The Gideon Affair (28 page)

They hadn’t just met. Tonight might have been a first date, but their friendship was already well into the deep and meaningful territory. They didn’t have to wonder if they were compatible because they already knew. The great unknown was what happened to that closeness after they became lovers. He had quite a lot to say about the subject—so, coffee it was.

He found her on the sofa, her legs tucked under her bottom, both arms on the cushioned back with her head lying sideways on top, as she looked toward the windows. Her hair was down, her feet bare. All she had on was a slinky dress with no bra. She’d had a thong on before. He knew this from their tickle attack on the sofa at her house. Whether she still wore it was a mystery he hoped to solve.

“High octane, as requested.”

When she turned from the window, her pensive look reminded Edward that she was an uncommon treasure. A rare find. He knew for sure that he’d only be happy if she were in his life. Permanently.

“Thanks.”

He joined her on the sofa draping an arm across the back so he’d be able to touch her back and shoulders. The silence deepened while they sat side by side, sipping the fragrant, intoxicating drink. She said nothing, but he could hear her mind working.

“Back to Samantha, Troy, and their shitty example of a relationship.”

She arched a brow as she sipped.

“Look, I like both of them, but let’s be honest. Those two were shitheads from the start.”

“Humph.” Her head nodded infinitesimally, but the agreement came across loud and clear.

“Now that you’ve brought it up, I also have to wonder if it’s possible to go from sex partner to friend. Hormones would always cloud the picture, you know?”

They sipped in silence. He was making this shit up as he went along and was being extra careful to think through what he was saying.

“I knew a couple of years ago that fucking you was not an option.”

Okay, yeah. He had to admit he’d framed his statement that way to get a reaction out of her. He expected shock. Or outrage. What he got was all the color draining from her face and the sheen of tears sparkling in her eyes. Oh, fuck. My bad.
Say the rest, you idiot!

Her hands were trembling—barely—but he noticed. Taking the coffee mug from her, he put it on the sofa table and drew her closer. She was stiff as a board and looking like he’d just ruined Santa Claus and Christmas forever.

“Don’t you wimp out on me now, Turner. You said you trusted me. Remember?”

She nodded. It was strange seeing her at a loss for words. At the same time, her strong reaction showed him how much she truly cared. Cradling her with an arm around her shoulders, Edward put his lips to her forehead.

“I knew this because an exchange of body fluid would never, ever be enough with you, Paige.” She looked up at the same time that he sought her eyes. “This … realization,” he grimaced at the clumsy word, but it fit so he had to suck it up, “was the first step to admitting I had deep feelings for you.”

“Oh.” She sounded surprised.

Edward smiled. Well, she better get used to hearing him say it.

“Let’s face it, babe. I can pretty much fuck anybody.” His shoulders rose and fell in a self-deprecating version of a shrug. “Ya get a certificate that says so when they name you sexiest man.”

True to form, she gasped in surprise at his sudden, comical conversational pivot and nudged him playfully with her shoulder. Time to lob a grenade and see if it took down her defenses.

“I want to make love to you, Paige. And I’ve never said that or felt this way before in my entire life. We’re making our own rules as we go, sweetheart. There’s no one I’d rather spend time with and yet tonight was our very first real date. Just like our not wanting the Gideon mess to fuck with what’s real between us, I don’t want you to have any doubt about how I feel. All of this,” he indicated with a wave that arced back and forth between them, “is a first for me. For you, too.”

Her eyes sparkled. “I have never told another man that I was in love with him.”

“I know. And I know why you told me so directly. I’m not shitting around here. You can test me all you want, but I’m telling you the truth. Fucking you isn’t an option, Paige, because nothing short of giving my heart to you as we make love would ever do. Not for us. This is huge, Paige. I love you. You love me. Yeah, the Gideon thing is a bit fucked up at the moment, but let’s not lose sight of what’s real.”

Her response? Priceless times a hundred. Never one to turn her back on a good conversation, she didn’t say one word; just started undoing his tie with the intense concentration of a jet pilot on takeoff. When she had it pulled apart, she yanked until it slid from around his neck, and for a long minute, she sat there with it in her hands.

He wondered what she was thinking because he instantly came up with at least five ways the blue tie could come in handy. Did she have kinky fuckery fantasies? Or was she more the shy and reserved sort? God. He hoped not. But if she were, he’d be more than happy to help her overcome her insecurities.

The tie forgotten, she focused on his shirt, deftly sliding the buttons free until it parted. He held his breath as she touched him, tentatively at first, until her hands stroked his muscled chest. Has she dreamed of being able to touch him as he had of her? Hell, his work wardrobe consisted of being bare-chested most of the fucking time, so he knew she’d seen him half-naked plenty of times. The way her fingers explored his skin suggested long-hidden desires. Nothing had ever felt so right.

Shocked didn’t quite cover his reaction when Paige suddenly rose up and swung over his lap until she straddled his midsection in that barely-there dress, all while never taking her hands off his torso.

Holy fucking shitballs.

“Bet you’ve had plenty of lap dances, huh?”

What could he realistically say to that?
No, I’ve been secretly studying for the priesthood?
Bah. He was Gideon goddamn Shaw, after all, and America’s Sexiest Guy had been on the receiving end of countless lap dancing attempts. He said attempts because most women didn’t have a fucking clue. But nitpicking the truth was a waste of time.

“Guilty,” he drawled. Now, what would she do?

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. In that case, how can we make another first time?”

He grinned.
Ask an easy question and get an easy answer.
With little effort, he simply took hold of the dress’s neckline and peeled the stretchy material down her arms until Paige’s fantastic tits were bared. Yeah, he’d never get enough of those. Uh-uh. No way.

