Worth the Challenge (15 page)

She found it incredibly arousing.

His big hands spanned across her bare back, his fingers toying with the thin ties of her bikini that crossed at the center. Finally, he settled his mouth on hers, his lips soft, damp and slightly parted. She sighed at first contact, winding her arms around his neck, tracing patterns on his nape with the tips of her fingers. He hauled her closer, against the most primal part of him and she ground against his erection unashamedly.

A possessive hand cupped her face, his touch gentle. He teased her parted lips with his tongue, tracing her lips, offering a delicate thrust before he retreated. Butterflies danced in her stomach, her blood ran hot as it rushed through her veins.

It was too much. It wasn’t enough. Pressing closer, she crushed her chest against his, darting her tongue out for a lick, moaning when he trapped it with his lips and sucked.

Rhett broke the kiss first, pressing his forehead to hers, his breath coming in hurried pants. “We’re moving way too fast.”

“But I want to move fast.” She reached for him, was about to kiss him into silence, but he pressed a single finger to her lips, stopping her.

“Shh.” He traced first her top lip, then her bottom, his touch feather-soft. She parted her lips, captured his finger between them and wrapped her tongue around the very tip.

His lids lowered as he continued to watch her, a little groan escaping him when she sucked him deeper. “Are you trying to drive me out of my ever-lovin’ mind?”

“Yes.” She nipped his finger with her teeth, smiling when he uttered a soft
ow
. “Now quit talking and kiss me.”

“Feisty little thing, aren’t you?” He did kiss her, sweet and slow when she wanted hot and fast. Again he yanked away from her when she tried to take it further. “Slow down,” he murmured, his fingers drifting down her cheek, his gaze locked on hers. “I want to make this good for you.”

Didn’t he realize it didn’t much matter what he did, it would automatically be good. She wanted him that much? “If you’re trying to romance me, it’s really not necessary. I can promise you, I’m a sure thing.”

He burst out laughing as he grasped her by the elbows and set her away from him. “You’re not messing around, are you?”

“See, that’s the problem. I’m trying to mess around and you won’t let me.” She couldn’t believe she was saying such things, but the anticipation, the heat that had been brewing between them, had set her patience to nonexistent.

His laughter grew, which frustrated her all the more. Was she a complete failure at this seduction thing? Had she made an absolute fool of herself for nothing? If he rejected her, she didn’t know if her heart could take it.

“I don’t see anything funny about this,” she muttered when he still hadn’t said a word.

“I’m sorry.” He sobered, though there was still a hint of a grin curling the corners of his mouth. “I’m not laughing at you, I swear. It’s just…I don’t do this.”

She rested her hands on her hips, her fingers pressing the side ties of her bikini bottoms into her skin. “If that isn’t the biggest lie I’ve ever heard, I don’t know what is.”

His brows lowered, his mouth curved into a frown. “You’re calling me a liar?”

“You’re always with women.
Always.
And now you’re trying to tell me you never do this?”

“Right. I never turn women away.” He threw his hands up into the air. “Yet here I am, pushing you right out of my arms.”

“You must find me repulsive then, if you never do this sort of thing.” Turning on her heel, she stalked out of the room and toward her bedroom, ready to slam the door good and hard, maybe even turn the lock for extra measure.

The absolute gall of the man, she felt like such an idiot. To kiss her, tease her, make her think something major was about to happen between them only to end up laughing and telling her blatant lies?

It was beyond rude—and cruel, if she was being honest.

“Gabriella,” he called as he chased after her.

She increased her pace, breaking out into a run as she headed down the hall. He caught up to her easily, curling his hand around the crook of her elbow and dragging her to a halt. “Let me go,” she protested.

“I’m sorry.” He firmed his grip when she struggled. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“Well, you did.” She jerked out of his hold, glaring at him. “And I don’t accept your apology.”

He cursed, ran a hand through his hair. Messing it up completely which only made her want to reach out and straighten it. Run her fingers through the silky dark strands, testing its softness…

No.
Her overactive imagination was going to be the absolute death of her.

“I’m a fuckup.” He let loose a long, weary sigh. “I can never say or do the right thing in front of a woman. How many times have I offended you since we met?” He didn’t allow her to answer. “Too many times to count, I’m sure.” He seemed to struggle, to have some sort of internal argument warring within him. He parted his lips, as if he were about to blurt out something but then he clamped them shut, frustration written all over his too-handsome face.

“What are you trying to say?” she asked softly.

A strangled sound escaped him. “When I said I haven’t done this before, I meant I’ve never told a woman to slow down. I’ve just gone with it, you know?”

“I really don’t want to stand around and listen to you describe your past sexual conquests.” She reached for the door handle of her room, but he beat her, his big hand curling around the knob, preventing her from turning it and making her escape.

“I’m not trying to brag about any sexual conquests. I’m trying to tell you that you’re different,” he said softly. His eyes glowed with a warmth she’d never seen before. “That I actually care about what this, this—encounter means to you versus me trying to get my freak on.”

Her heart melted. It didn’t matter that he used silly terms like “get my freak on” or that he had a difficult time expressing himself. Her feelings meant something to him. He wanted to make it good for her, and his admission touched her more than she cared to admit.

“I can’t believe I said that to you.” He sounded disgusted with himself.

Unable to contain her happiness, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as if she never wanted to let go. “I’m so glad you did,” she murmured just before she kissed him.

And this time, he didn’t try to push her away. He took the kiss deeper, his hands roaming all over her bare skin, the murmurs of approval that sounded in the back of his throat ratcheting the fever in her blood higher.

She never wanted him to let her go.

