urging him closer. With a masculine sound of triumph, Dane enveloped her, crushed her to him, until she was surrounded by the hard wall of his chest and the powerful strength of his arms. His mouth slanted across hers again and again, branding her, seducing her, demanding that she do more than merely receive his kiss, but that she respond to it with a fervor that matched his own.
Jacqui gave him what he wanted.
She returned his kiss with a newly born passion that astonished her, accepting the lusty strokes of his tongue and giving him her own.
The kiss blazed out of control.
With a low groan of need, Dane lifted Jacqui from the floor, fitting her against the full length of him and tightening his hold so that she could feel every hardened contour of his aroused body. He wanted her. More than even he had known. More than he wanted his next breath. More than he could bear … he wanted this woman.
For Jacqui, the world and everything in it faded into nonreality, as she allowed her yearnings free rein, reveling in the first-time experience of pure, potent physical desire. She threw herself into it with the same utter abandon that she did each of life’s adventures … totally and without inhibition, thrilling to the sensual awakening. The discovery in itself was enthralling.
For Dane, it was not nearly enough.
His hands roved restlessly over her back, finding the buttons that separated him from the promise of beauty beneath. His control was fast evaporating, fueled by her wildly exhilarating response. The taste of her mouth, the feel of her in his arms, was intoxicating enough, but the way she pressed her soft, lush body against his, returning his openmouthed kisses with an innocent, unrestrained ardor, was more than he could withstand. Her passion rivaled his, but he knew that she lacked the experience to control it. It was up to him, and he was fast approaching the point of insanity. In mere seconds he was going to carry her to her room and make love to her until neither of them could move. Hell, he thought, inhaling her perfume, he would take her right here, right now, were he not certain that it was her first time.
Her first time.
That intrusive thought forced reason to return in a rush.
Dane raised his head, his chest heaving with the strain of slowing himself, and stared down at her with eyes still burning with hunger. “Jacqueline.”
Her lids fluttered, then lifted, and she stared up at him, still in the throes of dazzling sensation. Her midnight eyes were dazed and far away, and she blinked, trying to understand the reason for Dane’s abrupt withdrawal.
Seeing the honest play of emotions flash across her beautiful, flushed face, Dane experienced a queer surge of feeling in his chest. With aching restraint, he lowered her to the floor, cupping her face tenderly between his shaking palms. “I know, sweetheart. But not now … not this way. For you, it has to be perfect.”
Reality descended upon Jacqui with a resounding crash.
She pressed her hands to her hot cheeks, her breath coming in short pants, her lips still throbbing from his consuming kisses. “Oh … my.” She inhaled sharply. “I can’t believe I just …”
Dane covered her hands with his. “No, Jacqueline, you didn’t just. We did.” His eyes twinkled, despite the insistent throbbing in his loins. “In fact, we would have done more than just if your charming Greta were not in the kitchen.”
Jacqui gasped and glanced over her shoulder. “Greta! Oh, Lord.” She closed her eyes, mortified … then enraged by her behavior. When her lids lifted, Dane immediately saw the warning lights that glittered at him.
“Am I to be slapped again?” he asked, grinning. “I have not yet recovered from your first assault.”
“What is it you want of me, Mr. Westbrooke?”
Dane chuckled at the belated formality. “To begin with, I want to hear you use my given name. Surely, that is not too much to ask after the intimacy we shared?”
Jacqui
Jacqui gave him what he wanted.
She returned his kiss with a newly born passion that astonished her, accepting the lusty strokes of his tongue and giving him her own.
The kiss blazed out of control.
With a low groan of need, Dane lifted Jacqui from the floor, fitting her against the full length of him and tightening his hold so that she could feel every hardened contour of his aroused body. He wanted her. More than even he had known. More than he wanted his next breath. More than he could bear … he wanted this woman.
For Jacqui, the world and everything in it faded into nonreality, as she allowed her yearnings free rein, reveling in the first-time experience of pure, potent physical desire. She threw herself into it with the same utter abandon that she did each of life’s adventures … totally and without inhibition, thrilling to the sensual awakening. The discovery in itself was enthralling.
For Dane, it was not nearly enough.
His hands roved restlessly over her back, finding the buttons that separated him from the promise of beauty beneath. His control was fast evaporating, fueled by her wildly exhilarating response. The taste of her mouth, the feel of her in his arms, was intoxicating enough, but the way she pressed her soft, lush body against his, returning his openmouthed kisses with an innocent, unrestrained ardor, was more than he could withstand. Her passion rivaled his, but he knew that she lacked the experience to control it. It was up to him, and he was fast approaching the point of insanity. In mere seconds he was going to carry her to her room and make love to her until neither of them could move. Hell, he thought, inhaling her perfume, he would take her right here, right now, were he not certain that it was her first time.
Her first time.
That intrusive thought forced reason to return in a rush.
Dane raised his head, his chest heaving with the strain of slowing himself, and stared down at her with eyes still burning with hunger. “Jacqueline.”
Her lids fluttered, then lifted, and she stared up at him, still in the throes of dazzling sensation. Her midnight eyes were dazed and far away, and she blinked, trying to understand the reason for Dane’s abrupt withdrawal.
Seeing the honest play of emotions flash across her beautiful, flushed face, Dane experienced a queer surge of feeling in his chest. With aching restraint, he lowered her to the floor, cupping her face tenderly between his shaking palms. “I know, sweetheart. But not now … not this way. For you, it has to be perfect.”
Reality descended upon Jacqui with a resounding crash.
She pressed her hands to her hot cheeks, her breath coming in short pants, her lips still throbbing from his consuming kisses. “Oh … my.” She inhaled sharply. “I can’t believe I just …”
Dane covered her hands with his. “No, Jacqueline, you didn’t just. We did.” His eyes twinkled, despite the insistent throbbing in his loins. “In fact, we would have done more than just if your charming Greta were not in the kitchen.”
Jacqui gasped and glanced over her shoulder. “Greta! Oh, Lord.” She closed her eyes, mortified … then enraged by her behavior. When her lids lifted, Dane immediately saw the warning lights that glittered at him.
“Am I to be slapped again?” he asked, grinning. “I have not yet recovered from your first assault.”
“What is it you want of me, Mr. Westbrooke?”
Dane chuckled at the belated formality. “To begin with, I want to hear you use my given name. Surely, that is not too much to ask after the intimacy we shared?”
Jacqui
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