Love, Always and Forever

by Alexis Morgan

  His eyes darkened as if actually considering it. Then he lowered his head closer to hers, his breath tickling across her skin. “I’m thinking we should save that for another night. You know, when you’re ready for the advanced class.”

  Oh, man, the images that created. She shivered. “Kiss me, Misha.”

  He closed the small distance between them. “One kiss and then we move to the bed. No way I want to end up sleeping on this couch again. Okay?”

  His lips settled over hers at the same instant his big palm cupped her breast. The double assault of his tongue sweeping in and out of her mouth while his hand kneaded her breast was pure heaven. He stopped briefly to tug her nipple until it beaded up. When he was satisfied with that one, he turned his attention to the other one.

  She leaned in to his touch, needing so much more to ease the ache he created wherever he touched her. Her own hands had found their way under his T-shirt to stroke all that smooth skin. She wanted rub against him like a kitten.

  His voice deepened to a rough growl. “I’m taking you to bed now while I’m still capable of intelligent thought and possess the ability to walk.”

  He flowed up to his feet with that amazingly graceful way he had of moving. Once again, he offered her his hand. “Ready?”

  She nodded and stood up, proud of the fact that her doubts had started to fade as soon as they kissed. Rather than let him lead the way, she took his hand in hers and pulled him down the hall to learn where the night would take them next.

  Chapter 18

  Mikhail was no innocent, but that didn’t mean he had any idea of what he was doing right now. His need for Amy went bone deep, but he was a man of his word. If she hesitated at all, he would slow down, even if it killed him. There was no way he was going to rush this.

  Once they crossed the threshold of her bedroom, Amy coasted to a stop, giving him a chance to look around. The only light came from the hallway, but it was enough to let him get a sense of her most personal space. The room reminded him of her—bold colors, comfortable, warm, and welcoming.

  He considered turning on the lamp next to the bed but rejected the idea. Amy was already nervous enough; bright light might only add to her self-consciousness about her body. Mere words wouldn’t be enough to convince her that her scars wouldn’t matter to him, but his actions in the next few minutes might make all the difference.

  She still had his hand in a death grip, so he used that connection to spin her right into his embrace. “Come here, you.”

  The abrupt change in their positions clearly startled her, but she settled right into his arms as he claimed her mouth with his. It took little persuading for her to part her lips and invite him to deepen the kiss. He plunged his tongue inside, stroking hers with a rhythm meant to foreshadow how it would be for them once they got horizontal and took this dance to the next level. She rose higher, pressing her soft breasts against his chest as she dug her fingertips into his shoulders.

  Time to push the boundaries a bit. After coaxing her tongue into coming out to play, he sucked on it, loving the way she moaned in response. At the same time, he slid his fingers beneath the waistband of her flannel boxers to grab a double handful of her backside, something he’d been dreaming about since day one. Her flesh was firm and her skin so satiny smooth to the touch.

  Evidently his lady was growing bolder, because suddenly she was stroking his erection with the palm of her hand. When she gave his balls a gentle squeeze, his eyes about rolled back in his head. Damn, she was a quick learner.

  He tightened his hold on her ass and lifted her up. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”

  As soon as she complied with his order, he walked them both forward until he reached the side of her bed. He freed up one hand long enough yank the covers farther back out of their way before setting Amy down in the middle of the bed.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  When she sat up and looked confused, he added, “Protection won’t do either of us any good if it’s in the other room.”

  She settled back on her pillow. “Good thinking.”

  He charged back down the hall to the living room where he’d tucked his shaving kit in a corner of the bookshelf, making the return trip in record time. After putting the freshly opened box within easy reach on the bedside table, he stretched out on the bed. Amy immediately rolled toward him and tugged his shirt up to splay her hand on his six-pack. To aid her efforts, he peeled off his shirt and tossed it on the floor.

