The Pitch: City Love 2 (14 page)

Desire pooled in the base of my stomach with such force it verged on painful. “What would he do?”

Paul leaned in, his stubble brushing my cheek, his lips hovering close to my ear. “Devour her.”

I inhaled a shaky breath and pushed myself away to look at him, my eyes issuing a challenge. “Show me.”

Paul obviously had far more restraint than me. Instead of dragging me immediately from the room as I secretly hoped he would, he stood and took my hand.

“I promised you a dance.”

“A dance?” I replied dumbly.

Paul leaned in again, his breath on my neck. “Yes, a dance, Madeleine. We have all night and it would be bad form to throw you over my shoulder and take you back to my room right this moment.”

I swallowed. I begged to differ. I wasn’t sure which was making my skin tingle more – the fact that we had all night or the image of him throwing me over his shoulder.

“Come on.”

He tugged me gently toward the dance floor. To my relief, he chose a corner that was dimly lit and close to a pair of open French doors. The gentle breeze felt good on my skin, cooling what felt like a fire burning inside me.

“Come here.” Paul reached over and linked his arms around my waist, sending a shiver up my spine.

The bass was pounding out a steady rhythm and the music was too fast for my liking.

“We can’t slow dance to this,” I complained. “And aren’t you worried about what your client will think?” I was still toying with the idea of him throwing me over his shoulder and taking me back to his hotel room.

“Patience,” Paul admonished, sensing my need. “They all think we’re married anyway and this old guy’s got a few moves left in him yet.”

I let out a frustrated huff which turned to a muted squeak when he closed the distance between our two bodies. Pressed up against him, my obvious dress didn’t do a very good job of leaving anything to the imagination. I could feel the muscles in his chest pushing against my breasts.

“Paul,” I protested, not sure how much more I’d be able to take.

I could feel him smile into my neck as we swayed back and forth to the music. “Is there a problem?”

“I want you.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, but it was the truth.

He leaned back to look into my eyes. “Believe me, I want you too.”

“Then why are we still here?” I was starting to sound like a whining three-year-old.

His lips twitched. “So I can do this.”

His hand came up to brush away my dark mane of hair and he pressed his lips seductively to my neck. He took his time tasting the length of my throat while I melted against him, going limp in his arms. Eventually his mouth found mine, which was when I discovered I was done with restraint. I opened myself to him, tasting him, then biting gently on his lip. It was my turn to smile when he released a soft groan.

“Madeleine,” he warned.

“Shut up. I’m not letting you get away this time.”

I deepened the kiss again and found my hands slipping beneath the material of his jacket, tracing the muscles of his back. I not too discreetly pushed my hips into his and enjoyed the pressure of his need pressed up against me. If we weren’t in a public place I would have slipped my hands into his pants and …

“Enough!” he growled and pushed me away with a gentle shove.

I stared at him in shock.

Ice blue eyes alight with frustration, he grabbed my hand. “We’re leaving.” He pulled me out into the night.

I stumbled after him, my silver sandals slapping on to the pathway erratically as I tried to keep up with him.

“Paul?”

No response, he just kept pulling me down the dimly lit path.

“Paul?” I tried again.

Still no response and I was getting tired of being pulled along like a recalcitrant child.

“Paul!”

He stopped and turned so that I bumped into him.

“What?”

“What do you mean, what?” I flung back exasperated. “One moment I was kissing you and the next you’re losing your temper – ”

“I wasn’t losing my temper – ”

“Well, it sure seemed like it to – ”

“I was escaping before you shredded what little restraint I had left,” he ground out, his eyes flaring at me dangerously.

“Oh.” I gave him a sheepish look. “Too much?”

Paul sighed and stepped toward me, cupping my face gently in his hands. “I’m sorry. Everything about you is too much, Madeleine. You set me on fire.”

Perhaps it was the need in his eyes, focused fiercely on me. Or perhaps it was the adrenaline or longing pumping through my veins. Or quite possibly the fact that it had been four long years. Or that I’d been drinking more than I usually did. I felt something surface in me that I didn’t recognize. Something very un-Madeleine like.

