by Jane Porter
Drakon had been drawn to Morgan’s beauty, but also her reserve. He’d viewed it as a challenge to break through her cool, haughty exterior to discover the warm woman underneath.
And once he’d touched her, she’d been more than warm. She’d burned as if consumed by a fever and during their honeymoon, those four weeks here at Villa Angelica, he’d enjoyed discovering the depths of her passion and exploring her desires, her fears and her limits.
“But everything with you was outside my comfort zone,” she said, trying to hide the quiver of her lower lip. “Everything was overwhelming.”
She’d said this once before to him, during the last week of their honeymoon after an erotic afternoon on a private island, and he’d been startled that her memory of lovemaking on the pristine ivory beach had been so different from what he’d felt. Returning to his yacht, which had been anchored off the island while they picnicked on the beach, he had never felt closer to her, or more committed, and he’d been shocked when she accused him of taking advantage of her. Shocked and sickened.
He was Greek—a man of surprisingly simple tastes. He valued his family, his friends and his culture, which included good food, good drink and great sex. He wouldn’t apologize for enjoying sex, either, or enjoying his wife’s beautiful body. What did she expect him to do? Pretend he didn’t like sex? Act as though he didn’t find pleasure in her warmth and softness?
Back in Athens after the honeymoon, Drakon had tried to be the husband she wanted. He stopped reaching for her quite as often, and then when he did reach for her, he changed the way he touched her, holding back to keep from overwhelming her. He knew she didn’t like it when he expressed hunger, or focused too much on her pleasure, and so instead of just being with her, and enjoying her, he practiced control and distance, hoping that a less passionate husband would be more to her liking.
Instead she’d left.
And just remembering how he’d turned himself inside out trying to please her, trying to give her what she wanted, made him angry all over again now.
He’d hated second-guessing himself back then, hated not being able to please her, hated failing as a husband.
His gaze swept over her, slowly, critically, examining her as if he owned her, and he did…at least for a few more weeks.
“Undress,” he said roughly, feeling raw and so very carnal, and liking it. Enjoying it. “I want to see my wife. It doesn’t seem like too much to ask for, not after giving you seven million dollars.”
One of her eyebrows lifted. “At least you didn’t mention the four hundred million.”
“That was to your father, not to you.”
“I wonder what he had to do for four hundred million.”
“You think I should have asked for some sexual favors, do you?”
“You like sex a lot.”
“I liked it with you a lot.” He suddenly reached down, palmed his erection through his trousers, and he saw her gaze settle on his shaft, measuring the length and size.
Dark pink color stormed her cheeks and she licked her lower lip, once and again, before finding her voice. “That’s obscene,” she whispered.
“You did it a moment ago.”
“You made me.”
“You liked it. But you’ll tell me you didn’t. You’ll tell me sex is disgusting. You’ll tell me I’m disgusting, but if I touched you now, my woman, you’d be dripping wet—”
“Disgusting.”
“And I’d open you and lick you and taste you and make you come.” His head cocked and he shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. “When is the last time you came? How long has it been since you had an orgasm? A day? A week? A month?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“I did it in the shower yesterday, before you arrived. Stroked myself as I thought about you, picturing your breasts and your pale thighs and how much I enjoy being between them.”
“Is there any point to this, Drakon? Or do you just wish to humiliate me?”
“Humiliate you, how? By telling you how much I want you, even now, even after you walked out on me?”
“But you don’t want me, you just want to have sex with me.”
“That’s right. You don’t believe you’re attached to your body, or that your body is part of you. Instead it’s a separate entity, which makes me think of a headless chicken—”
“Don’t be rude.”
“Then stop jumping to conclusions. Just because I like your body, doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the rest of you.”
“Humph!”
His eyebrows shot up, his expression mocking. “Is that the best you can do?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her chin jerking up. “I get nowhere arguing with you.”
“Very wise. Much better to just dispense with the clothing and let me have what I want.” He paused, and his gaze moved slowly, suggestively over her. “And what I know you want, too. Not that you’ll admit it.”
Her chin lifted another notch. “And what do I want?”
“Satisfying sex without pushing the limits too far.”
Dark pink color stormed her cheeks. “Without pushing the limits at all.”
The corners of his mouth curled. So she did want sex. Just nice-girl sex…sweet, safe missionary-position sex. His cock throbbed at the thought. He’d like some sweet, safe-missionary sex as well. “I’ll see what I can do. But first, I’d like to see you. But I’m getting bored by all the discussion. Either we’re going to do this, or we’re not—”
“Your shirt first.”
“Excuse me?”
“You want to do this? Then we’ll do this. But you’re not the boss and I’m not taking orders.” Her tone was defiant and her eyes flashed and she’d never been angry before when they’d played these games. She’d been shy and nervous, but also eager to please. She wasn’t eager to please now. “You don’t get to have all the power anymore.”
“No?”
“No. I’m not your servant or slave—”
“Which is good, since I don’t make love with my servants, and I don’t have slaves.”
“The point is, you might be able to bark orders at Bronwyn, but not at me.”
