She was as ramped up as he was, her mouth moving under his, her body one ball of energy as she reached up to undo the buttons of his shirt. His heart pounded against his chest. He wondered if she could feel it, if she’d laugh that he was so caught up in this. It wasn’t like this was a first for him. Women threw themselves at him. He should be kind of jaded about the whole thing. But she was so different from the other women he’d been with. Fresh and exciting and ... normal.

She lifted her lips from his. “Your heart is racing.” She laid her palm flat against his chest. “I thought it was just me who was supposed to be excited about this.”

He arched a brow. “You think I’m not affected by you kissing me?”

She shrugged. “Women probably kiss you every day.”

He laughed, then pulled her onto the sofa with him. “Not every day. And you aren’t just any woman.”

She slid her legs over his lap. “Oh, right. I’m special.”

“You are.”

“Really. In what way?”

“You’re not famous.”

She tilted her head back and laughed, then hitched her dress up, revealing her thighs as she straddled him. Just as he imagined, she had killer thighs.

“Gee, you sure know how to compliment a woman.”

She wound her arms around his neck and leaned in, her breasts brushing his chest.

He’d really wanted to spend more time talking to her, to show her that he wasn’t primarily interested in getting in her panties.

But with her body full-on against his, he inhaled the scent of her shampoo—something sweet that made him want to lick her skin, and he figured, screw it. He really did want to get in her panties. He swept his hand down her back, mapping his way through a mix of skin and the sparkly dress. He tucked his hand inside, definitely preferring the skin part.

Tara moaned and got closer, as if she wanted to crawl inside him.

Oh, yeah. This was the warm-up. He was ready to get in the game now. He reached up and started pulling pins from her hair. She tilted her head back and lifted her lips.

“Determined to destroy my Cinderella image, aren’t you?”

He dragged a pin from a golden strand and let it fall to the floor, then dove into the softness of her hair for another. “You get any more beautiful and I might drop dead.”

She arched her brows. “You’re very good at that.”

“My sister liked having her hair put up.”

“No, not that. The lines.”

He shook his head. “No line. Promise. You’re gorgeous.”

She looked like she didn’t believe him. Obviously no one had told her lately how stunning she really was. A damn shame, since the naked honesty in her eyes could make a man do anything she wanted. He pulled the last pin out of her hair and shook it loose, letting it tumble across her neck and cheeks.

“Amazing. Soft.” He inhaled. “Peaches.”

She giggled, and the sound vibrated against his chest.

“I don’t know any women who smell like peaches.”

“The shampoo was on sale at Walmart.”

Yeah, he could seriously like this woman.

When she felt his tongue glide across her throat, she quivered all over. Mick tightened his hold on her, and then the bastard did it again. Goose bumps popped out along her flesh, desire roaring to an inferno inside her. Her nipples beaded, aching for his mouth to do to them what it was doing to her neck right now. She could already imagine him sweeping his tongue across her nipples while she watched. She’d lift her dress and slide her hand inside her panties and rub her throbbing clit until the orgasm she so desperately needed made her scream.

Damn, she’d been alone with her vibrator and late-night Cinemax for too long. But she wasn’t going to get herself off tonight. Tonight, Mick was going to make her come, and if she got her wish, it wasn’t going to be just once.

She almost laughed at her bold audacity. It just wasn’t her at all. But dammit, she wanted Mick, and she refused to apologize for being a woman in the prime of her sexual life who hadn’t been getting any for a very long time. And she was being held and kissed by one of the best specimens of male humanity she’d ever seen—a guy who for some reason seemed to really want her. No way was she going to second-guess herself or pass up this opportunity.

Mick held his hand in her hair, massaging her scalp in a way that wasn’t at all medicinal. It was sensual, designed to drive her half mad with lust. And oh, did she have the lust thing going in a big way.

His other hand rested at the small of her back, his fingers tapping along the top of her butt. Tara felt his erection as she shifted on his lap, and her panties dampened as if this were the first time she’d ever been close to a cock before.

It felt the like the first time—the first in a long, long time. She’d thought denying herself was a wise idea, all things considered. Right now it didn’t feel wise at all. It felt stupid, because she’d forgotten how utterly awesome it was to be close, to be kissed, to be touched by a man.

She held on to his shoulders and leaned back, searching his face, wanting to memorize how utterly beautiful he was. His eyes were a mesmerizing shade of blue, like some faraway ocean she’d likely never visit. No wonder women fell all over themselves to get close to him. He had rugged features and full soft lips that didn’t seem to belong on such a masculine face. His nose was a little crooked, making his impossibly faultless face just a little less perfect. She liked that. Too flawless and she’d feel inadequate.

“You’re staring.”

