be to regret?
Mallory’s gaze moved over Joe, crouched there with his hands spread on his big thighs. Something in his eyes both reassured her and excited her, a steady calmness there but also that glint of wicked daring. Heat fluttered deep inside her at the thought of what they might do.
Somehow she had a feeling that she’d regret it more if she didn’t do this. If she didn’t take this one night to be with this man who made her feel sexy and wild and free.
Yet it was hard to get past the way she’d shaped her life all these years, the careful, responsible way she’d lived. She’d made mistakes in the past that she didn’t want to repeat. Maybe this was a mistake. But if it was, she and Joe would be the only ones who knew about it.
She sat on the side of the bed to unzip her boots and pull them off. She tucked her socks inside the boots, then climbed onto the bed and also knelt, facing him, her butt on her heels and hands on her thighs. They looked at each other. Silence swelled in the room, until she picked up the barely audible sound of his breathing. She watched his chest rise and fall with subtle movement and felt hers matching it. Heat burned over her skin beneath her clothes.
He lifted his hands and reached for hers, twining their fingers together. He looked down where they were connected and she followed his gaze. Her fingers looked pale and slender between his thicker digits, tufts of dark hair on his, his nails short and neat, hers shiny with French-manicured pink and perfect white tips.
Then he lifted her hands and brought them to his lips, one, then the other. Their eyes met again and her heart quivered in her chest, stealing her breath.
“I won’t hurt you,” he murmured. He kissed her hand again. “Unless you want me to.”
Electricity sizzled through her veins and her eyes widened. She caught the flash of recognition in his eyes. She moved her head from side to side in denial, but he’d seen her involuntary response to his words.
“Let’s go have a shower,” he suggested. “No, a bath.”
“A bath.” She blinked. That sounded delicious and decadent.
“Sure.” He moved first, straightening his legs and climbing off the bed. He helped her too, and, fingers still entwined, led the way into the bathroom. Like the room itself, the bathroom was large, newly tiled with matte stone in shades of beige and taupe. Joe experimented with the lights, finding the infrared warming light and leaving it on while he turned the other light off. A warm glow filled the room. Then he cranked on the water and adjusted the stopper so the tub would fill.
“We need bubbles,” she said.
He lifted one eyebrow and reached for one of the small bottles sitting on the marble counter. He dumped the contents into the tub beneath the running water, and foam appeared along with an herbal-citrusy scent.
Mallory rubbed a hand across her upper chest, over her shoulder, then her throat. Joe smiled.
“Let me,” he murmured, reaching for her sweater. He drew it up and over her head. She dragged her tongue over her bottom lip as he gazed at her, appreciation warming his eyes. “Pretty.” Her ivory lace bra was sheer and her nipples tingled inside the cups. Her abdominal muscles tightened as he reached out to trace his fingertips from her collarbone down between her breasts and then over her stomach. He paused at her navel, fingering the golden and crystal barbell that pierced her there. “This is…unexpected.”
She lifted one shoulder. “Pierced navels are pretty common these days.”
“True. I just didn’t think…” His fingers moved lower to undo her pants. For the second time that day. She couldn’t help but smile as he helped her out of them.
He set his hands on her hips and his gaze moved up and down her body, now wearing only the lace bra and matching thong panties. “Holy mother of fuck, Mallory,” he breathed. “You are stunning.”
Heat washed into her cheeks and down her chest. She
Mallory’s gaze moved over Joe, crouched there with his hands spread on his big thighs. Something in his eyes both reassured her and excited her, a steady calmness there but also that glint of wicked daring. Heat fluttered deep inside her at the thought of what they might do.
Somehow she had a feeling that she’d regret it more if she didn’t do this. If she didn’t take this one night to be with this man who made her feel sexy and wild and free.
Yet it was hard to get past the way she’d shaped her life all these years, the careful, responsible way she’d lived. She’d made mistakes in the past that she didn’t want to repeat. Maybe this was a mistake. But if it was, she and Joe would be the only ones who knew about it.
She sat on the side of the bed to unzip her boots and pull them off. She tucked her socks inside the boots, then climbed onto the bed and also knelt, facing him, her butt on her heels and hands on her thighs. They looked at each other. Silence swelled in the room, until she picked up the barely audible sound of his breathing. She watched his chest rise and fall with subtle movement and felt hers matching it. Heat burned over her skin beneath her clothes.
He lifted his hands and reached for hers, twining their fingers together. He looked down where they were connected and she followed his gaze. Her fingers looked pale and slender between his thicker digits, tufts of dark hair on his, his nails short and neat, hers shiny with French-manicured pink and perfect white tips.
Then he lifted her hands and brought them to his lips, one, then the other. Their eyes met again and her heart quivered in her chest, stealing her breath.
“I won’t hurt you,” he murmured. He kissed her hand again. “Unless you want me to.”
Electricity sizzled through her veins and her eyes widened. She caught the flash of recognition in his eyes. She moved her head from side to side in denial, but he’d seen her involuntary response to his words.
“Let’s go have a shower,” he suggested. “No, a bath.”
“A bath.” She blinked. That sounded delicious and decadent.
“Sure.” He moved first, straightening his legs and climbing off the bed. He helped her too, and, fingers still entwined, led the way into the bathroom. Like the room itself, the bathroom was large, newly tiled with matte stone in shades of beige and taupe. Joe experimented with the lights, finding the infrared warming light and leaving it on while he turned the other light off. A warm glow filled the room. Then he cranked on the water and adjusted the stopper so the tub would fill.
“We need bubbles,” she said.
He lifted one eyebrow and reached for one of the small bottles sitting on the marble counter. He dumped the contents into the tub beneath the running water, and foam appeared along with an herbal-citrusy scent.
Mallory rubbed a hand across her upper chest, over her shoulder, then her throat. Joe smiled.
“Let me,” he murmured, reaching for her sweater. He drew it up and over her head. She dragged her tongue over her bottom lip as he gazed at her, appreciation warming his eyes. “Pretty.” Her ivory lace bra was sheer and her nipples tingled inside the cups. Her abdominal muscles tightened as he reached out to trace his fingertips from her collarbone down between her breasts and then over her stomach. He paused at her navel, fingering the golden and crystal barbell that pierced her there. “This is…unexpected.”
She lifted one shoulder. “Pierced navels are pretty common these days.”
“True. I just didn’t think…” His fingers moved lower to undo her pants. For the second time that day. She couldn’t help but smile as he helped her out of them.
He set his hands on her hips and his gaze moved up and down her body, now wearing only the lace bra and matching thong panties. “Holy mother of fuck, Mallory,” he breathed. “You are stunning.”
Heat washed into her cheeks and down her chest. She
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