by Elena Aitken
“Next time, I promise I’ll do the cooking,” he said. “Maybe I can convince Jax to give me a private lesson.”
“Next time?” She picked up her wine glass and swirled it around.
“There will be a next time, I hope?”
Chapter Ten
Of course there would be a next time. In the short time Gwen had been there, she’d absolutely and completely fallen for Ian McCormick. That is, if she hadn’t before. But sitting next to him, listening to his story and seeing the heartbreak on his face that was still so clear even ten years later…yes. There was no doubt: she had totally fallen for him. Follow your heart. Those three words replayed through her head over and over until it was more than clear to Gwen, that’s exactly what she was doing. In fact, her website and the blog she had to write only popped into her head once and she immediately pushed the thought away. She was going to focus on the evening. Enjoy the food and the company and not give her website and the looming project any thought. None.
“Yes,” she said after a moment. “There will definitely be a next time.”
They smiled across the table at each other until Ian jumped up. “You know what I think? We should have music.”
“That sounds like a great idea. Do you dance?”
“Of course I dance.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Let me show you.”
Ian easily spun her into a twirl and caught her with a hand on her waist. It felt good to be in his arms, letting him lead her around the hardwood floor to the upbeat country song. They fit together perfectly and they pulled off every turn and dip with ease. When the song switched to a ballad, Gwen turned to return the table and her dinner, but Ian pulled her close and immediately all thoughts of her salad disappeared.
“You dance very well.” He slipped one hand up her back; the other sat low, holding her close to him while they moved slowly in time to the music. “You’re a natural.”
“I have a good partner.” She looked up at him and smiled.
“I think it’s me who has the good partner.” He tracked one finger down her cheek to lift her chin up to him. “Correction.” He moved his mouth closer to hers. “I have an amazing partner.”
When his lips touched hers, it was electric. Gwen didn’t know how it could be possible, but every time they came together, their kisses just got more and more intense. His hand moved to cup her cheek as his tongue slipped between her lips, opening her to him.
What started as a soft kiss quickly turned to one of need. A sound somewhere between a growl and a sigh came from inside her as a knot of desire that had been tied far too tightly in the pit of her stomach began to unwind. Her hands moved as if they had their own mind, pulling him closer. Their bodies were pressed so tightly together, she could feel every hard line of him, every twitch of muscle in his chest.
“I’m not sure we’re dancing anymore.”
And they weren’t. The music was still playing, but beyond a little swaying, Gwen and Ian were far too interested in each other to worry about the beat.
“I’m okay with that,” he whispered and bit her lower lip a little, tugging it gently before moving his kiss to her cheek and then the line of her chin, over to her ear.
Gwen groaned and tilted her head back, allowing him easier access. Ian’s mouth moving on her ear was the most erotic thing she’d ever experienced.
“You like—”
“Don’t stop.”
Ian laughed a little, but didn’t stop kissing her, a fact Gwen couldn’t have been more thankful for. His hands roamed confidently around her body, while his mouth worked on her neck and ear as if his life depended on it. Gwen wasn’t so sure hers didn’t. The feelings rushing through her body at the simple kiss threatened to totally overwhelm her. He nibbled and sucked her lobe into his mouth and Gwen moaned in response; a flood of heat rushed to her core. When his tongue began slow circles around her ear, she thought she might combust totally. Was it even possible to have an orgasm from ear and neck kissing alone? Oh God, she thought maybe it just might be.
“Ian.” She forced just enough air into her lungs to speak his name. He made a noise that sounded vaguely like recognition. “Ian…I…”
He left her ear, moments before she would have exploded, and moved low on her neck, giving her a moment for a reprieve. Just enough to breathe and…
“Oh.” His hands had found her zipper and were slowly moving it down her back. A moment of panic flashed through her. Ian was going to see her naked? Of course he was. That was where this was going, after all. That’s what she wanted. Wasn’t it?
