He smiled and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs in a slow, spine-tingling caress. ‘That’s my girl.’
His girl. But for how long? She was a temporary diversion for him, just like all his other lovers. Nothing permanent. No commitment other than the duration of their fling. No sitting by the fireplace in each other’s arms for the rest of their lives.
Just for now.
Perfect...wasn’t it?
‘Don’t you mean your girl of the moment?’ Millie injected her tone with light playfulness.
Something flickered over his features—a rapid blink, a muscle twitch near his mouth, a slight dimming of his smile. ‘There’s nothing wrong with living in the moment as long as it’s an unforgettable one.’ And his mouth came down and set fireworks off in hers.
CHAPTER SEVEN
MILLIE GASPED AS his lips moved against hers with incendiary heat and purpose. Streaks of fire flashed through her body, her growing desire for him leaving her breathless and pliant in his arms. His tongue stroked the seam of her mouth and she opened to him, her lower body going to molten lava as his tongue mated with hers. The flickering movements, the bold thrusts and darts, heated her blood to boiling.
He crushed her to him, his hard body imprinting every soft curve of hers with his unmistakable erotic intent. An erotic intent she welcomed with every cell of her body. Her intimate female flesh tingled and tightened, her breasts aching for his touch. Her breasts suddenly felt too small for her bra—they were straining against the lace barrier, desperate to feel the caress of his hands.
He groaned against her lips, one of his hands sliding up to the nape of her neck, his touch electrifying. ‘I want you so damn much. Do you have any idea what you do to me?’
Millie shivered as his mouth blazed a trail of heat from below her ear, over her neck and to the V of her top. ‘I want you too.’
And what he did to her was a revelation. A spine-tingling, bliss-inducing revelation that shocked her to the core. She hadn’t felt anything like this level of desire before. It was all-consuming, taking over mind and body in a storm of heightened sensuality. She was conscious of every movement of his lips against her skin, the cup of his hand at the back of her neck, the stroke of his tongue below her ear, the feather-light caress of his lips on her jawline as he moved down to her chin and back again.
His mouth came back to hers in a deep kiss that made the hairs on her head tingle at the roots and her heart rate escalate. His tongue played with hers in a teasing dance that sent shivers racing down her spine and heat to pool between her thighs. Lava-hot heat that made her limbs tremble like a new-born foal’s. She would have fallen if he hadn’t been holding her so firmly.
His mouth left hers to move back down her neck, one of his hands pushing aside her top so he could access her décolletage.
‘You smell divine...’ He breathed in deeply, as if he was taking in an intoxicating vapour. He let his breath out and added, ‘I want to taste you all over.’ His voice with its husky edge, and his lips with their silken caresses as they moved across her skin, set her flesh alight. She had never felt such powerful sensations moving through her body. He tugged her top out of her skirt and slid a warm hand up to cup a breast still caged in her bra, and she gave a little gasp as a shudder passed through her.
‘Oh...oh...’
His hand stilled on her breast, his hooded gaze meeting hers. ‘Tell me what you like.’
Millie pushed herself further into his hand, desperate to feel him skin-on-skin. ‘I’m still discovering what I like. My erm, preferences weren’t always a priority with Julian.’
‘You didn’t enjoy sex with him?’
She lowered her gaze, unable to meet his searching look. ‘Not really... It became a chore, to be honest.’
He stroked his thumb over her tight nipple, the bra still in place, but even through the lace she could feel the tingling sensations in her flesh. ‘I want you to enjoy everything we do together.’ He tipped up her chin so her gaze meshed with his. ‘Hey, don’t be shy. It’s important you communicate to me what works for you.’ He gave a slow, sexy smile and added, ‘And, if you don’t know it yet, then we can discover it together.’
Millie reached up to stroke his lean jaw, her lower body flush against his, her senses reeling from the close contact. ‘That sounds like fun.’
