Desire unlike anything he could remember feeling shot through him, his body already hard, solidified to the point of pain. Releasing her hands, he cradled her head in one palm so he could angle it just where he wanted, while the other moved down the soft curve of her waist and gripped her lusciously firm backside.
His tongue sought entrance into her mouth, and when she opened to him, a shudder passed through him while he pressed his arousal into her, wishing there was nothing blocking him from sinking deep inside her.
She responded by wrapping her freed hands around his neck and tugging him closer, her own lips seductively moving across his mouth, her body pushing upward, seeking what he was offering.
This wasn’t a tentative first kiss. This was a kiss of lovers who knew each other intimately, and he was ready to take her right there, not caring where they were or who was around. This much hunger couldn’t be denied.
He knew he was almost past the point of no return, knew he could have her right here and now, but he wouldn’t do it without her permission. Yes, her body was saying she wanted him, but he wanted to hear her say the words.
“Let’s go inside, Ella. Let me please you,” he said before moving his lips down the side of her neck and sucking the skin above her pounding pulse.
She moaned as her body sought his, but she didn’t say the words he needed to hear. “Invite me inside, Ella. We can’t stop this. It’s been inevitable from the first moment we met,” he said before moving his lips down the vee of her shirt and sucking at the delicate skin of her freed breasts.
“I . . . uh . . . wait . . . let me think,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Don’t think, just feel,” he said, nearing panic as he heard doubt in her voice.
He slid her top to the right and ran his tongue out, touching just the edge of her sweet nipple that he so desperately wanted to see. She moaned again before her hands came around to push against his chest.
“Stop, please,” she gasped.
With a sigh that spoke of the pain this was going to cost him, Axel released her, then placed his hands on the ground and moved away from her, his lower half still desperately brushing against the softness of her core.
“Why stop? We want this, Ella. Both of us,” he said, wanting desperately to bend down and make her delirious again with his kiss.
“Give me a second, Axel. I c-can’t think,” she said, closing her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again, their depths just a little clearer than they’d been a moment before.
“I don’t want either of us to think. I just want to sink deep inside you and take us both to a whole new realm of pleasure,” he said, practically begging. Damn, he wanted her.
“I can’t do this. I don’t do this,” she said, and he knew the battle was over.
“Do you really believe taking time to think will make this hunger go away? What the two of us are sharing isn’t usual, Ella. We’re fools to throw it away.”
“I don’t have sex with men I don’t know,” she said, her eyes now clear, fire beginning to ignite in them.
“We shared the other night at the restaurant. Ask whatever else you want. I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” he said, covering up his frustration with a confident grin as he finally moved off her completely and sat on the cold, hard ground. Not able to resist, he reached out and ran her silken strands through his fingers before he stopped and pulled back.
Shivers started racking her body now that he wasn’t cradling her in the warmth of his own. He knew he needed to get her inside before she became overly chilled, but he couldn’t seem to move.
“I’m still not going to have sex with you tonight, Axel, not even if we spend the next eight hours talking. I don’t have sex with men I’ve just met,” she said as she sat up.
“Well then, let’s go on a real date,” he offered.
“A date?” She looked confused.
“You know, a thing where a man and a woman go have a nice meal, some wine, maybe a movie and dancing?” he said with what he hoped passed as a laugh.
“Oh, I see, now you’re going to be a smart-ass,” she said, almost sounding sad.
“I’m sorry. I want you; I won’t lie about that. I can respect that you want to wait before we have sex—but Ella, I want you. There’s no doubt about that,” he said, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look at him. He wanted no misunderstanding between them.
“And if the date doesn’t go well . . .” she said, letting the words trail off.
“Ah, baby, you obviously haven’t been on a real date with me.”
“Your confidence will be your undoing someday,” she warned.
“I can agree to that. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at six. Wear a dress—preferably the exact same one you wore before.”
“Fine, I’ll go. But the dress is long gone. And don’t think this means you’re getting sex,” she stated firmly.
Axel couldn’t resist the challenge. Before she knew what was happening, he tugged her onto his lap, enjoying the gasp escaping her kiss-swollen lips. “Noted,” he said before leaning in and kissing her one more time with just enough hunger to make her regret sending him home.
When he knew he had to stop or push the lines of right and wrong, he released her, throwing his arms beneath her and standing in one fluid motion before he set her on her feet and kissed her once more, this time a chaste good-night kiss.
“I’m going to make you scream,” he said before placing a hand behind her back and leading her to the back door of her house, where he waited for her to enter her code to get in. Next time he saw her, he’d lecture her about the whole point of security being to stay safely inside, not come out to meet the people trying to break in.