt, pulling him to her. And then all she could do was cling.
The hands gripping her shoulders were almost bruising as he dragged her against him and plundered her mouth. She felt the rush of heat. The quick, jittery charge to the system as his mouth almost savagely moved over hers.
She knew better than to give in to this. It was madness. Nothing more than cabin fever. She knew nothing at all about Jace Lockhart, except the few things he’d been willing to share. And yet here she was, tempting herself with him. But what else could she do, when he was so good, so very good, at seduction?
Oh, and she had wanted this so desperately too. This rush of pure adrenaline, while that hard, muscled body tempted and aroused her.
She moaned as he changed the angle of the kiss, took it deeper. Her blood heated and pulsed, and her breathing became ragged as his hands—those strong, clever hands—began moving over her.
She knew she ought to fight him, but she was tired of holding back. Tired of trying to stay one step ahead of him. Now it seemed all she could do was flow with the feelings. And the feelings that were rushing through her system had her offering her lips with the same hunger as his.
Arguments crowded her mind. All of them negative. What did she know about this man? About his past? And what did he know about her, except what he’d read? She was playing a dangerous game. And he could very well be playing her for a fool.
For the space of a moment she felt a flash of fear. She drew away a little. “We can’t…do this.”
“Why not?” His big hands framed her face and he stared down at her, while his thumbs traced the outline of her lips. “There’s no denying what’s between us. It’s been there from the beginning.”
“But we—hardly know each other.” She held herself perfectly still, afraid to move. Afraid that if she even breathed too deeply she would shatter like fragile glass. The feelings pulsing through her were too overpowering. The need too great. She was surprised, and more than a little frightened, by what she was feeling. “This is—” she struggled for breath “—too fast, too sudden. I…can’t think.”
“Yeah. Thinking’s a problem.” He combed his fingers through her hair and drew her head back. “It’s time we both quit thinking and just allowed ourselves to feel.”
“That won’t solve anything.” Her voice was a little too tight.
“Maybe not. But it’ll go a hell of a long way toward sweeping away all this tension between us. And besides, it’ll make us feel so good.”
“Tension is…normal when you’re feeling—” she swallowed “—what we’re feeling.”
His eyes narrowed on her. “What are you feeling, Hollywood?”
She backed away, her hands fisting at her sides. “You know exactly what I’m feeling. And you’re the reason why.”
“You mean…” His grin came, quick, dangerous, sending her heart on a fast, bumpy ride. “You’re seriously tempted? Are you saying you want me?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to deny it. But she knew he could see through her lie. “You know I do.”
His heart started racing. “Well, that makes it a little easier. We both want the same thing. So, what are we going to do about it?”
“Nothing.” She backed up another step, until she felt the wall behind her. “You said yourself you don’t believe in casual sex.”
“There’s nothing casual about what I’m feeling.” He moved closer, his eyes gleaming in the glow of the fire. “You know something, Hollywood? I’ve always known exactly who I was and what I wanted. And when I wanted something, I always went after it with absolute focus. But this time…”
She tensed, aware that he wanted to kiss her again. But he held back.
He kept his hands at his sides. “Ever since I came up against you, I seem to have lost all my bearings.”
“You’re not the only one.” She made a sound that could have been a laugh or a sob. It stuck in her throat, threatening to choke her.
“So.” He kept his eyes level on hers. “What are we going to do about this? The choice is yours.”
For a moment she said nothing. She stared into his eyes. Her throat felt parched. She ran her tongue over her lips before she managed to whisper, “It would help if you’d touch me, Jace. I need you to touch me.”
He was afraid to touch her. Afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to stop. The need was too great. And the feelings pulsing through him right now would probably turn him into some kind of savage.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Unless, of course, you want the same thing I want.”
She brought her hands to his wrists. She could feel the tension humming through him. Could feel the strength of will as he held on to his control by a mere thread. But even as she ordered herself to get a grip on her emotions, something seemed to take over. Something stronger than common sense. The mere touch of him had her sliding her hands along his arms, feeling the muscles bunch and tighten under her fingers. It was exciting to feel the keen edge of tension throbbing through him, and to know that she was the cause.
She couldn’t seem to stop herself now. She lifted her hands higher, to his shoulders, then slowly encircled his neck. Despite her fears, she had an overpowering need to kiss him again. She couldn’t bear to wait another moment to taste him. She had to stand on tiptoe to reach his mouth. She heard his quick intake of breath in the moment that their lips touched.
It was the merest whisper of mouth to mouth. A soft little butterfly kiss. But the feelings that pulsed through him shattered all his defenses.
His voice was rough with frustration. His eyes narrowed. He lifted his hands again to frame her face. “If you keep this up, Hollywood, I’m going to lose all control.”