The way he’d pulled on her dress had effectively trapped her arms, something he did not regret or plan to change. With a heavy dose of reverence, he put both hands on her, cupping the perfect handfuls and enjoying the way they molded to his touch.

“First touch,” he murmured. Rolling the turgid peaks between his thumb and forefinger, he locked eyes with her. “I love your nipples, sweetheart.”

She moaned and swayed on his lap, pushing her tits into his hands. The way she whimpered and shook told Edward that binding her hands with his tie was very much on any future agenda.

Her skin was so goddamn soft, and the nipples that fascinated him were such a delight that Edward had a hard time concentrating on anything else.

Licking his lips with greedy anticipation, he massaged each glorious mound and asked, “Ready for another first?”

“Hurry,” she mewled. Surging on his lap, she arched her back offering her breasts to his touch. He didn’t need another invitation, but hurry didn’t exist in his vocabulary at the moment. He’d hungered for the taste of her pert breasts for so fucking long that no way was he going to rush. He was going to savor this first.

“Shhh.” He lightly touched her with his fingers at the base of her throat and straight down between her breasts until the dress stopped him. “Do you want me to free your hands?” he asked while reaching behind to take hold of both her wrists. It wasn’t a power play as much as it was a peek into his passions.

Paige quivered when he pulled her wrists, making her arch further. “No.” There was no hesitation in her voice. If anything, he detected curiosity and excitement. He could make those two things work for him quite nicely.

“Good girl,” he murmured against the skin of her throat. Her head rolled back allowing him total access. Remembering the feverish way she’d destroyed his neck earlier, he detoured in a different direction. This was love not sex.

Sliding a hand beneath her hair, he took hold of her head and neck, holding her still as he moved his lips without touching her skin. So close that all she’d feel was the hot whisper of his breath.

“Edward.” Her cry was soft, desperate. He knew how she felt.

“Shh.” His lips continued to explore, moving next to her ear but still never coming in direct contact. His senses connected in a different way. He couldn’t explain it, but it was as if she filled his taste buds before they ever touched. Drifting so close to her skin as he held her in a commanding grip affected all his senses. His eyes open and alert, he drank in the sight of her uncovered flesh. Her scent filled his nose. She was fresh, minty, and coffee-infused—wrapped in the intoxicating smell of a woman whose passions had been unleashed. Her tiny gasps were sweet to his ears, and the way she held her breath and then moaned softly sent a thunderbolt of lust straight to his dick.

All that was left was touch. He wanted her to remember this forever when he worshiped her with his mouth for the first time.

On an earthy groan, Edward opened his mouth and pressed his lips to her collarbone. His tongue swept out for a slow lick. Paige writhed on his lap, making his poor dick surge in response.

Sweet. Soft. Warm. That was how he’d remember those first impressions. His tongue was laving her skin, and his senses exploded with sensations that shook his world. It wasn’t just that she tasted sweet. It was also that his lips, and especially his tongue, seemed to have sensory input all their own. He didn’t just lick. His tongue explored, tested, and noted every swell, curve, indentation, and bump. His lips worked in tandem, massaging her flesh until they were both moaning.

He took his damn sweet time leaving a trail of kisses from her collarbone down to the tip of her breast. And then there was nothing left but to claim the gloriously sexy tip begging for his attention.

First, he kissed, followed immediately by a wet lick that made her go limp in his arms. With his hand on her neck and the other wrapped around her wrists, she was helpless. With just one swipe of his tongue, he’d taken her down.

Her beautiful pert nipples were more delectable than he’d imagined. Deeply responsive, he pushed her into a state of erotic frenzy by sucking hard and drawing the entire tip into his hungry mouth. Over and over, he devoured her flesh, moving between both mounds, unable to quench his fierce desire.

“My god, Paige,” he groaned. “I want more. I need to taste all of you.”

She barely knew where they were or what century it was. Swaying on Edward’s lap, his thick bulge rubbing between her spread legs, Paige surrendered without any confusion or doubt as to why. All she knew was she had to love this man with all her heart and all her body.

She’d had a couple of lovers. Nothing to write home about and always pretty humdrum and straightforward. No one had ever restrained her in any way before, and she didn’t just mean the firm grip he kept on her wrists. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, the way he held her head, making it impossible for her to move on her own, was a definite first. One that made her very, very wet.

By the time his mouth finally took her breasts, she was close to hyperventilating. There was not a goddamn thing tentative about the way he made love to her tits. With a randy appreciation that sent shards of intense pleasure into her core, he feasted on each one until Paige became a quivering, boneless mess.

Through the lusty haze shrouding her mind, she thought he said something about tasting. More. Sweet tingling heat and a surge of liquid arousal shot into her center at what that meant. She started to shake. This was a no-go area for her. Never having anything that vaguely resembled a successful oral encounter made her wary of the experience as a whole. She’d taken going down on her off the agenda years ago.

Shivers prickled her senses as the air conditioning hit her naked skin. At some point, he’d removed her dress and his shirt leaving Paige in a tiny thong and nothing else. He still had his slacks on, but she didn’t know why. They were grinding against each other so desperately it was a wonder their clothes didn’t combust from the friction.

“Fuck.” He grunted against her breast. “Last call to run for the hills, babe.”

Paige put her fingers into his hair. “I’m not running,” she murmured, “but I’m not sure about that thing you said. You know. The tasting.”

His head snapped up in a heartbeat and those dangerously sexy blue eyes bored into hers.

“Hold the fuck on.” He was searching her face, looking for something. “Are you telling me you’ve never gotten off that way before?”

Oh, my god. This was so embarrassing, but lying about it wasn’t going to help. She nodded and looked away as heat poured into her cheeks.