She mumbled something against his mouth, then began to rock her hips, forcing him to slide in and out of her. He opened his mouth to her searching tongue, and let her kiss him deeply, a groan rumbling his chest.
Pushing herself up, she tilted her hips to take him in deeper, dropping back her head. “Jesus, that feels amazing,” she whispered.
“I’m glad.” He was having trouble forming words in his muddled brain. Speech was giving way to sensation, and his body was humming with desire.
She lowered her head again, lifting his hands so she could link their fingers together. He flexed his fingers in hers, meeting her gaze as she continued to move on top of him. Then he moved her hands behind her back, capturing her wrists in one of his big hands.
“Oh...” she whispered, “now you’re getting the idea.” She thrust slowly, her breasts moving tantalizingly in front of his face. “Please, Mr. Viking, let me go,” she murmured, her lack of resistance and her sexy smile suggesting it was all an act.
Willing to play along, he shook his head, and kissed down to her breasts before covering a nipple with his mouth.
“Mmm...” She arched her back, pushing her breasts toward him. “Oh well, I suppose I’d better make the most of you before you go off to pillage the next town.”
That made him chuckle again. He turned on the sofa, stretching out along it, and pulled her down on top of him. “Uncontrollable laughter isn’t great for penile blood flow,” he warned her.
“You don’t seem to be having any problem at the moment.” She rocked on top of him, her eyelids drooping. “Jesus, you’re amazing.”
“And you know how to say all the right things.” He smoothed her hair back from her face and kissed her again, reveling in the feel of her on top of him, so soft, so womanly.
“I could do this forever,” she whispered, lifting her head to look at him. “I’m so glad I came here tonight.”
“Me too. I shouldn’t have stoked the fire though. It’s fucking hot in here.”
She laughed. “It is a bit. Even I’m sweating.”
“Are you trying to turn me on?” He kissed down to the base of her throat and licked there, and she groaned.
“Hal...”
“What, you dish it but you can’t take it?” Holding her tightly, he shifted on the sofa, then lifted and twisted so she was underneath him.
“Wow!” She dug her fingers into his back. “That was impressive.”
“Why, thank you.” He kissed her and murmured, “it’s been a long time for me, sweetheart. I can’t last much longer.”
She wrapped her legs around his hips and stretched her arms above her head. “So don’t. Come on, Mr. Viking, show me what you’ve got. Fuck me into next week.”
He looked into her eyes, which sparkled with the reflection of the fairy lights that twinkled on the tree, feeling a strange ache deep inside that had nothing to do with his impending climax. Angel was gorgeous, but there was no hope of a long-term relationship with her, so it was a mistake to get starry-eyed. There were lots of women out there who were more fond of sex than Rebecca—this was just a taste of the type of relationship he might find in the future.
But as her lips curved up and she rocked her hips beneath him, he knew he was fooling himself. He really liked this girl, and he wasn’t going to be able to let her go easily.
Taking her hands in his hands and keeping them pinned above her head, he began to give deep, hard thrusts. Angel exclaimed “Oh!” each time, and he would have worried he was hurting her, except her eyelids were fluttering again, and her lips were parted with apparent pleasure. It was such a turn on that he started to spiral out of control, moving faster, going deeper, filling the air with the slick sound of their lovemaking. When he bent to kiss her and then lifted up, their skin peeled apart with a sexy sucking sound that made them both groan.
“Fuck, I’m going to come,” he said hoarsely, wishing he could control it, but Jesus, it had been years since he’d been inside a woman, and Angel was so hot he was amazed he’d lasted more than ten seconds.
Heat was building inside him, and he screwed up his eyes and tried so hard to wait, but Angel sank her nails into his back and whispered, “Come for me, Hal,” and he couldn’t resist those soft words. He gave into the building pressure, felt the heat rush up from his balls, and ascended briefly into blissful oblivion, conscious only of the powerful pulses of pleasure, the soft sighs of the woman beneath him, and her hands and mouth on his skin, guiding him back to earth.