Hunter lowered his head and smiled against her lips. ‘It will be.’ The confident assurance in his tone sent another shiver coursing down her spine.
Millie opened to him again, her arms winding around his neck, her breasts crushed against his chest, need spiralling through her body. His hands cupped her bottom, holding her tightly against the ridge of his erection, a deep, guttural groan escaping from his lips as he deepened the kiss even further. His tongue teased hers in a cat-and-mouse game that made her pulse race and her heart pound.
After a few breathless moments, he lifted his mouth from hers. ‘Let’s go upstairs.’
Millie knew by following him upstairs to his bedroom that she would be stepping over a threshold. Over a threshold to a fling. A short-term affair that had no future. Some of her hesitancy must have shown on her face, for he took her hands in his, his expression etched with lines of concern. ‘You’re having second thoughts?’ he asked gently.
Millie twisted her lips into an almost-smile. ‘I want you. I didn’t think it was possible to want someone so much...’
‘I’m sensing a big “but” coming.’
She released a stuttering sigh. ‘This is so...so normal for you. Having sex with someone who catches your eye and moving on when it’s over. I don’t know how to play this game. I’ve only been in one relationship. What do I know about having a fling? Nothing.’
Hunter placed his hands on her hips. ‘Millie, listen to me. I’m not long-term relationship material. What I’m offering is a short-term fling. No strings, no promises of for ever—just a good time for both of us while it lasts. If you can’t accept that, or feel it’s too much of a compromise of your values, then we’ll go no further.’ He spoke as if he was reading out a legal contract. The terms. The points. The clauses.
Millie could feel the searing heat of his hands on her hips, his hold not quite possessive but not far off. Her body was drawn to him even as her mind kept raising little red flags. But he had awakened something inside her—something that ached and willed her to step across the threshold and explore the sensuality he promised in every kiss, every caress, even in every look of his tawny gaze. She looked at his mouth, her own mouth aching to feel the firm press of his once more. ‘I’ve never felt so attracted to someone before.’ Her gaze lifted to meet his. ‘It’s kind of scary, given how much I disliked you when we first met.’
Hunter stroked her left cheek with a lazy movement of his thumb, his expression wry. ‘Was I that much of a crashing bore that night?’
Millie linked her arms back around his neck and raised herself up on tiptoe so her mouth was within a breath of his. ‘If you had been, maybe I wouldn’t be here now wondering if I’m completely out of my mind to accept your offer of a fling.’
His eyes darkened, his breath mingling intimately with hers. ‘So, that’s a yes?’
She brushed her lips against his in a butterfly-light caress. ‘It’s a yes.’
* * *
Within a few moments, they were upstairs in Hunter’s luxuriously appointed bedroom. The king-sized bed would have dominated any other room, but this room had space to spare. Tastefully decorated in white with touches of navy-blue and grey, the room had a masculine feel without it being oppressively so. It made her small bedroom at her flat look like a broom cupboard.
Hunter drew her close to him, his arms going around her body, his look searching. ‘Are you sure this is what you want?’
Millie pushed her doubts to the back of her mind, allowing her body to take charge. ‘I want you to make love to me.’
‘You are so beautiful.’ His voice was low and deep and rough around the edges, his gaze hungry, dark and glittering with lust.
Millie shivered as her top slipped from her shoulders like sloughed skin. But, instead of feeling embarrassed to be half-naked in front of him, she felt proud, especially when he sucked in a breath and brought one of his hands up to cup her breast. His other hand reached behind her to undo the fastening on her bra and it too slipped to the floor at her feet. He brought his mouth down to her left breast, his tongue circling her nipple, teasing it into an even tighter bud. He took her nipple in his mouth, sucking on her with the gentlest pressure, the sensations rioting through her flesh like tiny starbursts of pleasure.
Hunter moved to her other breast, the slight rasp of his stubble against her sensitive skin sending another wave of delight through her body. ‘Everything about you is so damn beautiful.’
