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