His breathing was hard. Just like his cock. She liked that, too. “Can’t help it. It’s the eyes. The face. The body. Hell, it’s the whole package, Mick. You’re gorgeous.”

He cocked his head to the side, frowning. “Men aren’t gorgeous. Women are. You are.”

She knew she wasn’t, but hey, she’d go along with the fantasy tonight. Especially when he stood, sliding his hands under her butt to lift her. She wrapped her legs around him, her dress inching higher up her thighs. The room got a few degrees warmer as he walked her down the hall, not once taking his gaze from hers.

He made her feel special, and no one had done that for her in a while.

He shoved the door open with his shoulder, and Tara got a glimpse of wide windows and cloudless night sky before Mick placed her in the center of one incredibly large, soft, king-sized bed. He moved on top of her, his hands positioned on either side of her shoulders, holding himself off her by just the barest of inches, making her lift to brush her breasts against his chest.

“Tease.”

“You’re the one teasing. Get down here and kiss me,” she said, needing to feel his body crushed against hers.

“I’m too big to be on top of you.”

Big. On top. Didn’t that conjure up images that made her wet. She palmed the back of his neck and drew his head down. “I think I can take it.”

Mick uttered a low growl and dropped down on top of her, his body pressed against hers. She realized the sheer size of him as he lay full on her, but she knew from the tension in his body that he held his weight from her. Still, the pressure of a man’s body on top of hers felt so damn good she could cry. His cock rubbed her thigh, and a rush of heat enveloped her, making her lift against him, arch toward what she wanted more than anything.

“You sure about this?”

She loved that he asked and framed his face with her hands. “Definitely, positively, absolutely sure.”

His lips covered hers, and all reluctance was gone as he took possession, his tongue diving inside. He groaned with a seeming desperation that surprised her. Surely he did this all the time. She was the one who should be desperate, because she sure as hell didn’t do this all the time.

His mouth was an amazing piece of artwork, full and soft and devastating to her senses. He slid his lips back and forth across hers as his tongue turned her brain to mush. And his hands were the devil’s own soldiers as they moved over her, gently pressing in to sail across each of her curves from her sides to her hips, sliding underneath to cup her butt.

Tara resisted the urge to climb all over him and strip him naked in order to lick him and have her way with him in about ten seconds flat. She realized there had to be a certain finesse to this, but God Almighty, she wanted this man in a hurry. And he seemed to be taking his time moving his lips over hers, his hands roaming over her body as if he intended to thoroughly map every square inch of her with his fingertips. And oh, it felt so damn good. Her body quaked in response, throbbing and moistening in all the right places, but she was finding it hard to breathe.

“You okay?” he asked when he pulled his lips from hers.

“Yes. Fine. Why?”

“You’re breathing kind of heavy.” He laid his palm on her, his fingers resting just under her breast.

“You touching me there isn’t going to make my breathing any easier.”

He arched a brow, leaned up on his elbow, and covered her breast with his hand. “I get the idea it’s been a while for you. Want me to slow things down?”

“Yes, it’s been a while. How kind of you to notice. And God, no, I don’t want you to slow down. I’d like us both to be naked right now.”

His lips quirked. “So you’re saying things are moving too slow.”

“You’re killing me here, Mick.”

“Let me see if I can’t speed things up a little for you.” He pushed her up on the bed so her head was on the pillows, then spread her legs and crawled between them.

That’s exactly what she needed. Maybe they wouldn’t even bother with taking their clothes off. She just needed him inside her. Now.

But he didn’t unbutton his pants or crawl up her body. Instead, he slid his magical fingers up her dress and teased her thighs, lifting her dress as his lips traced the trail his fingers had blazed.

Dear God. He really was trying to kill her, wasn’t he? Up her dress went, to the tops of her thighs, baring the panties she’d carefully selected to match her dress, even though she’d laughed at the thought that no one would ever know.

Now she was glad she had, because Mick lifted his head and smiled as he regarded the skimpy golden lace and silk, the only barrier between his mouth and her pussy.

“Now this is pretty.” He laid his hand over her sex and rubbed back and forth.

Throbbing sparks of pleasure spread from her clit to her pussy and throughout every nerve ending in her body. She began to tremble as she realized how close she was. Tara lifted up on her elbows and arched her pelvis against his hand. “I could come from you doing that.”

His hand stilled, but his palm against her sex made her wet.

“That fast, huh?”

She met his gaze head-on. “That fast.”

“I’d like you to come in my mouth, Tara. Try to hold off.” He jerked the material to the side and planted his mouth over her pussy. Suddenly she was overwhelmed with his lips and his tongue sliding over her sex, licking at her juices, tucking inside her and lapping around her clit.

