Hot-Blooded (5 page)

He didn’t resist when she backed him up against the open door of her room and delicately stroked her tongue along the seam of his lips, humming her approval when they parted for her. As if helpless to withstand her sensual assault, he began kissing her back, a soft, moist fusing of their mouths that made Elena go weak with desire. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d felt this hot, sweet yearning for a man.

His arms came slowly around her, holding her captive as he plundered her mouth, his tongue sliding against hers with expert precision. Elena welcomed his heat and strength, and she could feel her body blossom beneath his touch, as if anticipating their joining.

She was unprepared when Chase dragged his mouth from hers. “We can’t do this,” he muttered, trailing his lips over her cheek until he found the soft juncture of her throat and pressed his lips to her hammering pulse.

“We can’t
not
do this,” she whispered back. “Please…I really need this.”

She needed to feel connected to someone, to be touched and held and reminded that she was a desirable woman. It had been so long since she’d felt wanted by a man. Maybe that was partly her own fault for holding herself so rigidly in check, but the prospect of spending the next six months alone was almost too daunting to contemplate. Just for tonight, she wanted this physical bond. She needed it. She needed this man, with his amazing physique and heart-stopping smile, to want her as much as she wanted him.

His breathing was uneven in her ear. “We might never see each other again.”

Elena arched her neck, granting him better access. “I understand that, I really do. But you’d be doing me a huge favor if you stayed with me tonight. Please…” She threaded her fingers through his short hair, enjoying the velvet texture and feeling the warmth of his scalp beneath her fingertips. “Stay.”

She was glad he didn’t ask if she was sure.

She wasn’t.

She’d never done anything this reckless or bold in her life, but there was no way she was going to stop. She wanted to experience this man and everything he had to offer, even if it couldn’t last for more than one night. She would never say so to Chase, but there was a part of her that was grateful she wouldn’t see him again after tonight. If she didn’t see him again, he could never disappoint her.

“Please,” she repeated.

He didn’t argue. He simply swept her into his arms before she could utter another word and carried her into the room, kicking the door closed behind them. Elena had never before had a man pick her up so effortlessly, and there was a part of her that thrilled in his strength and the way it made her feel.

Feminine.

Fragile.

He set her on her feet next to the bed and without giving her a chance to move an inch, cupped her face in his hands and slanted his mouth across hers.

“I could kiss you like this all night,” he murmured. “You have the softest lips…”

Tilting her head back, he worked his way down her throat, planting soft kisses and gentle bites against her flesh, until Elena shivered with need. His fingers unhurriedly worked the buttons of her red blouse, until she felt cool air waft against her bare skin. She didn’t object when he pushed the shirt from her shoulders and drew her sleeves down, letting the garment drop to the floor until she stood before him in just her bra and jeans.

“Let me look at you,” he said, his voice husky. Stepping back, he leaned over and flicked on the bedside lamp.

Elena blinked against the sudden intrusion of light in the dark room, and then blushed as she realized Chase was staring at her. Only he wasn’t just looking at her, he was devouring her with his gaze, and the expression in his eyes made Elena feel both excited and nervous.

“What’s this?” he asked, and reaching out, he touched the necklace that nestled between her breasts, his fingertips brushing against her sensitized skin and sending jolts of awareness shooting through her.

“Something my sisters gave to me,” she said breathlessly, showing him the tiny silver angel charm that dangled from the chain. “It’s a guardian angel, to watch over me.”

“He’d better do his job,” he said huskily, letting the little charm drop back between her breasts. “Lucky little angel.”

“I’ve, um, never done anything like this before,” she admitted. Her bones felt deliciously weak, and although she suspected part of it was a result of the absinthe, the major cause was the man who stood looking at her with pure, male appreciation.

“You don’t have to do anything now,” he assured her. “We could just—” He broke abruptly off with a laugh. “Hell, I don’t know…we could just
cuddle
. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“But that’s just it,” she said. “I
want
to do this.”

Elena realized it was the truth. And not just because she was leaving in the morning for some remote base whose name she couldn’t even pronounce. She wanted this beautiful man and the promise of pleasure that lurked in his eyes. She’d never felt this kind of gnawing lust before. Ever. Her gaze dropped to his lush mouth and a sharp stab of desire speared through her. His lips were too tempting.

Keeping her eyes locked with his, Elena reached behind her and unfastened the clasp of her bra. She didn’t miss how Chase swallowed hard. Elena didn’t immediately let the undergarment go, but held it pressed against her breasts.

“When I first saw you back there at the party, I wondered…” Her voice trailed off as his gaze sharpened on her.

“What?” His voice sounded hoarse. “What did you wonder?”

“…what you would taste like in my mouth.”

“Oh, Christ,” he groaned, and in the next instant Elena was in his arms.

She half expected him to pick her up and toss her onto the bed. Instead, he stroked his hands over her bare skin, his fingers finding the dips and curves of her body with infinite care. His turned his face into the arch of her neck and pressed his mouth against her throat. Then he tugged the bra free from her fingers and let it fall to the floor.

Elena didn’t have time to feel self-conscious before he covered one breast with his big hand, gently massaging her pliant flesh. She could feel the hard calluses on his palms and gasped at the sensations his touch created, unfamiliar with the cravings rising in her body.

She tipped her head back enough to see his face, and realized his eyes were a mix of browns and greens with flecks of pure gold, surrounded by thick lashes. With his eyes, cheekbones and delectable mouth, the only thing that kept him from too being perfect was his nose, which showed evidence of having been broken at some point.