He’d very nearly screwed it up. All because he tried to do the right thing, tried to be a respectable guy. Well, there was no trying involved this time. He wanted to be the respectable guy when it came to Gabriella. The more time he spent with her, the more he actually liked her. And not because she had a smokin’ hot body and the softest skin he’d ever had the honor to touch…

She was a deliciously soft bundle in his arms at this very moment. Her swollen lips locked with his, their tongues dancing, his hands wandering. She was practically naked—the swimsuit covered only the most important assets. It would be so easy to tug the strings undone on her bikini top, slip the bottoms off with a push of his hands. Have her naked and writhing against him in mere minutes…

Rhett reached for the handle and opened the door to her room, guiding her inside, all the while their mouths were still fused together. She nearly tripped and he tightened his hold around her waist, gripping her soft backside with his hands and hauling her up so he could carry her the rest of the way.

To the giant king-sized bed that awaited them.

Ella wound her slender legs around his hips, rubbing her heated center against his hard cock. It strained the front of his swim trunks, dying to escape, and he growled low in his throat when she blatantly thrust against him, mimicking the act they would no doubt be involved in very soon.

Extracting her from him, he settled her on the edge of the bed, watched with satisfaction as she lay back on the snow-white comforter. “How’s your sunburn?”

She glanced at her shoulder. “It doesn’t hurt, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I was worried.” He whipped his shirt off over his head, tossing it onto the floor before he joined her. “Your skin is still pink.” He drifted his fingers down the length of her arm, linking their fingers together so he could bring her hand up to his mouth and press an open-mouth kiss to her knuckles.

“Rhett.” Her voice was low and smoky, sexy as hell.

“What?” He kissed the back of her hand, breathing deep her salty fragrance.

“Are you going to waste all your time talking or are you going to kiss me?”

He smiled. Her impatience was a tremendous turn-on. The women he’d been with in the past had always been agreeable. Eager, even, though never too much. None of them had blatantly asked for it like Gabriella. The previous women were too afraid to let their cool, sophisticated masks slip.

He’d behaved much the same way. Sex had always been a big game, a mutual, sought-out event of extreme satisfaction. Nothing more and nothing less.

The more he thought about it, the emptier and downright pitiful it sounded.

“You don’t like to talk during sex?” He grabbed her other hand and brought them both above her head, leaving her in the most intriguing position. Her chest thrust forward, her breasts straining against the thin fabric of her bikini top. “I’ll have you know I’m a huge fan.”

Her eyes widened when he settled his lower body between her spread legs. “Of d-dirty talk?”

“Whatever you have in mind, I’m up for it.” Dipping in close, he kissed the top of her ear. “If you like sweet, romantic words, I can give you that.” He nibbled her earlobe. “If you prefer the raunchier, wicked talk, I can make that happen too.”

He pressed his mouth to the base of her throat, felt her swallow hard. “What do you prefer?” she asked breathlessly.

“Hmm, depends on my mood.” He licked her pulse, felt her hands struggle the slightest bit against his hold. “What do you like?”

“I’ve, um. I’ve never been much of a talker. During…you know.”

She sounded uncomfortable and he couldn’t have that. “Then maybe we should start out slow. Ease you into it.” Rhett shifted so his face was near hers, their mouths aligned almost perfectly.

“O-okay.” She released a shuddering breath. “You’re going first, right?”

Chuckling, he murmured, “Don’t be so scared.” He gave her a chaste kiss. “You have the prettiest mouth.”

That pretty mouth curled into a sweet smile. “Thank you.”

“And your skin is so soft.” He nuzzled her again because he couldn’t help it, she felt so damn good. “I want you naked,” he whispered in her ear.

She shivered beneath him. “I—I want that too.”

He lifted himself up on his elbows, his fingers still curled around her wrists, holding her in place. With his other hand he skimmed his fingers from her collarbone down until he stopped at the valley between her breasts. Her nipples poked against her top and he brushed his thumb first across one, then the other.

“Oh, God.” Ella closed her eyes. “You’re such a tease.”

He laughed, having never heard that accusation before. “It’s called taking it slow.”

“It’s called torture.”

“It’s only fair. You’ve been torturing me for days.” Reaching around her, he untied the string at the center of her back, then moved up to untie the string wrapped around her neck. The bikini top loosened but didn’t quite come off and he stared at her chest for a moment, his self-prolonged agony over what he was about to reveal making him antsy.

He’d grown so used to the torture, he was doing it to himself.

“I have?” She sounded rather pleased with his revelation.

“Most definitely.” He carefully pulled her top off, her perfectly rounded breasts topped with pale pink nipples appearing before him. Unable to resist, he bent his head and licked one, causing her to yelp. “Want me to be honest?”

“Oh, please.” She squirmed when he swiped his tongue across her other nipple.

“I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you.”

She laughed, squirmed again when he pressed tiny kisses across her breasts. “I looked like a wreck most of the time when I was in New York.”

“I saw past the wreckage.”

“I can’t believe you just agreed I was a wreck.” She wiggled against his grasp. “Let me go.”

He did as she asked, worry flowing through him. “You’re not mad, are you?”

Slowly she shook her head, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck so he had no choice but to come closer to her. “I already know you aren’t the best at expressing yourself verbally.”

Rhett smiled against her parted lips. “Except when it comes to dirty talk.”

“I think you need to prove yourself more before I’ll agree with that statement.” She kissed him before he could get another word out, her lips parting immediately and allowing him entry.

He took her up on the invitation, thrusting his tongue deep, his busy hands caressing her breasts, lightly pinching her nipples. She panted against his mouth, moaning when he cupped each one with both hands. “Are they sensitive?”