The Greek's Forbidden Innocent

by Annie West

  A breathing, hot statue of majestic proportions. Mina finally slid the final button free and pushed her hands between the open edges of his shirt. Damp heat, heavily moulded muscle, the crispness of chest hair, the quick throb of his powerful heartbeat.

  A quiver ran through him as she slid her palms over his pectorals to his collarbone, pushing the shirt wide across his shoulders and down his arms. Alexei shrugged and it fell, leaving Mina in possession of a view that stole her breath.

  She wanted to sculpt him. She wanted to run her hands over every contour and angle, from the heavy weight of muscle to the masculine symmetry of ribs and hips. She wanted to taste him, to see if he responded to her lips on his body.

  ‘My turn.’ Alexei caught her as she leaned closer. She was still processing his words when he tugged her T-shirt up. Obediently Mina lifted her arms and tossed it free.

  His gaze dipped to her breasts. Mina felt her nipples harden and, realising her bra was probably transparent when wet, felt heat rise in her throat. Not from embarrassment, but from a cocktail of pride and daring at Alexei’s expression. There was glazed heat in his eyes, while his tight mouth and flared nostrils spoke of immense control.

  ‘Not pink?’ His voice was hoarse, as if his throat had dried.

  To her surprise Mina found herself pushing her shoulders back, inviting him to stare. Was this the same woman who never flaunted herself? Who found male attention more often a nuisance than anything else?

  But this was different. With Alexei nothing was as it had been.

  ‘No, not pink.’ Her bra and matching knickers were of silk and cobweb lace in dark anthracite grey. The combination of bold colour and soft, exquisitely worked fabric was pure Mina, who’d never chosen a pastel in her life.

  ‘I like it.’ His mouth barely moved on the words. ‘Take it off.’ His voice was as harsh as the sanding block she used to finish a stone sculpture.

  Suddenly his eyes were on hers, the cool green no longer cool. Mina felt a judder pass through her, something shared between them. Understanding. Desire. Desperation.

  Not allowing time for second thoughts, Mina reached back and unclipped her bra. Her breasts swung free as she tugged it off. A flash of exaltation filled her as she watched Alexei’s expression, his sudden swallow, the tension in his jaw.

  Alexei might be more experienced, he might be bigger and stronger, but Mina had her own power.

  Then a hard palm centred over her nipple, closing gently on her breast, squeezing with just the right amount of pressure, and Mina’s self-satisfaction disintegrated.

  Something zipped like lightning from her breast to her womb, leaving a scorched trail. Her knees rocked and for a second she wondered if they’d hold her, till Alexei curled his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Her hips pressed the damp denim of his jeans.

  Her breath was a choked moan and his mouth rucked up in a smile that looked as if it bordered on pain.

  Still, he worked her breast and Mina felt something vital inside her give and break free. She leaned closer, desperate for more, overwhelmed at the escalating pace of desire.

  Alexei pressed his mouth to the side of her neck, near the curve that opened to her shoulder. But instead of kissing, he grazed with his teeth, then nipped gently. Mina jumped as another electric charge passed through her, exacerbating the neediness low in her body. She wriggled against him, desperate for relief.

  Her hands went to his jeans, flicking the button undone as if she’d done this so many times before. Then his zip, harder to open because of the erection straining the fabric. Finally she succeeded, inserting her hands between his hips and the fabric, drawing slowly down.

  A shudder passed through him, his hold tightening, then the hot length of him sprang free to rest against her.

  Mina moulded him with her hands, her touch inquisitive, wondering, testing the fascinating weight and surprising silk-over-steel sensation.

  But not for long. Alexei captured her wrists, pulling them away. He muttered something under his breath and stepped back. But before she could protest he shucked his shoes and shoved his jeans down.

  Mina had thought his upper body beautiful, his erection arresting. But those thighs, even the carved shape of his knees and, when he turned away from her, the bunch of muscled buttocks... She breathed deep and felt herself quiver and quicken. An artist’s response to beauty melded with a woman’s need. It was an irresistible combination.

