“I’m not the sexiest woman you’ve kissed.”
“You are. Sexy and beautiful and kind and funny. I could go on but my lips would rather be exploring you than talking at the moment. ”
It was probably a line, but she’d rather have his lips on her as well. Finally, he stood before her, stark naked, and she could honestly say he was magnificent—broad shoulders, just the right amount of well-defined muscles, leading down to a trim waist and lower. Forget firemen or Chippendales; there should be a sexy IT guy calendar.
When he kissed her again, she could feel the restraint. He was holding back.
“Now it’s your turn,” he said as he lay back on the bed.
“What?”
“Take your clothes off.” The sensual gleam in his eyes as they roved over her sent sparks skidding along her skin.
Lorelei put her hands on her hips. The seduction routine had been her idea, but she thought he’d run with it once she started. He’d obviously had a drink; she could taste the whiskey whenever they kissed. Yet he wasn’t drunk. “Why do I have to do all the work?”
“Because this is your idea. Trust me, I think it’s a fabulous idea. But the way my company works, if you make a suggestion you’d better back it up with action.” He put his hands behind his head and smiled at her.
Was he just going to lie there, naked, and expect her to strip for him? She glanced down at her clothes. Well, there wasn’t a lot to remove, even with her shoes still on. This had better be worth it.
Leaning forward, she unhooked one of the clips on her stockings. Passion flared in Liam’s eyes, emboldening her. She slid a strap off one shoulder then turned her back, releasing the other clip on her stocking. Putting her foot up on his bedside table, she rolled the stocking down her leg, inch by inch. Without glancing at him she could hear his breathing increase. She slipped the stocking off her foot, then put her shoe back on. With a sway of her hips, she removed the other stocking. She folded them carefully and laid them on the chair by the bed.
She peeked at Liam. He lay there, as though he was watching a mildly interesting baseball game. However, she could see the muscle throb in his jaw and the rest of his body ready for action. Lorelei swallowed. Reaching behind her, she undid one of the hooks holding her bodice together. She sauntered over to the window while releasing another hook. She slid one curtain closed and released another hook. With an exaggerated swing of her hips she glided over to the other curtain. She hid behind it while she removed her panties, unable to think of a sexy way to do that. Peeking around the curtain, she threw them at Liam, who caught them, examined the delicate lace, and then tossed them toward her stockings.
With the curtains closed, she advanced on Liam, undoing hooks as she went. With only one hook left she knelt on the bed. His whole body was taut, his gaze riveted on her chest, and she waited until he stared into her eyes. When their gazes locked she undid the last hook, slid the straps off her arms, and threw the bodice toward the fireplace. She was as naked as him now, except for her shoes.
“Bad enough for you?” She barely recognized her own voice it was so thick with desire.
“Oh, yeah.” He reached a hand out and she put hers into it. “Thank you,” he said, his voice husky. Tugging gently, she landed against him, skin on skin. The roughness of his hairy chest on her sensitized breasts made her gasp. This could be over very quickly. She took a deep breath as he rolled over and loomed above her.
“For what?”
“For making my fantasy come true.”
She smiled up at him. Here she was lying naked under the sexiest man she’d ever met. The man she was pretty sure she was in love with, and she’d just performed her first striptease and he hadn’t fallen asleep. She reached up a hand and put it onto his cheek.
“That was it? That was the sum of your fantasies? I think we need to work on your imagination a little more.”
He laughed and then kissed her until she couldn’t remember her own name.
…
Liam rolled over onto something pointy. He reached around and pulled a high-heeled shoe from his back. Lorelei’s footwear had lasted for half an hour before finally falling off. It had been the best night of his life, bar none. Adding emotion did amazing things for the physical aspects of the relationship. Making love was way better than having sex. It would never be the same again.
On that cheery thought, he eased his arm out from under Lorelei’s head. She groaned at the loss of contact but snuggled into the pillow. Kissing her on the cheek, he tucked the blankets around her. He planned on being back beside her before she woke fully. Three times wasn’t enough.
After putting on his robe, he padded barefoot out of the room. On autopilot, he headed for the computer room. When he wiggled the mouse, the screen lit up with his brother’s manuscript still open. The blinking bar that had last night taunted him with his unhappiness now lured him to write the happy ever after for his fictional couple. The sense of triumph he experienced when he typed “The End” was similar to being told an external hacker hadn’t been able to penetrate a client’s newly secured system. No wonder Marcus had enjoyed writing so much.
His cell phone rang in the front room and he hurried to answer it so the noise didn’t wake Lorelei. Dawn was breaking and the rosy, early-morning light began to flood the apartment. His spirits rose with the approach of a new day—a day starting with Lorelei naked in his bed.
David’s voice on the phone broke through the fog of happiness, bringing him back to reality. After dealing with a couple of issues, he left a message for his secretary saying he would be out of contact until late afternoon. Shutting off his phone, he put it on the mantel before returning to the bedroom.
Chapter Fourteen
Lorelei woke with a heavy weight across her legs, and her eyes flew open, taking in the unfamiliar room. Her heart thudded in her chest and slowly she turned her head. Liam’s gorgeous face shared her pillow, his long lashes fanned against his cheeks, morning stubble darkened his jaw. Relaxing, she stretched, extricating her limbs from his. He mumbled something but rolled over, still asleep.
He must have gotten up sometime during the night because his clothes, which had been abandoned on the floor by the bed, had been picked up. Sliding out of the bed, she headed for the bathroom. She was going to have a few aches in places she wasn’t used to aching. Liam was a skilled and gentle lover and had taught her a few things about her own body—like how much pleasure she could take. And from his responses to her touch, she hadn’t disappointed either.