A roll of mindless pleasure seized her, melting her to the mattress. She reached down to wind her fingers in his hair, lost in an earthquake of sensation that she couldn’t hold back.

“Mick,” she whispered, then bit down on her lip as she made good on her promise. Hot waves of orgasm rushed over her, and she cried out as she flooded his face with her come. She fell back against the pillows and rode out a mind-numbing orgasm that flashed through her in relentless waves. Mick held on to her hips and continued to lick her, suck her clit and pussy until she couldn’t stand it any longer. Then he moved away and kissed her thighs while she enjoyed some amazing aftershocks and caught her breath.

“Wow,” she said when she could find her voice. “That was really incredible.”

“Now that you got that first one out of the way, let’s take our time for the second.”

“What?”

Mick ignored her question. He reached for the strings holding her panties on her hips and dragged them over her butt and down her legs. Once off, he used his shoulders to nudge her legs apart.

“You have a pretty pussy, Tara. Pink and wet, and your sweet taste makes my dick hard.”

And just like that, she was ramped up and ready to go for round two. Just seeing him down there between her legs made her quiver with anticipation. He was right. She’d sailed right into that orgasm without having the time to thoroughly enjoy the kind of magic he’d performed on her. She’d like the opportunity for that, wanted to watch him and feel his tongue on her.

His warm breath flowed across her aching flesh. A tease, an anticipation. She tensed, waiting for his tongue to touch her, and when it did, she shuddered. Hot and wet, he slid his tongue across her swollen flesh, lashing her clit until he took the bud in his mouth and sucked.

Tension built fast again. It had been so long, and pleasuring herself was nothing like having a man between her legs, licking her pussy and bringing all her hot fantasies to life. Mick was one seriously hot fantasy. Her dress rode up above her hips and she was naked from the waist down and oh, damn, this was just so mind-blowing and erotic she couldn’t stand it.

Mick’s tongue and lips danced over her sex. He added his fingers to the mix, tucking one inside her pussy.

God, that felt good. She dropped her head back and just allowed herself to feel as he fucked her slow and easy with his fingers while he took her clit in his mouth and rolled his tongue over it.

“Yes, like that,” she whispered, tightening her hold on his hair as the sensations peaked, taking her close to the edge. “I’m going to come.”

He laid his tongue against her clit and began to fuck her hard with his finger. She splintered, crying out and bucking against him, this orgasm just as strong as the first one, as wave after wave crashed over her.

When she fell to the mattress she was spent, utterly amazed, and profoundly grateful. When Mick crawled up and smiled at her, she swiped her fingers across his chin and licked her fingertips.

“You taste like me.”

His nostrils flared and his eyes went dark. “You taste yourself often?”

She shrugged and wrapped her fingers around the nape of his neck. “Sometimes when I’m fingering myself.”

She couldn’t believe the things she said to him, the bold way she let herself go. But this was one night and it was her fantasy and she was going to have it the way she wanted it. And she wanted it to be perfect and no holds barred.

So when Mick rolled off the bed and started unbuttoning his shirt, Tara rose up on her knees to watch, not wanting to miss a moment of the unveiling. He shrugged out of the shirt, and he didn’t disappoint. His chest was wide, his pecs absolutely spectacular. His abs were flat and chiseled with that proverbial six-pack she saw on models and on TV but didn’t think existed. She reached out and laid her hands on his stomach, shocked at the rock-hard feel of his abs. “Wow, these six-pack things do exist.”

He laughed and unbuttoned his pants, let them fall to the floor. Tara licked her lips at the outline of his erection pressing insistently against his boxer briefs.

“Let me.” She pulled her dress off and cast it aside, then unhooked her bra, not at all self-conscious when Mick’s gaze roamed appreciatively over her body. She’d never been one to focus on how she looked, but right now she felt like a goddess. There was nothing like a man’s hungry gaze to make a woman feel desired.

She shimmied to the side of the bed to grab his briefs and roll them over his hips, releasing his cock. His briefs fell to the floor, and he kicked them off, giving Tara free rein to map those magnificent abs with the palms of her hands, then reach around to grab a handful of his tight ass. Wow. Talk about a work of art. She’d like to lay him down and run her hands over him for a couple hours. And then taste him.

Tara circled his cock with her hands, needing to touch him, to taste him, before he fucked her. He’d made her feel so good, she wanted to do the same to him.

She stroked the length of him, slipped one hand underneath to gently squeeze his ball sac, rewarded by his rough growl. And when she leaned over and took the smooth crest of his cock between her lips, his growl grew more pronounced. Mick slid his fingers in her hair and pulled her head toward his shaft. She gladly took him in, winding her tongue around the heated length of him.