  When he turned back from the bedside table, he was rolling on a condom. It was the most erotic thing Mina had ever seen.

  She wanted, how she wanted.

  But suddenly she couldn’t bring herself to move or touch. Her feet were welded to the floor and a curious weakness stole through her. Nerves? Now?

  Alexei didn’t smile as he flicked open the snap at the top of her shorts. His expression was serious as he tugged the zip down. Mina shifted but not from embarrassment or doubt. She found herself tilting her pelvis towards him, till he cupped her with that big hand and she felt pressure just where she needed it.

  So good. She closed her eyes as they rolled back, which meant she didn’t see him push the last of her clothes down her legs. When she opened them again he was crouched before her, undoing the tiny buckles on those flimsy pink sandals.

  Mina’s legs were so wobbly she put her hands on Alexei’s shoulders as he slipped off her shoes, then freed her shorts and underwear.

  She stood naked before him, primed and ready. Mina felt the moisture between her legs, knew it would help when they came together, yet still Alexei didn’t rise. Instead he surprised her by leaning in, dipping his head to the soft curls above her thighs.

  Obeying the silent pressure of his hands, Mina moved one leg wider. She heard a grunt of approval, then nothing but a roaring in her ears as he touched his tongue to her. More than touched. Dipped and swirled and probed.

  Mina’s fingers turned to talons, raking his shoulders. Her knees shook so much she’d have fallen if not for his grip. And then, suddenly, coaxed with a delicacy and precision that spoke of generous expertise, Mina exploded into rapture. Lights blurred behind closed lids, piercing pleasure filled her, so sweet it made her ache and throb, so shocking she felt as if the world collapsed in on itself.

  Or maybe that was her. She was no longer standing, but lying on the bed and the soaring, intense orgasm kept going as Alexei pressed his hand where his mouth had been and kissed his way up her stomach and ribs to her breast.

  Mina sucked in a desperate gasp. She’d died and gone to paradise. But surely she couldn’t take any more delight.

  Which proved how innocent she truly was. For Alexei proceeded to illustrate with ease exactly how much more she could enjoy.

  Her senses blurred. The only constant was the heat of Alexei naked against her, the tender touch of those hard hands, his scent, sharp and addictive, and the taste of salty skin as she kissed his shoulder, chest, throat, wherever she could reach.

  Finally, when she thought she’d go mad with desperation, he gave in to the urging of her hands and restless body and settled between her legs. Mina lifted her knees, wrapping her calves around his waist and linking her ankles. She was so ready, she wouldn’t allow any more delay.

  Alexei’s hot eyes held hers as he tested her then, with one hard thrust, embedded himself deep within.

  Mina’s breath snared in her throat and for a shocking moment she couldn’t get enough oxygen. She read Alexei’s puzzlement in that furrowed brow and questioning eyes. But her attention was on her tight lungs and even tighter body. She felt pinned to the bed, fuller than she’d imagined possible. She couldn’t move, couldn’t possibly—

  ‘Breathe. Slowly, sweetheart.’ Alexei’s voice infiltrated her stunned brain. His fingers trailed her cheek in a touch that was as delicate as a butterfly wing, so different from the invasive weight of his possession.

 
Belatedly Mina sucked in air. Relieved, she breathed in and out with him, watching his mouth, watching the flare of his nostrils and matching her efforts to his. Gradually her frantic pulse eased a fraction, the fog in her brain clearing.

  Panic subsided and she felt her taut muscles soften. There was no pain. Simply surprise, a sensation that was neither good nor bad.

  Alexei moved, beginning to pull back, and despite her reaction a moment before, Mina couldn’t bear the thought of him leaving her. This might feel strange but she craved more. She tightened her legs around him, digging her fingers into his shoulders.

  ‘Don’t go.’

  He shook his head, his wavy black hair flopping endearingly over his brow, making him appear younger, despite the lines of tension etching his features. ‘Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m not going far.’ Holding her gaze, he withdrew, then, at the last moment thrust forward.

