To Kiss a King (Kings of California #11)(28)
Author: Maureen Child

“You didn’t want that guy’s hands on you, Alex.”

She let her head fall back. Her eyes met his and a long sigh slid from her throat. “Is that right? And how do you know that?”

“Because you want my hands on you,” he muttered, his gaze raking over her features before settling on her eyes. “You want me touching you and no one else.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but Garrett didn’t let her speak. Instead, he cupped her face in his hands, leaned down and took her mouth with his.

Pissed or not, Alex wanted him, too. He felt it in her instant surrender. She wrapped her arms around his neck, held his head to her and gave him everything she had. Their tongues entwined, caressing, stroking. The cool air swept past them, and danced across their heated skin.

She shivered, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her closer, tighter, until he felt her frenzied heartbeat racing in time with his own. Every inch of his skin hummed with anticipation.

He knew they had been headed for this moment since the day they had met. It didn’t matter that he had fought it. This was inevitable. Pulling his head back, he looked down into her glassy eyes and whispered, “Your hotel’s only a few minutes from here.”

Dragging in a breath, she shivered again and leaned into him. “Then why are we still standing here?”

A fierce grin split his face briefly. Then he took her hand and headed around the edge of the balcony toward the front of the place. Now he was glad he hadn’t bothered with valet parking. He didn’t have the patience to hang around while some kid ran to bring him his car.

No more waiting.

That first taste of her pushed him over the edge. Touching her wouldn’t be enough this time.

This time, he had to have it all.

Nine

It was minutes that felt like hours.

Desire pumping in the air around them, making each heartbeat sound like a gong in their heads, the drive to Alex’s hotel was bristling with sexual heat. Somehow, Garrett got the car parked, and Alex through the lobby into the private elevator. Somehow, they managed to walk through the door of the penthouse and slam it closed behind them.

And then all bets were off.

Hunger was king here and neither of them had the strength or the will to fight it any longer.

Garrett tore off his jacket and tossed it aside. Alex’s hands fumbled at the buttons on his shirt while he ripped his tie off and discarded it, as well. The moment his shirt was undone, her hands moved over his chest and every one of her fingers felt as if it were imprinting itself on his skin. Heat sizzled back and forth between them, leaving each of them struggling for air. Sighs and groans were the only sounds as they kissed again, hungrily, frantically.

He stabbed his fingers through her wild mane of hair and let the silkiness slide across his skin like cool water. She opened her mouth under his, offering him everything and he took it. Garrett was through pretending that their relationship was strictly business.

At least for this one night, he wanted everything that he had been dreaming of, thinking of, for the past several days. He couldn’t touch her enough. Couldn’t kiss her enough. He wanted more. Wanted all. Had to have her.

“Now, Alex,” he muttered, tearing his mouth from hers to drag his lips and tongue and teeth along the elegant sweep of her neck.

She sighed and tipped her head to one side, as she held his head to her throat. “Yes, Garrett. Yes, please, now.”

He unzipped the back of her dress and pushed the slender straps down her arms, letting it fall to the floor at her feet. She stepped out of the puddle of fabric and kicked it to one side.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered, gaze moving over her as she stood there, na**d but for those high heels she loved and a tiny scrap of black lace panties. She looked like every man’s fantasy and she was his. All his.

Garrett caught her, pulled her in close, then bent his head to take first one then the other erect, pink nipple into his mouth. Her fingers threaded through his hair and pressed his head to her br**sts as if afraid he would stop.

He had no intention of stopping.

The taste of her filled him. Her scent surrounded him. A haze settled over his mind, shutting out everything but the present. All there was in the world was this woman.

His hands moved over her skin, up and down her back, around and across her abdomen to the tiny scrap of black lace she wore. His fingers gave a sharp tug and she was naked, open for his touch.

Still suckling at her, he dropped one hand to the juncture of her thighs and sighed against her when she parted her legs for him. He stroked that single bud of pleasure until she was whimpering and rocking against his hand. Her h*ps twisted and moved in time with his touch, and he smiled against her breast as he felt her cl**ax build.

Lifting his head, he stared at her as his fingers worked her body into a frenzy. She licked her lips, tossed her hair back and took breath after greedy breath.

Her gaze locked with his and her voice was soft as she said, “I want you inside me this time, Garrett. I need to feel you inside me.”

He wouldn’t have thought he could get any harder. But he did. Reluctantly, he let her go just long enough to strip out of his clothes. He paused only long enough to take a condom from his wallet and sheathe himself. When she made to kick off her high heels, though, he shook his head. “Leave ’em on.”

She gave him a slow, wide smile, then dropped her gaze to take in all of him. Her eyes widened and when she looked up at him again, she was even more eager for him. “Now, Garrett. Be with me. Be in me.”

They were still in the damn living room of the suite and Garrett knew that they’d never make it to the bedroom. Neither of them was willing to wait that long.

He swept her close to him and when his erection pushed at her, she moaned and moved into him, feeding the fires that were already swallowing him. “That’s it. Right here, right now. We’ll do it slow next time.”

“Next time,” she agreed.

He carried her a few short steps to the couch, set her on the high back and stepped in between her thighs. She opened herself wider for him and when he entered her, Alex groaned aloud.

Garrett gritted his teeth to keep from shouting as his body invaded hers in one hard thrust. Her damp heat enveloped him, a tight glove, squeezing. When he was seated to the hilt, Alex held him even closer. She moved on the precarious edge of the couch as much as she could. Now she did kick off those heels so she could lock her legs around his h*ps and hold on as he set a fast, dizzying pace that pushed them both as high as they could go.