Oh yes. Judging by the way her body was totally lit up by his touch, it was definitely what she wanted.
But naked? Gwen had never been comfortable naked. Even after all her weight loss and total reshaping of her body, it was still a thing with her.
“Do you want me to stop?” He looked her square in the eyes and it was easy to see that he’d do just that if she said the word. He’d stop and he wouldn’t be mad or upset. She could see it in his kind, sexy eyes. Gwen had been with very few men, and every time she’d been covered up. Totally ashamed of the body she’d worked so hard for. But that had been different. None of those men had looked at her the way Ian was in that moment.
“No.” She shook her head. “No, I don’t want you to stop.” She took a breath and reached around her back for the zipper. “I want this…” The zipper moved slowly down, tooth by tooth and with every millimeter it moved, her confidence grew. “In fact…” The zipper reached the bottom and she moved her hands around to the bodice of her dress. She looked at him, getting lost for a moment in his eyes before she released her hands and let her dress fall to the ground in a puddle at her feet. “I want you.”
Ian’s eyes grew wide and his nostrils flared a little as he took her in. She stood in her black lace bra and panties, letting him assess her. And for the first time ever, she didn’t feel ashamed or that she needed to grab a t-shirt and cover up. She felt…appreciated…wanted…desired.
“Damn, Gwen.” Slowly, Ian stepped forward and put a hand on the curve of her hip. His fingers gently played with the waistband of her panties; one slipped inside. The heat of his skin on hers left a trail of sparks in its wake. “You are so incredibly beautiful.” He took another step forward and bent his head to kiss the hollow of her neck, and then lower to the swell of her breast. Slowly, almost torturously, he held her waist in both hands and took his time leaving kisses across her breasts and then between them, using his teeth to tug at the lace trim of her bra before he moved lower, to her stomach. When his lips first made contact with the delicate skin over her belly button, she pulled back and gasped, but Ian held her tight. He left small, gentle kisses around her belly button. “You’re amazing, Gwen.”
Needing to touch him in return, Gwen slid her hands over his head, threading her fingers through his hair. He bent to kiss the waistband of her panties, while his thumbs moved in slow circles on the soft skin of her upper thighs. His breath was hot on her as he moved lower. His fingers found their way between her legs and pushed her damp panties aside. When he placed one, soft kiss on her sex, Gwen almost exploded on the spot.
Instead, she tightened the grip on his hair and tugged him to his feet.
He stood before her with a goofy grin on his face, and passion in his eyes. “You’re gorgeous, Gwen, and sexy as hell.”
This time it was her turn to reach for him. Her hands, one on the back of his head, the other cupping his chin, pulled him into her, hard. Her kiss was far from gentle. It was full of need and left absolutely no room for question. Play time was over. She needed him bad, and her kiss left absolutely no doubt of her intentions.
*
Damn. This woman was going to be the death of him. Never in his life had Ian kissed a woman who’d responded so readily the way Gwen had. His body had never reacted to another’s touch and taste the way it did with Gwen. She was more than incredible. She was magnificent, and he needed her in a way that he c
ouldn’t even express.
Judging by the way she was kissing him, the feeling was more than mutual.
Ian pulled away from her kiss just long enough to dip his knees and lift her into his arms. She let out a little squeak of surprise, but it just made her hotter. He silenced her with a kiss and held her closer. He couldn’t get close enough to her. Not enough to satisfy the want flooding through his veins.
That was about to change.
He crossed the floor as quickly as he could, not willing to miss even a moment with her. His room wasn’t much, but it would do. Ian placed her as gently as he could on the bed. She scooted back and the sight of her lying on his bed in that sexy black, lace push up bra and panties, wet already from his attention, almost put him over the edge. When she crooked her finger and beckoned to him, it took all he had to hold himself back.
“Patience.”
