Crave (Splendor Book 2) (32 page)

Ian’s big hands bracketed her hips, holding her down on the mattress as the bonds continued to strain. “Poor darling,” he crooned. “I made you wait too long, didn’t I? Let’s see if we can make it up to you somehow.”

He kissed his way down her torso, his dark head disappearing between her legs, and proceeded to wring several more orgasms from her seemingly insatiable body, using his lips, tongue, and fingers to bring her over the edge more times than she could keep track of. She was so aroused that she could feel the pearly drops of her vaginal fluids trickling down the insides of her thighs and still he kept at her, until her arms and legs were quivering uncontrollably and she feared she might pass out from the pleasure.

And when his thumb began to circle her over-sensitized clit one more time, her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow as she pleaded with him weakly, “No more. Please. I can’t, Ian. It’s too much.”

He slid back up her body, kissing her softly and letting her taste the muskiness of her own juices on his lips. “All right, love,” he acquiesced. “Shall I untie you now?”

She was too wrung out to do more than nod, and he deftly unfastened each of the soft satin bonds. As the last strip was untied, she rose up on her knees and slid her arms around his neck, pulling his face down to hers for a kiss.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “My turn to return the favor tomorrow night.”

He chuckled, holding her close against his half-bared chest. “But the pleasure was mutual, love. And if you plan to tie me down, you’ll need something much stronger than these scraps of fabric. I wouldn’t be able to control myself if you touched me that way. As it is, I have no idea how I’ve managed to stay in control this long.”

She slid her hand down between their bodies, her palm opening over the massive swell of his erection. The groan he made was the sexiest, most erotic sound she’d ever heard. “Then come to me, Ian. Don’t hold back any longer. “

He tore his shirt off, the rest of the buttons flying haphazardly around the room, before unbuckling his belt. Tessa ran her hands greedily over his naked chest, pressing fevered kisses to his heavily muscled chest and rock hard abs as he yanked the rest of his clothing off. In two swift movements that left her gasping, he tumbled her onto her back and thrust deep inside of her, burying himself in her soft, yielding body as far as he could possibly reach.

Tessa wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her legs around his hips, holding him as close to her as she could, and glorying in the feel of his hard, thick cock thrusting in and out of her with increasing ferocity.

“Ah, God, it’s so good,” she cried, the tears tracking down her cheeks as he continued to move in her body with long, powerful thrusts. She buried her damp face against the side of his throat, her lips caressing his skin as she tried to pull him even closer against her.

She gave a little cry of protest as he lifted his chest from hers, sweat pouring from his body as it mingled with hers. He captured both of her hands in one of his and drew them over her head, holding them in place as he continued to fuck her with ever increasing speed. The look in his eyes was smoldering and dangerous as he stared down at her, his lips parted as his breathing grew ragged.

“I want to watch you when you come,” he told her in a guttural voice. “Look at me, Tessa, don’t close your eyes. I want to see it when the pleasure takes you over, see how much I can make you feel. You have no idea what it does to me, knowing I can give you that, my love.”

She struggled to keep her eyes open as he’d bid her, half-afraid of the intensity she saw burning in his gaze. Maintaining eye contact became increasingly more difficult as he kept stroking his big cock in and out of her body, until she felt yet another orgasm approaching, and knew this one would be by far the strongest of them all.

She was beyond rational thought, was all feeling right now, and as the orgasm hit full force she could only sob out her pleasure, the words tumbling from her lips as naturally as breath. “Ian, ah, oh, God, I’m going to c-come again! Oh, God, I love you!”

Her eyes did shut then, her body too consumed with sensation to even be aware of her actions. Dimly, as if from a great distance, she heard him groan loudly just before pistoning his hips into her body at a breakneck pace, his thrusts almost savage. When he came, he gripped her by the hips as he reared back onto his haunches, and emptied himself fully inside of her.

She peeked up at him through half-lidded eyes, enthralled at his spectacular, primitive male beauty - a fine layer of sweat covering his entire body; his dark hair damp and disarrayed; his eyes tightly shut as he continued to fill her with his hot, sticky semen.