  Amy propped herself up on one elbow and looked her fill as she stroked his chest, then in a daring move, she traced the line of hair that disappeared into the top of his pajamas with the tip of her tongue. “I love the taste of your skin.”

  It took every bit of control he could muster to remain still and let Amy explore without turning the tables on her. He wanted to get his hands on all that wonderful feminine beauty, but tonight was all about her. Everything would go more smoothly once she grew comfortable touching his body.

  After a couple of minutes, he brushed a lock of her hair back from her face, then threaded his fingers through the rest of it. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

  She clearly didn’t agree with his assessment, so he offered up some details to support his position. “It’s true. Your eyes are the color of bittersweet chocolate. Your hair is thick and soft.”

  He traced the curve of her lower lip, laughing when she nipped at his fingertip. “And your mouth drives me crazy. The way you smile and especially the way you kiss.”

  Deciding to follow up his words with action, he kissed her, starting slow, coaxing her closer with nothing more than a gentle brush of his lips. The ploy worked, because she protested when he backed away.

  Time to continue with his inventory of her assets. “Did I mention how much I love your legs? I’ve dreamed about how they’d feel tangled with mine.”

  He moved his hand from her head down to her thigh, stroking it downward past her knee, past her calf and then back up again, this time briefly slipping his fingers beneath the hem of her soft flannel pajama shorts. “My dreams didn’t do them justice.”

  Turning on his side, he scooted closer as he lifted her leg up over his hip. Still moving slowly, once again he caressed her leg. But this time, on the upward stroke, he brought his hand up the inside of her thigh to lightly brush across the damp heat at the apex of her legs.

  The slight catch in her breathing was her only reaction. Since she didn’t protest, he did it again, this time a little harder and a helluva lot slower. Her eyes drifted to half-mast as her hips flexed forward. Yeah, the lady liked that, so he continued stroking her in slow circles, gradually narrowing his focus down to the center of her core.

  Time to take this up another level. He urged Amy over onto her back and kissed her again with lots of nibbling along her jawline and then down to the pulse point at the base of her neck. From there he moved on to nuzzle the valley between her breasts. Her nipples had beaded up into obvious points beneath the thin fabric of her T-shirt. Damn, he wanted to get skin to skin with her, but it was still too soon.

  Instead, he caught the tip of one breast in his lips. He worked it with his teeth and tongue while at the same time cupping her mound and giving it a gentle squeeze. She stiffened briefly and then slowly relaxed.

  He brought his gaze up to meet hers. “You doing okay with this?”

  That she didn’t hesitate before nodding was a relief. “Let me know if that changes.”

  “I will.”

  She caught his hand in hers. “Thank you for being so patient with me.”

  “It’s my pleasure.” He kissed the center of her palm. “Because this will only be good for me if it’s good for you.”

  Without giving her a chance to think too much, he pulled her shirt up just enough to reveal her midriff. When she didn’t protest, he rewarded her by suckling first one breast and then the other through the soft T-shirt. As he did, he eased his hand inside her pajama bottoms to tease the curls that protec
ted her most special secrets.

  Oh, yeah, her body knew what it wanted even if she wasn’t quite sure about it. He tested her readiness by thrusting one finger deep inside her body and then back out again. Once again her hips rocked up to meet his touch.

  Without asking permission, he moved down the bed to kneel between her feet. Hooking his fingers in her waistband, he slowly removed her flannel shorts and dropped them over the edge of the bed. It came as no surprise when Amy tried to clamp her legs together. He stopped her the easy way, by stretching out on top of her, anchoring her beneath him with his weight.

  As he rocked against her, letting her feel the strength of his desire for her, she gradually spread her legs, bringing them into more direct contact. He was both surprised and pleased when she shoved her hands beneath the waistband of his flannel pajama bottoms and tugged them down past his ass to his thighs, which inhibited his ability to move freely. He obliged them both by stripping them the rest of the way off. At long last, the only thing left between them was her T-shirt.

  “Can I take off your shirt?”