“That’s good, Tara. I like your mouth.”

He tasted salty and powerful. She drank in the sight of him standing over her, her nipples tightening as she sucked him. He swept his hand over her hair in a tender gesture, and she knew he held back as he eased his cock along her tongue. She opened her mouth and let him watch, then curled her tongue over the crest and licked the salty fluid that escaped there.

“Jesus, woman, you’re going to make me come.”

She teased him with a slow lick of his cock head, then wrapped her fingers around his shaft and stroked him. “Isn’t that the idea?”

He moved away, then pushed her onto the bed. “Yeah. When I’m inside you and your pussy is squeezing the come out of me.”

He reached into his pants and pulled out a foil packet. Tara sighed in relief that he was prepared. He put the condom on and moved over her, spreading her legs, sliding his hands up her thighs, her belly, over her breasts. She arched and he filled his hands with them, then leaned over her and fit one aching bud in his mouth.

For someone so big she expected him to be rough. He surprised her with a gentle pull of her nipple between his lips, drawing it inside to glide his tongue over the bud. A slow warmth began to build as he sucked and licked one nipple, then the other, drawing out the anticipation as he rode his cock between her legs, not entering her yet, making her wait for it.

“Please,” she whispered, pulling his head up. “Please.”

He pressed his lips to hers, a soft brush of mouth against mouth. So tender and just what she needed. She reached up and caressed his face as he settled between her legs and slid his cock inside her.

She gasped at his entry. It was everything she’d expected and wanted. He fit her perfectly and knew just what to do to give her the kind of pleasure she craved. He slipped one hand underneath her and tilted her up, drawing them closer, taking her mouth in a hard, deep kiss, obliterating the gentleness of a few moments ago. But gentle wasn’t what she needed now. Now she wanted passion, and oh, did he give it to her. She wrapped her legs around his hips and dug her heels into him, bringing him deeper inside her.

Mick met her gaze and gripped her butt, thrusting deep.

“Yes,” she whispered as he rolled his hips over her, rocking against her clit. His hands added warmth and sensual pleasure as they glided over her body, stroking her sides, her breasts, tunneling into her hair to capture her and hold her steady while he kissed her, his mouth and tongue taking hers in a frenzy of passion and need that made her senseless.

She swept her hands over his back, memorizing the feel of his muscles as they moved, the steel of them working within the confines of his flesh, the heat and sweat of his skin as he powered against her.

She couldn’t recall making love with a man this ... intimately before, feeling this connection. She brushed it aside, figuring she was out of practice. It was just sex, and it had been a while, so for her, this was monumental. To him, it was likely just good fucking.

But the way he held her, caressed her, and kissed her, the way he lifted and then thrust, slow and easy, taking his time, seemingly in no hurry to race to the finish line, made her heart do flip-flops even as her body sizzled with the kind of pleasure a woman knew didn’t come around very often. She let herself be seduced by the magic of this moment, by the way he ground against her and took her up again. She let herself feel every quake and tremor as her body reawakened to the pleasure of lovemaking.

Tension filled her, coiling around her middle as Mick licked her nipples while he continued to move inside her. The sensation rocketed to her pussy, bringing her ever closer to orgasm.

“Harder,” she asked, and he complied, grabbing her knee and bending her leg, his gaze focused on hers as he thrust deeper, then rolled his pelvis against hers.

She gasped. “That’s going to make me come, Mick.”

“Oh yeah. Squeeze me with your pussy. Come for me.”

He reached between them, holding his hips off hers so he could rub her clit while he fucked her, keeping his gaze trained on her face.

“Let me see it,” he said, using his thumb to find the most tortured part of her, sweeping gently against the nub while continuing to rock inside her.

She trained her gaze on him as she let go, as her climax hit, the intensity of the physical pleasure combining with the emotional contact of him watching her, at the way his face contorted as he came with her, making her spiral out of control with a riot of emotions and sensations.

And then he kissed her, and she held tight to him as she continued to come, rolling over the edge again because he continued to move inside her, refusing to let go.

She didn’t want him to let go. Not until they were both spent, and Mick rolled off and left her only for a moment. Then he was back, pulling her against him and dragging the covers over them both.

Tara felt so small wrapped up in his embrace. Small and cherished as he kissed the back of her neck, held her tight and played with her breast in a lazy way that made her hot and made her smile at the same time.

“I guess I won’t be sleeping much tonight, will I?”

“Sleep’s overrated. You can sleep later.” He nipped at the back of her neck, and she shivered from the chills that skittered along her nerve endings. She turned to him, pushing him onto his back so she could climb on top of him. She felt his cock hardening underneath her.

“You’re right. I’ll sleep later.” She bent and kissed him.