And then he was grasping her under the arms, pulling her up to straddle his lap while remaining embedded inside of her. She almost cried out at the ferocity of his gaze, and at the way he fisted a hand in her hair, holding her head still.

“Say it again.”

She knew exactly what he meant. “I love you,” she whispered, cupping his face between her palms.

Ian’s own eyes filled with tears, and she brushed one away with her thumb, staring at him in disbelief.

“God, do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say those words?” he uttered brokenly. “I never, ever, dreamed you would actually do it, though. I’ve loved you since the day you walked into my office, Tessa. I am completely, insanely in love with you, my darling, and you have just made me the happiest man on earth.” He kissed her softly. “And I have never, ever, told a woman that before. So you see, you are my first in many ways as well - my love.”

“Ian.” She was overcome with a whole flurry of different emotions right now - amazement that this proud, regal man had actually been brought to tears by her whispered confession of love; disbelief that he’d loved her that long; and then there was simply all the love she felt for him, the tenderness, and the passion. Everything combined was almost too much to take, and she felt like pinching herself to make sure this wasn’t another dream she had conjured up.

But then she was reminded in a very, very pleasurable way that he was all too real, and that what had happened was definitely not a dream. He made love to her again, this time with a gentleness and devotion that brought tears to her eyes. A long time later, they were physically and emotionally exhausted, and finally drifted off to sleep, both whispering “I love you” to the other as they did.

Chapter Thirteen

It was snowing outside when he woke, and Ian gazed out the huge floor to ceiling windows of the suite’s master bedroom for long seconds, admiring the view. He’d only visited the Lake Tahoe resort twice before this weekend, and both of those previous visits had been for business purposes. This long weekend was the first time he’d come here strictly for pleasure, and definitely the first time he had brought a guest with him.

A slow smile broke across his features as he rolled to one side and watched his beloved as she slept. She looked touchingly young and incredibly vulnerable this way - her flawless skin glowing with health, her full mouth parted slightly as she slumbered. Her blonde curls were tumbled in wild disarray on her pillow, and he couldn’t resist bringing one long, silky strand to his nose and inhaling deeply of the vanilla scented shampoo she used.

Ian pressed a soft kiss to one of her sleekly muscled shoulders, then smiled when she twitched slightly before burrowing her head more deeply into the pillow. It had been evident from the first night she’d spent in his bed that Tessa was a very sound sleeper. He grimaced as he pictured her drafty, shabbily furnished little apartment, particularly the rather uncomfortable looking double bed he’d glimpsed in her tiny bedroom. It was small wonder, therefore, how much she enjoyed the luxury of sleeping in his huge, ultra-luxe bed, or upon the equally plush one here in the hotel suite.

Ian knew he should let her sleep, but he was impatient to hold her, to make love to her again. And he was especially eager to hear her sweet, soft voice tell him over and over how much she loved him.

The breathless confession he’d wrung from her last night during the very heights of their passion still thrilled him, even after she’d repeated those three magical words to him several more times before they’d fallen asleep. He had fully intended to tell her last night just how much she meant to him, but Tessa had beaten him to the punch.

He brushed aside the soft blonde curls at her nape, caressing that tender spot with his lips. At the same time he gently stroked his hand up and down her bare arm, all the way from wrist to shoulder. Tessa mumbled incoherently in her sleep, slowly turning her head from side to side, until her blue eyes opened lazily.

“Hmm. What time is it?” she asked in a drowsy voice.

Ian smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Just before eight. I’m sorry I woke you. I just needed - wanted - to hear you tell me again that…”

“I love you.” She pulled his head down to hers for a kiss.

He groaned, pulling her into his arms and giving her a much longer and deeper kiss. “God, I’ll never get tired of hearing you tell me that, love. And you’ll have to be sure and say those words to me several times a day.”

She sighed happily, resting her head on his shoulder. “I promise. But only if you agree to reciprocate.”

Ian traced the outline of her lips with his index finger tenderly. “Trust me, my love, you’ll never have to remind me of that. In fact, you’ll likely get tired of hearing it. Tessa, I’ve never even come close to loving anyone the way I do you. What I feel for you - it’s a once in a lifetime kind of love.”