‘You don’t look too bad yourself, but I need to see more of you.’
He gave her a devilish grin and held his arms out wide as an invitation. ‘Go for it.’
Millie set to work on his shirt, determined to get her hands on him, needing to feel the warmth of his skin against hers. She managed a couple of the buttons but he helped her with the rest, shrugging off the shirt and tossing it over his shoulder. She placed her mouth on his chest, tasting his salty skin with her lips and tongue, delighting in his swift intake of breath. She kissed her way up to his mouth, relishing the crushing pressure of his lips as he took masterful control. The rest of their clothes were removed in between passionate kisses and fervent caresses.
Millie was a little surprised at how comfortable she was, being completely naked in front of him. It felt the most natural thing in the world to stand before him with his eyes greedily drinking in her feminine form. She glided a hand down his chest to his rock-hard abdomen, her lower body melting with desire to see him so aroused and ready for her.
‘Touch me.’ It was one-part command, two parts plea, the edge of desperation in his voice thrilling her senses into overdrive.
Millie stroked her fingers over his proud length and he sucked in a breath, as if her touch delighted him as much as his did her. She grew bolder, taking him in her hand and massaging his swollen flesh. ‘You’re so...big...’ Her voice came out as a breathless whisper.
He cupped her face in his hands and held her gaze with his smouldering one. ‘We’ll go at your pace, not mine. You are the one in charge, okay?’
‘Okay...’ Millie couldn’t express how touched she was by his assurance, but she tried to show it in how she caressed him. She explored his length with her fingers, circling the head of his erection with her thumb, relishing in his indrawn breaths and shuddering groans. She ached to be joined to him, her body on fire with longing. She removed her hand and pressed her hips against him, delighting in the thickness of his arousal against her belly. ‘I want you.’
‘Then you shall have me...but first things first.’ His sexy drawl and glinting gaze sent a shiver of heat through her body.
He led her to the bed and laid her down, coming down beside her, his hand on her hip. Now it was time for Millie to suck in her breath. His mouth moved down her body, from her breasts to her belly button and then to her mound. She shivered as his lips played with her female flesh in soft little movements, his warm breath skating over her skin.
He parted her folds and tasted her, and she shuddered as tingles of pleasure shot through her body. He continued the sensual caress with increasing speed, ramping up her response to him until she was feverish with the need to let go, but unable to give herself permission. It was so new to her, foreign, and out of her bounds of experience to be so vulnerable in front of a lover.
Hunter lifted his head to look at her. ‘Relax into it, don’t fight it. Don’t be scared of letting go.’
Easy for you to say, Millie thought. He’d probably had dozens of women going down on him. She was an oral-sex virgin. ‘I—I don’t think I can. I’ve never done this before...’
His brows came together. ‘Never?’
Millie shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips. ‘Julian was a bit prudish when it came to the female body.’
Hunter placed one hand on her belly, the other gently brushing the hair back from her forehead, his eyes holding hers in a lock that felt as tender as a caress. ‘You’re beautiful and taste gorgeous. Let me pleasure you. Don’t think, just feel. Promise?’
Millie released a shaky breath. ‘Promise.’
He brought his mouth back down to her folds, slowly caressing her with his lips and tongue, exploring her, tasting her, drawing from her a response she hadn’t thought herself capable of—a powerful, earth-shattering response that sent shudders of pleasure throughout her body in cascading waves. She heard someone crying out and then realised with a little jolt it was her. She had never made such voluble sounds during sex before, but then, why would she have? She had never felt anything like the pleasure Hunter was evoking in her.
Millie flopped back on the pillows with a breathless sigh. ‘Oh, my gosh... Did that really just happen?’
Hunter smiled and stroked the length of her thigh. ‘It just did. And I’m going to make it happen again.’ He angled himself away for her in order to get a condom out of the drawer beside the bed. He applied it to himself and came back to her, his eyes glittering with lust. ‘But remember, you’re still in control. If you want to stop at any point, then we can stop.’