  She bit her lower lip, clearly not happy with the idea. “Never mind. We’re doing just fine.”

  Then, to his surprise, she reached for the hem of her shirt and yanked it off in one quick move, like ripping a bandage off a wound. Her pretty eyes stared up at him filled with fear and maybe resignation, as if she knew—just knew—he would take one look and turn away.

  It was damn hard to look at her scars without wincing. God knows he wasn’t repulsed by the markers of her pain, but that’s what she’d think if he made the wrong move right now. His smile might have been a bit tentative but it was sincere.

  “I don’t know what I did to deserve a night like this.”

  As he spoke, he shifted to lie beside her where he could pay homage to her breasts, this time getting to savor the sweet taste of her skin. Cupping one breast, he plumped it to fit the curve of his palm as he licked the tip of the other, pulling back to blow on it, smiling as her pretty pink nipple immediately beaded up for him.

  He kissed his way down to the slight curve of her belly. When she giggled, he did it again.

  “Misha, stop that! It tickles.”

  “It’s supposed to.”

  With no warning, she went on the attack, digging her fingers into his ribs. “How do you like it?”

  “Not one bit!”

  He caught her hands and pinned them above her head, anchoring her legs with one of his. As he stared down into her face, flushed rosy and so damned pretty, his heart did a slow roll in his chest. He wanted this. Wanted her. Not just now, but for as long as she’d have him. The realization scared him shitless. There were no words for what he was feeling, at least none he was willing to speak out loud or to even admit to himself.

  Amy’s expression had gone from playful to concerned. “Misha? Is everything okay?”

  Time to get his head back in the game. “I’m going to make love to you, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She nodded, but did she realize that he wasn’t just talking about any momentary physical discomfort? He released her hands, needing her touch.

  “I promise to go slow.”

  Her palms settled on his cheeks, cradling his face with such care. “I want you so much, Misha. Take me now.”

  He reached for a condom. She watched in fascination as he rolled it down the length of his shaft, another reminder of how new all of this was to her. Once that little chore was taken care of, he set about rekindling the fire between them.

  A long, wet kiss. A lingering touch here. His gentle caresses were rewarded with sighs and soft moans. He brushed his fingers through her curls to seek out the small nub at the center of her desire. From there, he slid two fingers deep within her core and then repeated the process. Amy’s head kicked back on the pillow, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Oh, yeah, she liked that a lot.

  “Touch me, sweetheart.”

  Amy immediately stroked his erection, that one touch almost enough to send him flying over the edge. Her siren’s smile made it clear that she now knew how much power she had over him and liked it. She tightened her grip just enough to drive him crazy.

  Two could play that game. Once again he captured her wayward hands in his and held them over her head until he eased on top of her, settling in the cradle of her body and supporting most of his weight on his elbows. He flexed his hips, rubbing his erection against her damp heat. It felt so damn good.

  “Hold on to me.”

  She wrapped her arms around his chest, pulling him closer until once again they were skin to skin. He spread her legs farther apart before positioning the tip of his cock against the opening of her body. Pressing forward, he trembled with the effort it took to move slowly, to give her a chance to adjust to the sudden invasion.

  He hurt her and hated that, but finally he was seated deep within her core, the connection between them finally complete. He stopped moving and kissed her. Slowly, the tension in her sweat-slick body began to ease. Her smile was back.

  She ran her hands down his back to dig her fingertips into his ass. “I love this, Misha.”

  “It only gets better from here.”

  He withdrew about halfway and then slowly pushed deep within her again. The second time, he went a little farther and moved a little faster, slowly building up a steady rhythm. His breath grew ragged and his control finally snapped. He took her hard and fast, the slap of their bodies coming together over and over again music to his ears. When he guided her legs high around his hips, she strained upward, seeking the release they both craved.