  ‘Oh.’ Mina blinked, stunned at the fizz of appreciation his movement stirred.

  His smile looked close to a grimace. ‘Exactly.’ He repeated the movement, this time with a little more force, and the fizz became of zap of arousal.

  With each tilt of his hips, each surge towards her, Alexei kept his attention on her, reading her reaction in her expression. As she’d guessed, her body knew what to do, even if she didn’t. Already she’d learned to tilt her pelvis to accommodate him. Yet Mina wanted to do more. She wanted to be as generous as he’d been. She wanted to see him lost to the world, floating in rapture.

  ‘What can I do to make it better for you?’

  His laugh was a harsh, grating sound. ‘Nothing. It’s already too good.’

  Mina frowned, fighting the urge to acquiesce and simply enjoy the wonderful new sensations. Her knowledge was all theoretical but it gave her a few ideas.

  The next time Alexei thrust, she didn’t just grip him with her thighs, but clenched her inner muscles too. She was rewarded with a hoarse gasp that bordered on a groan. Beads of sweat broke out on his brow and he shuddered.

  Delighted, Mina tugged at his right hand, lifting it from the bed and clamping it over her breast. It stayed there, moulding and plucking and adding to her pleasure.

  Another thrust, another squeeze and this time Mina had to swallow a gasp of delight. Her tactic worked, she could see it in Alexei’s febrile, almost vacant stare and the way his fluid movements grew suddenly jerky.

  Then he seemed to gather himself. His eyes focused on hers and his mouth opened. ‘Car—’

  No! Not another woman’s name now.

  In a flash she reached up and drew his head down, kissing him with all the desperate yearning he’d awakened. Mina sucked his tongue deep into her mouth, palming the back of his head, drawing him closer with her whole body.

  Suddenly Alexei’s control broke. Hard fingers dug into her buttock as he angled her body higher. He took over the kiss, driving into her mouth as he drove into her body, with a shocking, wonderful synchronicity that pushed her straight over the edge into spasms of ecstasy.

  His body was steely hard, his movements convulsive, and the moan of release she swallowed sounded as if it had been drawn from the depths of his soul. Through it all they stayed locked together as one. Each explosion of sensation in one echoed in the other.

  Finally, when the last shudders subsided to tiny tremors, Alexei broke their kiss and rolled onto his side, pulling her with him.

  Struggling, Mina opened weighted eyelids. That sea of green engulfed her again and this time she didn’t mind. She felt weightless and languorous and so very, very good.

  No, it was more than that. It felt as if they were one. It was remarkable, far more fantastic than she’d believed possible. Surely there was some magic involved that made this more than a mere physical act. It felt...momentous.

  Slowly she smiled, though even that took too much energy. ‘You were right. There’s definitely chemistry.’

  CHAPTER TEN

  ALEXEI STARED INTO those beautiful, sleepy, sherry-brown eyes and didn’t know whether to laugh or run for the hills.

  Except running wasn’t an option. Problems had to be confronted. And no matter how delightful she was in his bed, Carissa Carter was a problem with a capital P.

  He should be annoyed she hadn’t warned him she was a virgin. He should be worried that in her inexperience she could misread great sex for something more. He should be checking the storm shutters and weather warnings. And he definitely should be disposing of the condom.

  Alexei stayed exactly where he was, surrounded by firm, silky heat. Her legs around his waist were a perfect fit. His eyes flickered shut as he replayed the moment when she’d gripped him hard, everywhere, and he’d been ready to explode like an untested kid.

  Speaking of untested... He opened his eyes and focused on the dreamy smile still lingering on Carissa’s lush, reddened mouth. He recalled the taste of her, the hungry, avid kiss that had sent him hurtling over the edge. It made him throb within her and he saw her eyes pop wide.

  It surprised him too, the fact that there was a spark of life when he’d spilled himself so completely.

  ‘Are you okay? Are you sore?’

  Move. You need to leave her alone.

  Yet he couldn’t bring himself to do it yet. Not when she was so inviting, clinging as if she never wanted to let him go.