Millie pulled him down to her. ‘Please make love to me. I want to give you pleasure too.’
Hunter brought his mouth back to hers in a drugging kiss that made the hairs on her scalp tingle and her desire reignite. His tongue played with hers, calling it into an erotic dance that sent quivers of delight through her body. He positioned himself at her entrance, his muscled thighs entwined with hers, his powerful body poised to take intimate possession. She arched up her pelvis to encourage him, desperate for the connection, hungry for more of his potent passion.
He slid into her body with a deep groan, her body wrapping around him, her senses reeling at the contact. He began a slow rhythm, the friction of their joined bodies sending darting arrows of pleasure through her body. The tension in her intimate muscles grew and grew, the swollen heart of her aching for the release it craved.
Hunter brushed back the hair from her face, his body deep inside her, his eyes locked with hers. ‘Am I going too fast?’
Millie pulled his head down so she could access his mouth. ‘Not fast enough.’
‘Let’s see what I can do about that.’ The playful edge to his tone was a new experience for her. There had been little playful about sex with her late fiancé. It had been more of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it session in which her needs and pleasure hadn’t even been on the agenda.
But with Hunter it was all about her pleasure and needs.
Millie’s senses were so heightened, she could feel the cool caress of the cotton sheets against her skin, the exquisite softness of the feather pillow beneath her head, the sensual stroke and glide of his hands on her body and the driving force of his erection sending her senses into a tailspin. He went deeper, harder, faster, his own breathing becoming ragged, his groans of delight thrilling her to the core of her being. Then he slipped a hand between their rocking bodies and caressed her intimately, his touch like magic on her flesh. She soared into another hemisphere, a place of intense physical pleasure that rip
pled through her in giant coursing waves, leaving no part of her body unaffected.
She was still in the throes of her release when he shattered around her, the shudders of his body sending another wave of pleasure through hers. She held him in her arms during the storm, breathing in the musky scent of their coupling. And then breathing in time with him during the quiet peaceful time afterwards.
Hunter lifted himself up on one elbow, his gaze holding hers in an intimate tether that made her heart kick against her breastbone. ‘If I’d known it was going to be as good as that, I would have worked a little harder on that blind date to charm you into my bed then and there.’ He gave a rueful grimace. ‘What a missed opportunity.’
Millie smiled and traced the contour of his mouth with an idle fingertip. ‘You didn’t seem to even notice that I was a woman that night. You had a perpetual frown on your face the whole time.’
Something flickered over his features and his eyes dipped to her mouth. ‘Yes, well, let’s not talk about what a jerk I was that night.’
‘Why were you so...so brooding and unfriendly? And don’t say it was because I was an absolute cow from the moment we met, because I saw you frowning even before I got to the table.’
He captured her finger and kissed the end of it, his gaze locking with hers. ‘You weren’t any such thing. I was kicking myself for agreeing to a blind date in the first place, but Beth and Dan were pretty insistent, and caught me at a weak moment.’ He gave her hand a tiny squeeze and continued, ‘I probably should have cancelled rather than turn up in a foul mood. Forgive me?’
Millie pressed a kiss to his lips. ‘Forgiven. But you still haven’t told me why you were in such a foul mood. Was it a work thing? I mean, your job must be pretty stressful at times.’
He smiled with his mouth but not with his eyes. ‘Something like that.’ He dropped a light kiss to her lips. ‘Is your work stressful?’
Again Millie idly stroked a finger across his collarbone. ‘Now and again I’ll get a couple in who can’t agree on what they want. But mostly it’s great. I love designing. I grew up around diamonds, as my grandfather—my father’ father, that is—started the business as a young man. I started making my own jewellery in kindergarten. But pasta tubes and coloured beads are not as exciting as diamonds, I have to say.’
Breaking the Playboy's Rules Page 9