“I had no idea you were so hung up on Bronwyn,” he drawled, liking this new feisty Morgan. She was a very different woman from the one he’d married and that intrigued him.
“I wasn’t hung up on her. You were.”
“Is that how it was?”
“Yes.”
“So are we going to talk about Bronwyn, or are we going to have sweet, safe missionary-position sex?”
Her lips compressed primly. “You’re horrible. You know that, don’t you?”
“Horribly good, and horribly hard, and horribly impatient. Now, are we, or aren’t we?” he asked, sauntering toward her, relaxed, easy, his arms loose at his sides. But it was a deceptive ease, and they both knew it as the temperature in the luxurious bedroom seemed to soar and the air sparked with heat and need, the tension between them thick and hot and electric.
Closing the gap between them, Drakon could feel Morgan tense, her hands squeezing in convulsive fists, even as her eyes widened and her lips parted with each quick shallow breath.
“You’re trembling,” he said, “but there’s no need for that. I won’t eat you. Not unless you want me to.”
“Drakon.” Her voice sounded strangled and her cheeks were crimson, making her blue eyes darken and shimmer like the sapphire sea beyond the window.
“I hope you’ll want me to. I love how you taste, and how soft you are in my mouth…so sweet. But is that too risky for you? Pushing the limits too much?”
“You love to torment me.”
“Yes, I do,” he agreed, circling her slowly, enjoying just looking at her, and watching the color come and go in her exquisite porcelain complexion, and listening to her soft desperate gasps of air. “But this is nothing, Morgan. I haven’t even gotten started.” He stopped in front of her, gazed down at her, thinking she l
ooked very young and very uncertain and very shy, much like his virgin bride. “Now tell me, what should I do to you first?”
Morgan’s heart was pounding so fast she couldn’t catch her breath, and she opened her mouth, lips parting, to gulp in shallow gasps of air. She felt as if she were balancing on the edge of a volcano while little voices inside her head demanded she throw herself in.
She needed to leave, to escape the villa, to summon the helicopter and fly far, far away. Remaining here with Drakon was stupid and destructive. She might as well fling herself into that volcano…the outcome would be the same.
And yet, wasn’t she already there, in the fiery pit? Because molten lava seemed to be seeping through her veins, melting her bones and muscles into mindless puddles of want and need.
She actually felt sick with need right now. But could she do this…go through with this…knowing it would be just sex, not love? Knowing Drakon wanted her body but not her heart?
“Are you crying?” he asked, his voice dropping, deepening with concern, as his hands wrapped around her arms, holding her up.
She shook her head, unable to look him in the eye.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She swallowed hard, tried to speak, but no sound would come out. Not when her throat ached and her heart was still thundering in her chest.
He reached up to smooth a dark tendril of hair back from her face. “Have I frightened you?” His deep voice was suddenly gentle, almost painfully tender.
Hot tears scalded the back of her eyes. She bit hard into her lower lip so that it wouldn’t quiver.
“I would never hurt you, Morgan,” he murmured, drawing her against him, holding her in his arms, holding her securely against his chest.
She closed her eyes as the heat of his body seeped into her hands, warming her. He felt good. Too good. It was so confusing. This was confusing.
She didn’t push him away, and yet she couldn’t relax, waiting for the moment he’d let her go. But she didn’t want him to let her go. She wanted him closer. Wanted to press her face to his chest and breathe him in. She could smell a hint of his spicy fragrance and loved that fragrance—his own scent, formulated just for him—and what it did to his skin. He smelled like heaven. Delicious and warm and good and intoxicating. He smelled like everything she wanted. He smelled like home. He was home. He was everything to her, but wasn’t that the problem? With him, she lost herself. With him, she lost her mind.
With a strangled cry, Morgan slid a hand up across his chest, to push him back, and just like before, once she touched him, she couldn’t take her hand away. She stroked across the hard plane of muscle of his chest, learning again the shape of his body and how the dense smooth pectoral muscle curved and sloped beneath her palm. God, he was beautiful. And without his shirt, his skin would feel so good against hers. She loved the way his bare chest felt against her bare breasts, loved the friction and the heat and the delicious, addictive energy—
“Can’t do this,” she choked, shaking her head. “We can’t, we can’t.”
“Ssshh,” he murmured, cupping her face, his thumbs stroking lightly over her cheekbones, sweeping from the curve of the bone to her earlobes. “Nothing bad will happen—”
“Everything bad will happen,” she protested, shivering with pleasure from the caress. She loved the way he touched her. He made her feel beautiful, inside and out, and she struggled to remember what bad things would happen if he touched her….
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured, hands slipping from her face to tangle in her hair.
“And mad, Drakon, certifiably insane—”
“That’s okay.”
“Drakon, I’m serious!”
“I am, too.” His head dipped lower and his lips brushed hers, lightly, slowly, and she shuddered, pressed closer, a stinging sensation behind her eyes. One kiss…could it be so bad? One kiss…surely she could be forgiven that?