She pouted a little, but the second he started to unbutton his shirt, the pout was replaced with a sexy little smile. She reclined back into the pillows to watch him. If a show was what she wanted, a show was what she’d get. It took all the concentration he had, but he worked each button through the holes as slowly as possible before stripping his shirt off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Her pupils flared, encouraging him.
“Ian, I—”
“Patience,” he said again. His fingers went to his belt buckle. He slid the leather through the buckle and then moved to his zipper. Freed from the confines of his jeans, his erection pulsed with need and he quickly bent to shed his pants as well. When he straightened, Gwen was there at the foot of the bed, on her knees, need in her eyes.
“To hell with patience.” She reached up and pulled him down to her. Their lips met in a clash of passion. There was no slowing down. It was as if his entire body had waited his whole life for her. He felt as though he might actually explode if he didn’t have her completely.
Fortunately, it seemed as if Gwen felt exactly the same way. Without breaking their kiss, she crawled backward on the bed while Ian moved over her. His hands found the lacy edge of her bra and tugged it down, exposing her lush breast. Her nipple was hard with desire. He broke away from her lips to pay homage to the most beautiful breasts he’d ever seen. She groaned and writhed under him as he pulled her nipple into his mouth, swirling around the hard bud with his tongue, suckling and nipping until her fingernails dug into his back.
She gasped out his name. “I need you.”
Her wish was most definitely his command. The only thing Ian wanted more than to continue lavishing attention on her breasts was to be inside her. Leaving her just long enough to grab a condom from the dresser, he sheathed himself and returned to her. His arms framed her beautiful face, flushed with desire. Her lips were parted, her breath coming in short gasps. She was exquisite. He paused over her to look into her eyes and enjoy the moment. She blushed under his attention.
“You are so beautiful,” he said. “I can’t believe you’re here with me right now.” She moved to shake her head, but he held it firm. “You are. And you’re here with me.” He bent to kiss her forehead and then her lips and then her chin and then he couldn’t stop himself any longer. “You’re so damn sexy, Gwen. It’s me who needs you.” When she smiled and nodded, Ian couldn’t hold himself back anymore.
*
Gwen had to fight the instinct to close her eyes as he lowered himself to her. But she didn’t want to miss a moment of being with Ian. It felt like a dream. But at the same time, it was so natural, as if they’d always been together. When he finally entered her, she was staring directly into his eyes. He moved slowly at first. So slowly, she almost grabbed his hips and pulled him toward her. But her patience was rewarded when he was finally seated completely in her. Filling her entirely.
They fit so perfectly, Gwen finally closed her eyes because looking at him was just too much. The sensations flowing through her were too intense. She couldn’t manage all the feelings at once. Maybe if she shut her—no.
“Look at me, Gwen. I need to see you.”
“I am…I was…I…”
“Gwen.”
She did as he asked and at once she thought she was going to come apart. The heat pooled in her core.
She could tell he was controlling himself and his movements. Holding himself back. But with every slow, deliberate thrust, the intensity built until finally she couldn’t take it anymore. “Ian.” She reached up and pulled him down hard. “Now, Ian. I need you now.”
“I want to enjoy—”
“Now.”
He must have seen the need in her face, read it in her eyes or dammit…heard it in her voice. Because a moment later, he answered her need for him by lifting his hips and driving into her. Hard.
The feeling was deliciously exquisite and she wanted more. No. She needed more. She needed him more than she could even begin to comprehend. He gave her everything, but it still wasn’t enough. Gwen was hungry. She wrapped her leg around him and reached up. “Ian, I…”
He paused mid-thrust and looked at her with a grin before easily flipping them over, bracing his body weight with his arm so she was straddling him, looking down at his gorgeous face. “Better?”
“I don’t know if it’s better,” she said with a grin and a wiggle of her hips. “But it’s exactly where I need you right now.”
“Oh baby.” Passion clouded his eyes. “You have no idea. But this is exactly where I want you. Always.”
Gwen started to move. Slowly at first, watching his reaction. And then faster, until the feeling in her core began to build.