“Holy shit.” He blinked and focused, panting, and looked straight into her dark eyes.
“You’re mine now,” she said, and smiled.
He was still holding her hands above her head, and he released them, lowering onto his elbows to kiss her. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.
“Hal! Rule number one, never apologize for a good orgasm.”
“It wasn’t very gentlemanly.”
“There’s no law, sweetie. You have fingers, don’t you?” She gave him a mischievous look.
“I can do better than that.” He withdrew from her, disposed of the condom, then sank onto his knees on the carpet, pulling her toward him. Gently, he placed tender kisses up the inside of her pale thighs, then finally parted her folds with his fingers and buried his tongue inside her.
She bucked and cried out, but he held her tightly, refusing to release her. She tasted like manna, the food of the angels, rich and sweet, and he lapped hungrily, rewarded by her long moans and the way her fingers clutched at his hair.
He’d forgotten the joy of pleasing a woman this way, the sensual delight of arousing with his mouth, and he explored her slowly, licking and sucking with different pressures to find out what she liked, which appeared to be everything, because it was only about thirty seconds later that she shuddered, her breathing turning ragged.
“Hal,” she whispered, “oh my God, that’s... oh... I’m going to... aaahhh...”
Sliding two fingers inside her, he sucked on her clit, and she came instantly, clamping around his fingers with strong pulses, and crying out with every clench until she flopped back with a long sigh.
He felt a sweep of smug joyousness that he’d been able to satisfy her, and carefully withdrew his fingers, placing a last kiss on her soft skin.
“Come here,” she mumbled, and he lifted up and climbed onto the sofa behind her, pulling her back against his chest, so they both faced the fire. “Don’t need the blankets,” she mumbled. “I’m so hot.”
He chuckled and kissed her shoulder, filled with a deep sense of contentment. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
She picked up her phone and glanced at the time before putting it back on the coffee table. “It’s only eleven. It’s not officially Christmas Day yet.”
“You got to open your present early.”
She chuckled and nestled back against him. “Mmm. I can’t believe I’ve been to bed with a Viking.”
“I can’t believe I’ve been to bed with a shield maiden.”
She laughed out loud at that. “What a lovely thing to say.”
“I mean it. You’re so full of life. You make me feel... special.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him, smiling. “You are special.”
“I didn’t feel it before. I do now.”
“I’m glad.”
He kissed her shoulder again, then up her neck as she tilted her head away, exposing the pale skin to him. Why was everything about her so soft? He slid a hand beneath her arm, ran a finger down from her collarbone, and cupped her breast. Her nipple felt like a piece of velvet when he brushed his thumb over it. She stirred and sighed, arching into his touch rather than pulling away. He’d never get over that. She’d reacted to him in a way that had opened his eyes to a whole new kind of loving, where he wasn’t always the bad guy for wanting more.
“Angel,” he murmured.
“Mmm?”
“Stay with me tonight.”
She went still, then looked over her shoulder
at him. His pulse raced as they looked at each other for a long time. He waited for her to ask why, to frown, to say something about needing her independence, needing to be alone.
“All right,” she said, settling back down. “I snore though.”
He felt a swell of pleasure at the thought that he was going to have her in his arms all night, until the sun came up. “It’s okay, I have earplugs.”
She giggled. “Sleeping with a Viking! That’ll be something to put in my diary.”
“Who said anything about sleeping?” He kissed up to her ear and sucked the lobe. “I intend to fuck you senseless all night.”
Laughing, she turned in his arms to face him. “Oh dear, I’ve corrupted you.”
“You have.” He pulled her close to him. “I hope you realize what an animal you’ve let loose.”
Her eyes glittered with excitement. “So you’re not tame, then?”
“When have you ever read about a tame Viking?”
Chapter Twenty-One
When Angel woke, the room was filled with a strange light.