His lips found hers again and the kiss was surprisingly gentle, the pressure of his mouth just enough to tease her, send shivers of desire racing up and down her spine. This was all so impossible. They couldn’t do this, couldn’t give in to this, it’s all they had and while the chemistry was intense, chemistry wasn’t enough. Sex wasn’t enough. She needed more. She needed a relationship, love, intimacy, commitment, but right now, she also needed this.
She’d missed him so much. Missed his skin and his scent, his warmth and his strength, and her defenses caved as his hands framed her face, and he held her face to his, deepening the kiss, drinking her in.
She could feel him and smell him and taste him now and she was lost. Nothing felt better than this. Nothing felt better than him. He wasn’t just her husband, he was home and happiness—
No. No, no, no. Couldn’t think that way, couldn’t lose sight of reality. He wasn’t home or happiness. And he’d finally agreed to let her go. After five years of wanting out, and she did want out, she was free.
And yet when his tongue stroked the seam of her lips, she arched and gasped, opening her mouth to him. Drakon deepened the kiss, his tongue flicking the inside of her lip, making every little nerve dance. One of his hands slid from the back of her head, down over her shoulders to her waist before settling in the small of her spine, urging her closer, shaping her against his powerful body.
She shuddered with pleasure as his tongue filled her mouth and the fingers of his hand splayed wider on her back, making her lower belly throb, ache, just like her thighs ached.
Every thrust of his tongue shot another bright arc of sensation through her, sensation that surged to the tips of her breasts, tightening them into hard, sensitive peaks, and then deep into her belly and even deeper to her innermost place, and yet it wasn’t enough, not even close. Morgan dug her nails into his shoulders, pressing her breasts to his chest, practically grinding herself against his hips to feel the ridge of his erection rub against her sensitive spot at the junction of her thighs and the heat of his palm against her lower back.
It was still so electric between them, still fierce and wild, and she felt overwhelmed by desire, overwhelmed by the memory of such dizzying, maddening pleasure and the knowledge that he was here, and there could be more. And right now, she wanted more. She literally ached for him and could feel her body soften and warm for him, her body also clearly remembering that nothing in the world felt better than him in her. Him with her.
And then his hand was slipping slowly across the curve of her hip, to cup the roundness of her butt, and she nearly popped out of her skin. “Drakon,” she groaned against his mouth, feeling as if he were spreading fire through her, fire and such fierce, consuming need.
She trembled as he stroked the length of her, from her hip to her breast and down again. His hands were everywhere now, pinching a nipple, stroking the cleft of her buttocks, shaping her thighs. She wanted his hand between her thighs, wanted him to touch her, fill her, wanted him more than she’d wanted anything—
Wait.
Wait.
She struggled to focus, clear her head, which was impossible with Drakon’s amazing hands on her body and his mouth taking hers, promising her endless pleasure.
She had to move back, away, had to, now.
But then his hands were up, under her tunic, his skin so warm against hers, and when he unhooked her bra to cup her breasts, his thumbs grazing her tight, swollen nipples, she gave up resisting, gave up thinking and gave in to him.
He stripped off her clothes while kissing her, his hands never leaving her body as the clothes fell away, giving her no time to panic or reconsider.
Once naked, he carried her to the bed, and set her on her back in the middle of the enormous bed. The room’s windows and doors were open and the sunlight spilled across the floor, splashing on the walls while the heady sweet scent of wisteria filled the room.
Morgan watched Drakon’s face as he moved over her, his hard, powerful body warm, his skin a burnished gold, his strong features taut with passion. But it was
his eyes that once again captivated her, and the burning intensity of his gaze. When he looked at her he made her feel extraordinary…desirable…rare…impossibly valuable. She knew he didn’t feel that way about her, not anymore, but with him stretched out over her, his skin covering her, warming her, it didn’t seem to matter.
She lifted her face to his, and his mouth met hers in a blistering kiss that melted everything within her. There was nothing she wouldn’t give him. And as he settled his weight between her thighs, his hips pressing down against hers, she shivered with pleasure.
He was resting his weight on his forearms, but she wanted more pressure, not less, and Morgan arched up, pressing her breasts to his bare chest, loving the friction of his nipples on hers even as she opened her thighs wider, letting him settle deeper into her.
“I want you,” she whispered against his mouth, her arms circling his shoulders, her hands sliding into his thick hair, fingers curling into the crisp strands at his nape. He felt good and smelled good and in this moment, everything was right in the world…at least, everything was right in her world. “I want you in me. I need you in me.”
“It’s been a long time.”
“Too long,” she said, lifting her hips, grinding up against him, not wanting any more foreplay, not wanting anything but him, and his body meshed deeply with hers.
“Patience,” he answered, kissing the corner of her mouth and the line of her jaw, smoothing her hair back from her face. “There’s no need to rush—”
But there was. She didn’t want to wait, had enough teasing and words and thinking, had enough of everything but him. And right now she just wanted him. She reached between them, caught his hard shaft and gripped it firmly, the way she knew he liked it, and rubbed his head up and down her, the warm, rigid shaft sliding across her damp opening, making him slick, and then bringing the silken head up to her sensitive nub, drawing moisture up over her clit.