“For me, too, you know.” Tessa kissed his bare chest, wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling closer against him. “This is so nice,” she purred in contentment. “So warm and cozy inside while we watch the snow falling outside. Thank you for bringing me here, Ian. And for last night. Everything was so perfect - the roses, the massage, dinner, and, well, the, um…”

He chuckled, brushing his knuckles over her flushed cheek. “How shy you still are, and after all the naughty, wicked things you’ve let me do to you. And, yes, it is perfect, beyond anything I could have ever hoped for.”

She nuzzled her nose against the dark stubble on his chin. “I love making love with you,” she told him guilelessly. “I never knew I could feel so much, Ian. Or feel so good.”

Ian trailed his fingers lightly up and down her arm, smiling in satisfaction as she shivered in reaction. “I’m very, very glad to hear that, love, because I have plans for you. Plans that call for making you feel very, very good. As often as possible.”

Tessa giggled, moving her hand caressingly across his taut abs. “Well, I’m in complete approval of your plans.”

She kissed a slow, sensual path across his pectorals, her tongue flicking out to lightly tease his flat male nipples. Her lips continued to travel down his chest and abs, pulling the duvet off his body as she did so. But when her mouth reached his navel, and then began to descend even lower, he threaded a hand into her hair and halted her progress.

Ian stifled a groan as she gazed up at him, her big blue eyes glazed over with desire as she gave him a puzzled frown.

“Don’t you want me to - I mean, it’s very obvious you need…” her voice was hesitant, uncertain.

This time he couldn’t hold back a long, low groan as Tessa’s hand began to tentatively stroke his throbbing, fully erect cock.

“God, darling,” he rasped. “I want your hands and mouth on my body constantly. Don’t ever doubt that. Or hesitate to do whatever you like to me. And that’s precisely what I want to talk to you about. So stop tempting me for just a bit while we discuss a few things, hmm?”

Reluctantly, she removed her hand from his erection and slid back up his body until she was cuddled up against his side, his arm around her shoulders. “Okay,” she agreed sweetly, kissing his throat. “But make it quick, because I’m having a very hard time keeping my hands to myself.”

He cursed softly beneath his breath as his cock continued to throb painfully. “Christ, Tessa, you’re not making this easy for me, love. Especially when you say things like that. If it was up to me, we’d spend every waking hour this way.”

“Yes,” she breathed, her lips moving up the side of his throat to his cheek. “I want that, too.”

“Do you, love?” His voice deepened and grew serious. “Tessa, I never, ever want you to feel obligated to make love if you don’t want to. If you’re tired, or not feeling well, or just not in the mood - you must tell me. Do you promise?”

Tessa gave a naughty little laugh as her hand slipped down his chest. “I can’t ever imagine not being in the mood for this,” she whispered. “It’s probably going to be the other way around.”

Ian’s chest rumbled with the sound of his laughter. “The only circumstances I could ever envision not being in the mood to have you would be if I were dead or unconscious. Now, do you promise me, Tessa? Promise that you’ll always be honest with me about this? I would never, ever force you or make you feel that I expected sex from you if it isn’t what you want, too.”

She rose up on an elbow, gazing down earnestly at him as the duvet fell away to bare her breasts. “Yes, I promise,” she murmured, reaching down to give him a soft kiss. “But I still can’t imagine any situation where I wouldn’t want this.”

“Mmm.” He sighed with pleasure as the erect points of her nipples brushed against his chest. “God, you are irresistible, you little witch.” He cupped her full, lush breast briefly before reluctantly moving his hand. “Now, let me finish what I need to tell you, and then I’m going to ravish you for hours.”

At Tessa’s nod, he continued. “I also want you to tell me if there are things I do or say that make you uncomfortable. Though I confess to always having been rather on the bland, straitlaced side when it comes to sex. You, my darling, have evidently been bringing out my adventurous side.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied teasingly. “And I would never, ever use the words bland or straitlaced to describe you. Especially not in bed. You’re - God, so sexy, so amazing.” Her voice trailed off with a breathy sigh of pleasure as his hand slid down her back to caress the high, tight curves of her ass. “So hot.”