I surveyed the manicured gardens surrounding us and the aqua glow of the empty swimming pool beside us. I glanced in both directions to make sure we were alone then took a deep breath.

I hooked the shoulder strap of my purple dress beneath my thumb and slipped it off one shoulder, then did the same on the other side. The dress slid gently down my body until it was a soft pile of material at my feet. I stepped out of it and kicked off my sandals, standing in front of Paul in nothing but my bra and skimpy underwear.

Paul’s eyes widened and his breathing became shallow.

I gave him a coy smile. “I think we’d better cool off then.” I turned and walked toward the pool’s edge, giving him an eyeful of my backside, then jumped in.

The water greeted my bare skin like a soft caress, warm and soothing. By the time I surfaced and swept my hair from my face, Paul was standing at the edge staring down at me with a mixture of desire and wonder.

“Are you coming in?”

Paul didn’t say anything, he was too busy shrugging off his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. His clothes joined my dress on the ground. I took in the sight of his broad shoulders and bare chest. He still had his trousers on but he kicked off his shoes, then jumped in.

He swam to me and took me in his arms. “Jesus Christ, Madeleine.”

“Too much?” I asked innocently.

“More,” he said, his deep voice strained. Then he kissed me again.

This time his restraint was gone.

This was the Paul I’d been longing for, ever since I’d seen him standing in reception at Grounded Marketing. The Paul that was strong and sure of himself and knew what he wanted. And right now, that was me.

His hands roved over my bare skin underneath the water’s surface, caressing and tracing a trail of fire across my skin despite the cool of the water. His fingers worked their way to my back to undo my bra. I barely noticed it floating away, I was too intent on exploring.

Broad shoulders, strong arms, taut stomach. Hips that felt good in my hands, but he was still wearing those damn trousers.

I gasped as his mouth took my nipple in his mouth, then again as I felt his teeth grazing me. Devour me, indeed. His hands found my hips and then down, down until I could feel his fingers pushing aside my thong. I moaned as they slipped inside me. Then gripped him tight when a deep shudder overtook my body as he expertly found my release. It felt as though the fire I’d seen in his eyes was flaring in my toes. It burnt up my legs and tore its way relentlessly through the rest of my body. It was pleasure and pain and a sort of sweet ecstasy intent on eating me alive. I didn’t want it to stop.

“Paul,” I whispered, pressing my cheek into his shoulder.

“That’s it,” he whispered in my ear. “Don’t fight it.”

Fight it? I didn’t stand a chance. My fingernails dug into his shoulders. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“You’re a goddess, Madeleine,” he said reverently, his fingers not easing up on their assault.

It was that statement that did it. To hear him utter those words to me sent me over the edge. I cried out, quickly smothering the sound by pushing my lips against his neck. The fire engulfed me, eating me alive and I writhed under his grip as wave after wave of shudders overtook my body.

With a final sigh I slumped against him, my heart pounding and my body limp. All he’d done was touch me and I was reduced to a whimpering mess.

He gently eased himself back and ran a hand over my hair. He smiled as he took in my bewildered expression. “You did ask for it.”

“I know.”

I leaned in and kissed him softly, sweetly, and then to his surprise my hand found its way to his trousers. “I don’t believe we’re anywhere near finished yet.”

He groaned. The sound had my blood pumping again. I kissed him harder, taking rather than giving and smiled to myself when I felt him shudder.

I was about to relieve him of his pants altogether when we both heard it.

The sounds of conversation coming toward us.

We stared at each other. “Shit,” Paul muttered, and we both started giggling ridiculously. “Run,” he told me. He looked more like a school boy than a man twice that age.

I bit off my giggle. “You don’t say.”

He pulled himself out of the water in one swift movement and turned around to offer me a hand. I took his outstretched arm and let him hoist me out.

The sounds of the people were coming closer. Quickly, we gathered our discarded clothes and shoes and then set off at a run.

I couldn’t believe I was doing this. I was virtually naked, completely soaked, and running as if my life depended on it.