“You are so sexy, Gwen.” Ian’s hands came up to caress and squeeze her breasts, which only fueled her to the point she couldn’t hold back any longer.
Gwen tossed her head back as her body began to quiver until the only thing she could feel was the fire exploding throughout her. A sound somewhere between a scream and a groan filled the air. She couldn’t be sure whether it was her or him, or more likely, a combination as they reached their release together.
When she was spent, he lifted her easily by the hips and placed her next to him on the bed before pulling the quilt up over them. Ian’s arm slipped over her and pulled her close so their bodies were tucked in together. Like it was the most natural thing in the world, she snuggled up into him despite the fact that her body was still on fire.
They didn’t speak for a few minutes, simply relaxing in the glow of their coupling. Ian trailed his fingers through her hair and let his hand slip down the side of her body, tracing her silhouette before finally resting on her hip. Ordinarily, she would have pushed off his hand, insecure and nervous at his touch on her hip, but with Ian, it felt natural to have him touching her and holding her and…wanting her.
After a few moments, his fingers moved to her ass, where he squeezed a little. “Gwen, that was…it was just…”
“I know.”
“No,” he interrupted her. “I mean…I don’t know, but…” He slipped out from beside her and propped himself up on one elbow until he was looking down at her. “Gwen, you’re…there’s something about you. I…” He stopped trying to explain and kissed her.
It was the only explanation she needed, because that kiss was everything.
Chapter Eleven
“So?”
“So what?” Ian pulled a mug from the cupboard and looked over at Chelsea, who’d been standing at the kitchen counter and staring at him, clearly waiting for him to tell her something he had no intention of telling her.
“So…how did it go?” She sighed and rolled her eyes.
“What? How did what go?”
“Your date, Ian? You know exactly what I’m talking about.” She pushed past him into the kitchen to get herself a mug for her coffee. “How did it go? I see you got flowers. I think you could have done better, but…wait. You already have a cup of coffee.” Chelsea’s hand flew to her mouth as the realization hit her. “No. Yes. No. Really? Did you…you did. Ian!” She smacked him on the arm.
/> “What?” He backed away out of self-preservation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He risked it and reached back to the counter for both the cups of coffee he’d just poured.
Chelsea simply shook her head. “Aren’t you supposed to be setting an example for me or something?” She put her hand on her hip. “I thought Dec wanted me to visit you so I could be steered on the right path or something.”
He looked at her in an effort to assess whether she was being serious or just giving him a hard time. Something about the way she glared at him told him Chelsea was definitely serious in her disdain. “Or something,” he said dismissively before he put the coffee mugs on a tray. He moved to the fridge to find something for breakfast. “You’re a big girl, Chelsea. I don’t think I need to school you in the ways of adult relationships.”
“Is that what it is? A relationship?”
She challenged him with her eyes, but Ian was not about to engage her. Besides that, the night before she’d been helping him with the date. Why the sudden switch?
“I don’t have to define anything for you, Chelsea. I’m a grown man.” He found the fruit tarts he meant to serve for dessert the night before and pulled them out. They hadn’t gotten to dessert. Heck, they hadn’t gotten to the main course. Correction. They had most definitely gotten to the main course. A few times.
“Still. You’re supposed to be setting an example for me.” She crossed her arms in a world-class pout. “I don’t think—”
“I don’t care what you think.” There was no way he was going to let his pouty little sister ruin what was possibly one of the best nights of his life. He knew that was being a little over the top. Okay, a lot over the top, but he didn’t care. Being with Gwen had just been…right. Like he’d wasted years being with anyone else, or just not being with her. He couldn’t explain it and he didn’t care to try. He just wanted to enjoy it.
Chelsea made a noise that sounded halfway between a sob and a sigh. Despite himself, Ian felt bad for brushing her off. “I’m sorry,” he said as he set the makeshift breakfast on the tray. When she didn’t respond, he turned around and immediately regretted it.