“Really? That might be…interesting. I think I’d like to see the very cool, very contained Jace Lockhart step out of character.”
“You know what they say. Be careful what you wish for.” His head was spinning. The whisper of her breath against his mouth was as fresh, as clean, as a mountain spring. She smelled of soap and water, and just the merest hint of some half-forgotten fragrance from his childhood. She had him tied up in knots. And all he could think about was tasting her. All of her. Here and now.
“I remember how you looked that first night.” The image of her flashed through his mind. Wild-eyed with fear, but ready to stand her ground. “If I take you, I’ll want you like that. Frightened and bold. Advancing and retreating. Demanding and surrendering. And naked. With even those bits of silk and lace gone, so I can touch and taste and feast to my heart’s content.”
&nbs
p; The thought of all the things he wanted to do with her, to her, had the blood pounding in his temples. He pulled her head back sharply, his fierce eyes steady on hers. “So, do you still want to see me out of control?”
If he expected to read shock or censure in her eyes, he was mistaken. What he saw was pure sensuality, mingled with a hint of doubt.
But all she said was, “I might be mildly interested.”
“Not good enough, Hollywood. I need your full involvement in this, or I step away.”
Though she said nothing, the look in her eyes was too much of a challenge. Besides, his blood was already hot, pumping through his veins with such intensity that he could hear it roaring. Still, he had to give it one more try. For both their sakes.
“It’s your call, Hollywood. And if you’re smart, you’ll run to your room now, and lock the door.”
She swallowed, and the sound seemed overloud in her ears. “What if I don’t?”
“At least have enough sense to be afraid.”
“Are you, Jace?”
“Scared to death.” But he knew if she tried to keep him away now, he’d tear her door from its hinges to have her. His head was already lowering until his mouth was fully on hers. The flash of fire caught him by surprise. And then he could feel the need twisting, turning, churning inside.
Against her mouth he muttered, “You should have run when you had the chance, Hollywood. Now it’s too late.”
“It was too late the minute I walked into this room tonight.”
“Yeah.” He pressed his mouth to hers, lingering over her lips until he heard her moan with pleasure. “You got that right.”
He was through fighting it. He would have her. All of her. He would taste her until he’d had his fill. And touch her everywhere. And if, in the morning, there were regrets, he’d deal with them then. For tonight, he would have everything he’d ever wanted. And in return give her all that he was capable of giving.
Nine
His hands moved over her, and she felt her desire rise as he cupped her hips and dragged her roughly against him. And still he lingered over the kiss. With lips and teeth and tongue, he took her on a wild ride. One minute she was holding on tightly, afraid of falling. The next she felt herself stepping over the edge of a mountain, falling, falling, then suddenly soaring.
While he explored the wonders of her mouth, she drank him in. He tasted dark and mysterious. The tang of cool wine and the sharp bite of tobacco. She sighed. A man of so many moods and even more secrets. And she was determined to learn all of them. Who he was. And what he was. But for now…
All she could do was hold on.
Annoyed with the barriers between them he tugged the heavy sweatshirt over her head, only to discover a chemise of silk and lace beneath. The contrast surprised and aroused him. In the firelight her skin was pale and smooth, like the underside of a rose petal. He was fascinated by the long, sleek column of her neck. He ran his tongue down the length of it, before pressing his mouth to the sensitive hollow of her throat.
She made a sound like that of a purring kitten and arched her neck, giving him easier access. He remained there, pressing light, feathery kisses along her throat, across her shoulder, over her collarbone. But when he brought his mouth lower, to close over one erect nipple, she felt her knees buckle.
The only thing that kept her from dropping to the floor was his hands, pinning her against the wall. Hands that moved over her body with all the skill of a musician, playing her as though she were his instrument.
In the firelight she looked to him like a goddess. All golden hair and honey skin. Her eyes a little too wide. Fear, he thought, and that knowledge made him bolder. He dipped one hand beneath the waistband of her leggings and tugged until they joined her sweatshirt in a heap at their feet. Then he found her, hot and moist.
Stunned, she could only clutch at him as, without warning, he drove her to the first glorious peak. She had no time to recover as his mouth moved over her body, making her hum with needs she’d never even known she possessed.
Trembling, she reached a hand up to unbutton his shirt, sliding the fabric over his shoulders so she could touch him as he was touching her. She felt a ripple of excitement as her fingers traced the taut muscles of his chest, then moved lower, across the flat planes of his stomach, until she reached the snaps and zipper at his waist. With one quick tug he stepped out of his jeans and briefs.
“Jace.” She struggled to see him through the haze of passion that clouded her vision. But all she could see were his eyes, dark and dangerous, stripping her soul bare, just as his hands had stripped her body.