She blinked a few times, puzzled that the window was on the right side of the bed rather than the left, and then the previous evening came flooding back to her. She’d stayed the night in Hal’s cottage. They’d kissed and cuddled on the sofa for a while, and then he’d suggested going to bed, as he wasn’t a small guy and the sofa wasn’t exactly roomy. He’d put on the electric blanket, and by the time he’d banked up the fire and they’d run to the bedroom, it was warm and cozy under the duvet.
Despite his insistence that he was going to keep her up all night, they’d actually just talked for a long time, her lying in his arms, her cheek resting on his chest. Then, before she knew it, she’d fallen asleep. As she looked at her phone on the bedside table and saw it was nearly six a.m., she realized she’d slept right through. Jeez. Hoping he wasn’t too disappointed, she turned over to face him.
The heater in the room had kept it at an even temperature, and he was still asleep, on his back, the duvet pushed down to his hips, one arm resting up by his head.
Entranced at the view of warm, sleeping male, she curled up by his side, propping her head on a hand, and let her gaze wander over him, taking her time to drink her fill now he was oblivious to being examined. He was a fine specimen of a man, from his muscular shoulders and arms to the sprinkling of hair on his chest that culminated in a sexy trail running beneath the duvet. His dark hair was ruffled, and his jaw had a generous layer of stubble. She remembered the thick beard he’d sported when they’d first met, and smiled.
As she’d suspected, a feral tiger existed beneath the loyal Labrador he projected on the surface. She loved the fact that he’d gotten carried away while they were making love. No wonder he’d broken up with his wife. The tiger had been kept in a four-by-four cage, and she suspected it was rather enjoying stretching its legs.
When he’d asked her to stay, he’d blown her away. She’d been prepared to return to her cottage after they’d slept together. She’d thought the sex would be quick and fun, but after they’d shared the physical intimacy, they’d both be relieved to move on. But he’d looked at her with those bright blue eyes that had burned with passion and something else... a kind of possessive desire, as if he couldn’t bear to let her go, and she’d been unable to refuse.
And she was so glad she hadn’t. How nice it was to wake up next to someone, especially a guy as gorgeous as Hal. She was totally going to do him again when she’d been to the bathroom.
Getting out of bed, she shivered in the not-quite-warm-enough air, ran through to the bathroom, went to the loo, rinsed her mouth with some of his toothpaste, then came back, thinking once again that the room had a strange light as she walked in. She went over to the curtains and peered through, then gasped at the view.
As if the Earth had suffered an enormous shock, the whole world had turned white overnight. The road, the cars, the walls, the roofs of the houses, everything was covered with a thick layer of snow. And the flakes were still falling. It was too early for anyone to be up and about, so the white blanket was undisturbed, and would no doubt remain so, with the causeway impassable from about ten a.m.
“Wow.”
She jumped as Hal spoke behind her, and then felt his arms slide around her waist. “I know,” she whispered. “Isn’t it amazing?”
He pulled her back against his warm body and nuzzled her neck. “It certainly is.” He ran his hands down her waist to her hips, then back up over her stomach and ribs to her breasts.
“I was talking about the snow,” she said wryly, turning in his arms.
He raised his eyebrows. “It’s snowing?”
She laughed and lifted her arms around his neck. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” He bent his head and kissed her. “Can I say Merry Christmas now?”
“Oh, of course!” She’d completely forgotten it was Christmas Day. “Oh, look what Santa brought me.” She stroked down his body and closed her hand around his erection. “It only needs a bow.”
He tutted and pushed her hand away. “As much as my morning glory would love to take advantage of you, I need to pee.” He walked off, toward the bedroom. “Get back in bed before you freeze. Then I’ll let you unwrap me.” He smirked and left the room.
Her pulse picking up its pace, she pulled the curtains fully open and snuck back under the covers to watch the snow. Would he want her to spend the whole day with him? Either way, she would be happy. She’d had a fantastic time already—she certainly wasn’t expecting him to ask her to stay once they were up, although if he did, she probably wouldn’t say no...