  Alexei had never liked post-coital pillow talk. He kept a definite line between sex and friendship, not giving lovers the idea they might be in his life long-term. And still he couldn’t bring himself to move.

  She shook her head, her dark hair, still damp, sliding around her shoulders and onto the pillow. She wore not a trace of make-up and her only adornment was the pair of tiny, intricate gold earrings she’d worn since she arrived.

  Yet she was one of the most alluring women he’d seen. Not a perfect beauty, but then the supposedly perfect beauties he’d known weren’t either. The more time Alexei spent with Carissa, the more fascinated he was by the line of her cheekbones, her lush mouth and speaking eyes.

  ‘No, I’m not sore.’ She clenched her muscles, gripping him tight, and Alexei felt himself quicken. That should be impossible.

  But he was learning to expect the unexpected with Carissa.

  ‘Still, you should have told me I was your first.’ The words filled him with a mix of feelings. Privilege. Triumph. And, he was stunned to discover, possessiveness. As if he wanted to lay claim to her.

  Carissa shrugged, the movement dragging her breasts teasingly across his torso. Another shimmer of tension arrowed to his groin.

  ‘Maybe. But I was afraid you might stop.’

  Did she have any idea what her words did to him? How they encouraged the half-formed lascivious, proprietorial thoughts in his befuddled brain?

  ‘It would have taken much more than that to stop me.’ He tried to imagine pulling back and couldn’t. As well he hadn’t been put to the test. Alexei prided himself on mastery over his animal instincts. But with Carissa that untamed side came to the fore. He was tempted to see how far this gathering arousal could take him, take them.

  Witnessing Carissa lose herself so totally, spread before him like a delectable feast, had been better than anything he remembered for a long time.

  Too long. He told himself it had been all work and no play recently. That was why the sex had seemed so preternaturally spectacular.

  ‘But you enjoyed it.’ It was couched as a statement but Alexei read the question in her eyes. It was a timely reminder that this was new to her. She had no reference point, no way of knowing that they’d shared something out of the ordinary.

  How had that happened? Why had such a sensual woman remained celibate? Alexei had no doubt her responses were genuine, not feigned. She enjoyed sex as much as he did. Her patent enthusiasm had added spice to his pleasure.

  Why end her virginity now, with him? Because, like him, she’
d been unable to resist the elemental attraction that had sparked since she stepped over his threshold?

  No, even before that. Alexei had felt it as she stood, arms akimbo, surveying his house. When she’d stared up at him with such arrogant confidence. He’d never experienced anything like it—so instantaneous and compulsive.

  But the question remained, why end her virginity today?

  Because it could be a useful negotiating tool?

  The thought eddied like a circling shark.

  Did she think to convince him to go easy on her father, despite his crime? His mouth tightened. Distrust was hard to shake when it was so ingrained.

  ‘Oh, yes. I definitely enjoyed the sex, Carissa.’

  Something passed across her features. Something he couldn’t define, but it made heat score her cheeks. Instantly he wished he’d chosen his words more carefully. No matter what her ultimate motivation, she’d been generous with him and deserved the same. He prided himself on being a considerate lover. But even to him, the words had sounded harsh, almost dismissive.

  With a stab of self-loathing he stroked her hair back from her face. ‘Thank you, Carissa. It was wonderful. You were wonderful.’

  It was true. What they’d shared was beyond anything he recalled. Was he so jaded it had taken sex with a virgin to turn him on?

  No, the truth lay elsewhere. It was something about Carissa and the way she made him feel. She was different. Enticing and provoking and more besides. Alexei breathed deep, drawing in her evocative spice-and-cinnamon scent. He could easily become addicted to it. To her.

  Lightly he grazed the base of her neck with his teeth. Carissa shivered and clutched at him.

  Alexei closed his eyes, savouring her responsiveness and the prospect of more voluptuous pleasure. It would be a simple thing to coax her into more. As he thought it, he recognised the tightening in his groin. He could stay here and sate himself. She was willing. He felt it in the way she arched into him, and in her quickened heartbeat that throbbed against his chest.