“My room’s closest,” I called out.

I saw him nod and we took a sharp left and scaled the stairs two at a time, leaving dripping pools of water after us. At my front door, I fumbled in my small handbag for my key. I was terrified some late night couple strolling back to their room would discover us – or worse still, one of Paul’s clients – in our questionable state.

Finally I found the key and we pushed our way inside the front door, slamming it behind us. I reached out and switched on the light, dropping my bundle of clothes on the floor. We looked at each other and dissolved into fits of laughter. Then I watched Paul’s eyes roam over my near naked body – he still hadn’t managed to remove my thong underwater – and the laughter turned to seriousness.

I felt desire stir in the pit of my stomach again.

“Hey.” He pulled me to him and kissed me, his hands cupping my backside.

It was too much. I needed him and couldn’t wait any longer. I eased myself out of the kiss and pulled him into the bathroom. I grabbed a towel off the shelf and used it to pat his chest and arms dry, while he watched on with a look of intense longing.

The corner of my lip quirked as I found his belt buckle. I undid his trousers and let them fall to the floor. My gaze dropped and appreciation lit my eyes as I toweled him dry. I couldn’t help myself. I kneeled down and took him in my mouth, savoring him and running my tongue up and down the full length of him.

“Madeleine,” he said. It was pained and it made the breath stop in my throat.

Taking the hint, I eased away and watched him through hooded eyes as I slipped off my thong. I heard him exhale, then I turned and walked into the bedroom.

“Lie down,” I instructed, when he joined me.

He smiled in amusement, but he did as he was told and lay down across the bed.

I was through with foreplay. It had been four years and I was wet and aching with the need for him. I climbed on top of him and straddled him without any hesitation. He moaned loudly, and my body quaked as the length of him filled me.

Placing my hands on his chest, I rode him slowly in long delicious sweeps, our breathing coming in short, sharp bursts. He was already deep, but I wanted him deeper. Tucking myself into him, I reached down to kiss his lips, my breasts brushing against his chest.

A groan escaped his throat and his hands found my hips, gripping them tightly, guiding me. When he tipped his hips up to meet mine, I pulled away from the kiss.

“Too much,” I whispered.

In response he took my breast in his mouth, teasing and taunting until I cried out. I wrenched away from him, determined to maintain even a thin edge of control but he was having none of it. His fingers dug into my hips and he rose up to meet me, his blue eyes full of playful intent.

With a growl of frustration, I gripped his shoulders and pinned him to the bed. Our bodies slick with sweat, I set a relentless pace until I could feel the burn building inside me, possessing me. Underneath me, I saw my need mirrored in Paul’s eyes. And still I pushed harder and deeper until it engulfed me and tore through my body, shattering my vision and obliterating me. I erupted on top of him, squeezing him tight and letting out a scream I was powerless to stop.

Paul pulled me down on top of him again, burying himself further inside me as his release ruptured his last remaining control. I felt the force of it and arched up, then collapsed on to him, aftershocks rippling through my body.

We stayed like that for a while, my head cradled on his shoulder. The only sound I could hear was the gentle breeze fluttering the curtains and the noise of our breathing as it steadied and slowed.

Eventually I propped myself up onto my elbows and studied him. He looked tired, but sated, his eyes distant.

“Is that your idea of a weekend off?” I asked, not attempting to hide the grin on my face.

He returned my smile. “Something like that.”

“Is this what you had planned all along?”

Surprise, then guilt, shadowed his face. “No. My intentions were honest, I promise. You needed a break from work. Never in my wildest dreams – ”

I silenced him with a sharp look. “Are you saying you’re sorry this happened?”

The guilt changed to surprise again. His eyes took in my face, my breasts, my legs straddling him and his expression turned wicked. “I’m only sorry I didn’t give in sooner.”

“Good.” I crossed my arms beneath my breasts and gave him my best look of authority. “We need to make up for lost time.”

He grinned and pulled me to him. “You don’t hear me complaining.” He nibbled my ear, then whispered, “Although we should probably go for another swim – I think your bra is still floating in the pool.”