While she waited for him, she picked up her phone and brushed her thumb across the screen. She’d missed two calls the evening before, while she was busy with Hal, one from Lesa and one from her mother. Lesa had then sent her a text, and she pulled it up again now.
Hope everything is well with you. Tried to call but no answer. I’m a little worried. Let me know how you are, won’t you? Merry Christmas, Angel, we all miss you here. x
She’d replied before she’d gone to bed with, All good here. Don’t worry. Speak tomorrow. Merry Christmas! A x, being purposefully vague, not ready yet to discuss Hal with anyone. She turned off the phone and put it back on the table, then curled on her side, pulling the duvet around her.
Why didn’t she want to talk about him? She traced a pattern on the duvet cover, nibbling her bottom lip. Was it because he was younger than she was? Her mother wouldn’t approve. Her father had been seven years older, and Robbie was three years older than Lesa, and that was the way it was done, in her mother’s eyes. She could already hear the jokes, Oh, got yourself a toyboy have you? Or What did you get him for Christmas, Angel, a rattle?
She wasn’t sure how she felt about their age difference. It wasn’t as if she was old enough to be his mother or anything—there was only five years between them, for Christ’s sake—but it was odd to think that when she’d been twenty-one he’d only been sixteen. Eek. That made her feel uneasy, although there was an obvious difference between that and her being thirty-four and him twenty-nine. She hadn’t thought about it at all while they were talking or when they made love.
Maybe more significant was the fact that he was married and had two kids. Again, she could picture the reaction from her family—her mother would roll her eyes, and Lesa’s would fill with pity and disappointment. But the thing was, she was thirty-four. What were the chances that she was going to meet someone five years either side of her age who’d never had a serious relationship of any kind? If they hadn’t, it would make them pretty weird.
Deep down, though, she knew it was neither of those things that had stopped her telling Lesa where she was the night before. This time with Hal was like an expensive Christmas bauble, something special she’d brought out to admire for a specific time before it took its place in her memories, where she’d file it away and only bring it out to admire when she was alone. Their age, their families,
everything was irrelevant except for the fact that they’d found consolation in one another. It was private, and it was beautiful, and she didn’t want to show it to anyone else, to have them handle it with their dirty fingers and leave it tarnished. She wanted to keep this moment forever—the memory of the crisp white snow outside, the scent of Hal’s body spray lingering on the sheets, the excitement in the pit of her belly at the thought of making love with him again. Maybe she’d never tell anyone about what had happened here on the island. It would be her eternal secret that she’d keep hidden forever, hoarded away in the treasure chest in her mind.
“Penny for them,” Hal said, walking back into the room. “You look sad.”
“No, not at all.” She refused to think of how it made her feel to reflect that it would all soon be over. “Quite the opposite.”
He slid beneath the covers and pulled her into his arms, rolling onto his back so she was on top of him. “You sure? If you don’t want to stay...”
She looked into his eyes, catching her breath at the sultry desire there, then brushed her lips against his. “Oh, I’m not going anywhere until I’ve had you at least twice, Hal Carlson.”
“Twice?” he murmured.
“Yep, so I hope you’ve eaten plenty of spinach recently. You’ll want to keep those muscles nice and strong.” She moved to one side, slid her hand under the covers, and stroked down to his burgeoning erection. Closing her hand around it, she only had to give him a couple of strokes and it was like holding an iron rod in her hand.
“Jesus,” she muttered. “I’ve got to investigate this further.”
Hal’s eyes widened, and he lifted up onto his elbows as she kissed down his chest, moving beneath the duvet. She brushed her lips across his stomach and down his happy trail, then heard him fall onto his back as she moved between his legs.
He was an amazing specimen of masculinity, and she spent a pleasant five minutes or so exploring with her lips and tongue and fingers, trying not to smile at his muffled groans and sighs, before she kissed back up his body and emerged into the cool morning air.
If Kisses Were Snowflakes Page 15