  Finally, he pushed up on one arm and used his other hand to tease her clit as he flexed his hips hard. She immediately bowed up off the bed, crying out in surprise as her orgasm rolled over her, through her, and took him along for the ride. Mikhail shuddered as his own release pulsed deep inside her heat.

  As their hearts pounded and their lungs struggled to find enough air, the world beyond the walls of Amy’s bedroom ceased to exist. There was just him, this amazing woman, this one moment.

  And it was perfect.

  Chapter 19

  This was the second night she’d spent in Misha’s arms, but this time was different. For one thing, they’d done so much more than accidently doze off on the couch. Not really knowing what the etiquette was for the morning after the night before, Amy kept her eyes closed and tried her best to fake being asleep. It wasn’t that she didn’t like waking up naked with Misha’s powerful body wrapped around hers, his arm holding her tight against his chest, and his erection pressed against her bottom.

  Evidently he wasn’t buying her act. He gave her a quick squeeze as his deep voice rumbled “Good morning” right by her ear, his breath tickling her neck.

  “Good morning right back at you.”

  She twisted her head to blink sleepily at her lover. Wow, what an amazing concept that was. The man looked delicious with his hair all rumpled and his jaw shadowed with a sexy hint of whiskers while she suspected she had a bad case of bed head. When he kissed the top of her shoulder, she shivered as he nibbled his way across the pulse point at her throat.

  But then he abruptly stopped and murmured, “Hold that thought.”

  He rolled over to sit up on the edge of the bed, leaving her alone and chilled without the heat of his skin to keep her toasty warm. “Where are you going?”

  “The dogs need to go out. Give me a minute to take care of them, and I’ll be right back to pick up where we left off.”

  Okay, then. She admired the view as he padded out of her room without bothering to put on a stitch of clothing. From his broad shoulders to his well-defined hips and legs, the man was gorgeous. And, miracle of miracles, he’d picked her to be his lover. Even after everything that had happened, everything they’d done, she still had trouble getting her head around that notion.

  “I’ll wait right here.”

  Well, sort of, anyway. She made a quick trip to the bathroom and then brushed her
teeth. It took her a full minute to work up enough courage to study her image in the mirror. Yep, just as she’d suspected, her hair was a mess, and she was sporting a love bite on her shoulder, proof of the night’s activities. Had she left her mark on Misha as well?

  She could hear him moving around in the kitchen, once again talking to the dogs as if they could understand every word he said. Who knows? Maybe they did. After all, they’d made themselves scarce like he’d asked them to.

  After running a brush through her hair, she returned to the bed. Unlike Misha, she was too self-conscious to lie there fully exposed. Instead, she snuggled back down in the covers and waited for him to return.

  When he finally appeared in the doorway, he held out her cellphone. “This was ringing when I walked into the kitchen. Figured you wouldn’t want me to answer it since it was your mother calling. I thought you might need to call her back.”

  He’d no sooner said that before it started ringing again. Well, damn, that sure put a damper on the moment. She could always let it go to voicemail, but that would only lead to more questions about why she hadn’t answered in the first place. Her mother knew she was normally up and about by this hour. Resigning herself to the inevitable, she held out her hand.

  Before surrendering it, Misha gave her a quick kiss. “Okay if I go make us some breakfast?”

  “That would be great.”

  While he pulled on his flannel pajama bottoms, she forced herself to swipe her finger across the screen. “Hi, Mom, sorry I missed you the first time. What’s up?”

  When Misha disappeared down the hall, Amy settled back against the headboard of her bed and listened to the usual litany of how much they missed her and why couldn’t she come home for a while. After all, since Amy could work anywhere she could access the Internet, there wasn’t any reason she couldn’t move back into her old room for an extended visit.

  While she struggled to come up with a polite response to that outrageous suggestion, her mom went on to catch her up on all the family gossip as Amy waited for her to get around to the real purpose behind the call. Sure enough, she finally asked if Amy had ever made that doctor’s appointment. Her mother had faith that Amy would have taken care of it by now, but her brothers had been asking.