“This is just the beginning, Hollywood. You wanted to see me out of control.” He gathered her against him and dropped to his knees, dragging her down with him. “Before this night is over, I’m going to take you where you’ve never been.”
The darkness, the danger, excited her. She touched a hand to the scar on his cheek, then pressed her lips to the spot. “I don’t care, Jace. As long as you go there with me.”
They came together in a kiss that spoke of hunger, of need, of blinding, desperate passion. The world beyond this cabin no longer mattered. The wind blew, tossing a spray of snow against the walls, causing sparks to leap and dance in the fireplace. The fire burned low, leaving the cabin chilled. The candles on the mantel sputtered, and threatened to go out with each gust of wind. But the heat between them grew, until their breathing was labored and their bodies were slick with sweat.
No one had ever touched her like this. With lips and tongue and fingertips. One moment, so gently that she wanted to weep. The next, creating a frantic rush of almost desperate need that had her pulse speeding up, her breath racing from between parted lips. Taking her higher. Faster. And farther. Until she lay steeped in pleasure.
She didn’t think it possible to be any more satisfied than he’d already made her. But she was wrong.
His movements slowed. He brought his mouth to the silk and lace of her chemise, running his tongue over the edge of her breast, around the peak, until she thought she’d go mad from wanting. He moved the fabric slowly upward, his thumbs tormenting her as he freed her breasts from that final thin barrier. But in his haste to find her skin, he couldn’t strip it away fast enough, and he ripped it from her. The sound of the shredding silk broke through the stillness.
At the unexpected sound she cried out, “Jace, wait!”
“Too late. I have to touch you. Taste you. Now.”
They lay on the floor, with only their clothes beneath them for a cushion. There was a sofa just a few feet away, and a bedroom just beyond that. But they might as well have been a million miles away. Neither of them could stop—even for a moment—the swirl of passion that held them in its thrall.
Jace thought of all his fantasies since he’d first seen Ciara Wilde on-screen. But none of them could compare with this flesh-and-blood woman. She lay in his arms, weak with pleasure, drugged with passion. Moonlight spilled through the window, turning her hair to flame, her eyes to the color of a storm-tossed ocean. It mirrored the storm raging within him. He could do with her as he pleased. Her sighs of ecstasy were because of him. She shuddered from his touch. The name she cried out was his. That knowledge fueled his passion.
The thought of taking her, hard and fast, made him tremble. He was desperate for release. But he wanted more. There was so much more he had to give. So much more he wanted to take.
He teased her breasts, until she moaned and writhed beneath him. He lifted his head, his eyes deep and unfathomable as they studied her. He watched her lovely expressive face in the flickering firelight. Saw the way her lips parted, her mouth forming his name, though no words came out. Her arms lifted weakly to encircle his neck, and she dragged his head down for one long, lingering kiss.
He knew if he waited much longer he’d go mad. And still he held back, wanting to see her eyes glaze with desire. Wanting to drive them both to the very edge, and beyond. And he did. With lips and tongue and finge
rtips he brought her to an even higher peak.
She was wonderful to watch. Her eyes were huge, fixed on him, as she gave herself up completely.
She was his, he realized. Only his.
And then he knew he could hold back no longer.
When at last he entered her, she let out a cry. She had thought she had no more to give. But now, half crazed with desire, she wrapped herself around him, needing to hold him to her, needing to move with him, needing to match her strength with his.
He hadn’t expected this. This firestorm of passion as they came together. “Look at me, Ciara.” His voice was hoarse.
Her eyes widened, and she struggled to focus on him through a burning mist of passion. “Jace.” His name was torn from her lips. She shuddered.
And then they knew only this incredible strength. Their breathing was labored as they moved together, strong and sure, and climbed higher and higher. They were beyond words now. Beyond thought. Beyond anything of this world, as they felt themselves shattering, splintering into tiny fragments and soaring among the stars.
“That was—” Jace paused for breath, amazed at how difficult it was to find his voice “—incredible.”
They lay, still joined, their bodies slick.
“Umm.” Ciara couldn’t manage more than that. She felt as if she’d survived a storm. And in a way, she had. One unlike any she’d ever experienced. She felt bruised and battered. Dazed and disheveled. And completely, utterly satisfied.
Jace raised himself on his elbows and gazed down at her, loving the way she looked, hair damp and tangled, lips still swollen from his kisses. “Am I too heavy for you?”
She opened her mouth, then decided it was too much effort to speak, and merely shook her head.
“Good. I’m not sure I could find the energy to move.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so disoriented. Had the earth actually moved? Before tonight he would have scoffed at such a thought. Now…
He traced the outline of her lower lip. “You’re an amazing woman, Hollywood.”