As he cupped her breast, Elena pushed her hands beneath the hem of his T-shirt. He reflexively tensed, and her fingers skimmed over ridges of muscle across his abdomen. Larry had been a runner, and while he’d been lean, his body had lacked true definition. But not this man; he was sculpted in ways that Elena had never experienced before. She slid her hands higher, reveling in his warm, hard flesh.

He watched her the entire time, and the only indication that her touch affected him was the way his breathing hitched when her fingertips stroked over the small nubs of his nipples.

“Take this off,” she said softly, and he complied instantly, reaching behind his head to grab a fistful of shirt and drag it upward.

Elena couldn’t prevent a small indrawn breath.

Her first impression had been right; his was a body designed for a woman’s touch, and she was helpless to stop herself from running her hand over his chest. She took note of the small scars and imperfections, realizing she knew nothing of him or what he had experienced.

“I was right,” she murmured, tracing a long, thin scar that slashed over his ribs. “You’re tough.”

To her surprise, he laughed. “Oh, yeah. I’m real tough. That’s why I have absolutely no willpower where you’re concerned.”

Elena slid her arms around his waist until they were skin to skin, absorbing the feel of him. “I’m glad. I don’t want you to have any willpower tonight.”

With a rough sound, Chase lowered his head and caught her mouth in a kiss so deep that she felt it all the way to her toes. She didn’t object when he backed her up to the bed and pushed her gently down across the coverlet, following alongside her.

The bedspread was cool against her bare back, but Chase’s skin was hot against her breasts. Dragging his mouth from hers, he worked his way unhurriedly down her throat and over her chest, nuzzling her breasts with his mouth. Elena watched him, spellbound by the sight of his dark head against her pale skin, and feeling the rush of heat and wetness between her legs. When he took a nipple into his mouth and drew deeply on the stiffened tip, she gasped and arched upward, clutching at his shoulders.

He tormented first one breast and then the other, ignoring how Elena twisted beneath him, her hips shifting restlessly against his. He used his mouth to worship her body, moving from her breasts to her stomach, where he teased her navel with his tongue. His fingers moved to the waistband of her jeans and released the fastening in one easy flick of his fingers.

“Yes,” she panted, as he slowly drew the zipper down. She lifted her hips, and Chase dragged the jeans down the length of her legs until she lay on the bed wearing nothing but her panties.

“Oh, man,” he breathed, “you are so damned pretty.”

If Elena had worried that she might not meet his expectations, those doubts vanished beneath the heat in his gaze. Reaching out, she caught him by the waistband of his jeans and tugged until he came over her on all fours, with her fingers still tucked into his pants.

“Take these off,” she urged, needing to see him. “Hurry.”

Dawn would be here before they knew it, and Elena felt a sudden urgency to meld with this man, to own him and belong to him before it was too late. Even now, her duffel bags lay on the floor by the far wall, packed and ready to go. She suspected that if she were to visit Chase’s room, she would see the same.

“I’ll take them off,” Chase breathed, “but I want to go slow, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed, too eager to see him to tell him that she had no intention of going slow. She was past ready for him. Even now, her panties were soaked with desire, and her sex throbbed with need. She’d listened to her sisters describe lust often enough, but she’d never understood the meaning of the word until now.

Leaning back, Chase unfastened the snap on his jeans, and Elena helped to push them down over his hips. Her breath caught as she saw his erection tenting the material of his cotton boxer shorts. As he stood and kicked his legs free, Elena sat up on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, she laid her hand over the hot ridge of flesh beneath the cotton, thrilling at how he jumped beneath her touch.

“I want to see you,” she said, and slid her fingers beneath the stretchy waistband to take him in her hand. His breath hissed in through clenched teeth as she curled her fingers around him, and her body pulsed hotly in response.

“You’re gorgeous,” she breathed, pushing his boxers down to stroke his length. Glancing upward, she saw Chase watching her through half-closed eyes, his face taut. “You know what I want to do.”

“Yeah.” His voice came out on a raspy groan.

Elena smiled. She’d never felt so sexy or powerful before in her life. This guy was the embodiment of masculine strength and beauty, and yet she literally held him trembling in the palm of her hand. The effect was an aphrodisiac.

She cupped his weight from beneath with one hand as she trailed her fingers along the velvety shaft with her other. The head of his penis was like a ripe plum, and Elena’s mouth watered with the need to taste him. Leaning forward, she ran her tongue lightly over the blunt tip.

“Mmm,” she murmured. “You taste delicious.” Then she took him fully into her mouth.

Chase made a rough sound, a mixture of surprise and arousal. His hands came up to frame her face, his fingers massaging the tender skin behind her ears. Emboldened, Elena took him deeper, swirling her tongue around him as she used her hand to stroke and caress his length. She pressed her thighs together, squeezing against the sharp throb of arousal between them.

“That’s enough,” he gasped and eased her away, his breath coming fast. “I won’t last if you keep that up, and I’m not ready for this to be over.”

Reluctantly, Elena released him and let him push her back onto the mattress. Bending over her, he pressed his mouth against her abdomen. The faint stubble on his jaw abraded the tender skin in a way that made her squirm in delicious anticipation.

“You smell great,” he murmured, and hooked his thumbs into the elastic waistband of her panties, pulling them down in one smooth movement. His lips drifted over the arch of her ribs and over the swell of her breasts until he reached a nipple and drew it into his mouth. Elena struggled for breath against the erotic sensations of his tongue and teeth, and she threaded her fingers through his hair, urging him closer.

His warm hand skated over her stomach and lower, urging her legs apart so that he could cup her intimately. Elena’s thighs fell open and she pressed upward against his palm, wanting more of the delicious contact.