He picked her up and carried her the rest of the way up the stairs to her bedroom. When he released her, she slid down his body with her arms looped around his neck, a sleepy, sexy smile on her face beneath the mask. He kissed her beauty mark, then claimed her mouth. He reached under the skirt to cup her bare ass in both hands, feeling her wetness on his fingers.
She pulled his damp shirt over his head, then unfastened the waistband of his slacks and lowered the zipper. Chev stepped out of them, shucking his waterlogged shoes and socks in the process. His briefs clung to him, his desire for her unrepressed. He reached for her, wanting to rid her of her clothes, but Gemma pushed him toward the bed and urged him to sit. Then she walked out of arm’s reach.
When she began to unlace the white bustier, Chev leaned back on his elbows to enjoy the show. With the skirt rucked up, hugging her thighs, her bare, tanned legs looked a mile long in those red high heels. His cock surged. Clear liquid oozed out of the head that protruded from the waistband of his briefs, pooling on his stomach. She slowly unlaced the bustier and allowed her breasts to fall free. He groaned to see the magnificent globes up close, his hands itched to touch the distended pink nipples.
She turned away from him and gave him a coy smile over her shoulder, then shimmied the skirt down to her ankles. Her tight ass made his mouth water, but when she bent over to step out of the garment, the view made the moisture on his tongue evaporate.
“Come to me,” he commanded, his voice hoarse.
She turned and walked to the bed, her breasts bouncing, her thighs still shimmering with wetness.
“Take off the mask.”
She shook her head. “I like it better this way.”
Not in a position to argue, Chev pushed off his underwear, releasing his raging erection. She climbed on top of him and wrapped her fingers around his dick. The sensation made him buck. He clasped her hand. “I have to have you now. Let me get a condom before I explode.”
Gemma stopped and for several agonizing heartbeats, Chev feared she would say that she didn’t want to have sex. She seemed to be balancing on some sort of precipice and for an angry split second, he thought it was good that she could trust him. If she said no, he would find a less pleasurable way to achieve his release, but another man who had been tantalized by her watch-me games might not be so accommodating.
“I have a condom,” she said finally, then leaned over to a nightstand and removed one from the drawer.
Her ex-husband’s condoms, he realized in a haze. With her hands on him, rolling on the thin sheath, he frankly didn’t care where it had come from.
Chev flipped her onto her back and settled his body over hers. He feasted on her breasts, sucking and biting on her nipples until they were hardened and scarlet.
“Yes,” she murmured. “Oh, yes.”
Chev had always prided himself on taking it slow with his lovers, but with Gemma, he felt feverish. And suddenly, he couldn’t wait any longer. He kissed her mouth and her neck, then entered her silky channel in one deep thrust. Her body clenched around his like an exquisite spring—he set his jaw against the tornadic pull of her core.
Even as his body found a rhythm with hers, something akin to fear reared in his chest … it had never been like this before. This … force that seemed to be drawing the life fluid out of him. She lifted her hips to meet him stroke for stroke, her nails digging into his shoulders. Behind the mask her eyes were glazed with passion.
He tried to maintain control, but within a few seconds, he felt his body racing toward paradise. Her cries escalated and she climaxed again, contracting around the length of him in waves. Chev surrendered to the power of her and shot rope after rope of his essence, shuddering at the sheer intensity of being emptied so completely.
When their moans had subsided, he lowered his body gingerly, careful not to crush her, and rolled to the side. Gasping for breath, he lay staring at Gemma’s still-masked profile, reeling from the emotions plowing through him. When had this happened? When had he fallen for her? And what could possibly come of it?
As if by mutual consent, they didn’t speak. The rain falling on the roof was hypnotic, prolonging their fantasy state. Dusk was giving way to darkness quickly, casting shadows across the bedroom. The scent of their lovemaking filled the air and incredibly, Chev wanted her again. He reached for her hand, twined their fingers. “Gemma—”
“Shh,” she whispered, putting a finger to his lips. Then she pushed herself up to straddle him. Her magnificent breasts swung heavily, the large peaks within easy reach of his lips. “Let’s think of something to do with our mouths other than talk.”
The woman was nothing if not persuasive. Chev opened his mouth to receive an engorged nipple and sucked hungrily, determined to grant every sexual wish Gemma had, hoping that she would allow him to stay in her bed … and perhaps, in her life.
15
GEMMA LOVED to make love in the morning. She stretched her arms tall and her legs long until her muscles sang, then she smiled and rolled over.
But at the sight of Chev Martinez slumbering on Jason’s side of the bed—his black hair stark against the white pillowcase, his gold earring glinting against his skin, his tattoo of a leafless tree vivid on his muscled shoulder—she panicked. His being here seemed so … wrong. She sat and pulled up a sheet to cover her breasts, still tender from Chev’s skillful hands and tongue.
Sometime during the night the rain had stopped. The morning sun slanted in the picture window, casting harsh light on the aftermath of their night of unbridled sex. The air was ripe with the aroma of body fluids, with at least three spent condoms in view. The sheets on the bed were tangled and warm, the bedspread and decorative pillows flung to the far corners of the room. The black mask dangled around her neck. Her costume from yesterday lay in one pile, his clothes in another. The sight of another man’s dress shoes on the area rug made her heart race. What had she done?
“Hey.”
She jumped, then looked over at Chev’s lazy morning smile. His impressive erection tented the sheet. His long bronzed limbs were sprawled across the bed, taking up an inordinate amount of space, crowding her.
“Hey,” she said, wondering how to delicately diffuse the situation … erase the previous night … go back to the way things had been—safe.
He reached forward, turned her hand over in his and ran his thumb over her palm, sending vibrations up her arm. “Since you don’t have to work today and I’m not expecting my crew for a couple of hours, how do you feel about making love in the morning?”
An alarm sounded in her head. This was too much, too soon … it couldn’t go any further. She pulled back, careful to keep herself covered. “Chev, we need to talk.”
His expression clouded. “Uh-oh, I know that tone.”
The ring of the phone cut through the air like a knife. Knowing it was rude, but grateful for the distraction, she dove for the receiver. In the back of her mind, despite the bad timing, she wondered perversely if it was Jason calling.
She was officially losing her mind.
“Hello?”
Sue’s voice came over the line. “Hey, there. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
Gemma shot a glance at Chev, who was watching her closely, his dark eyes too perceptive. “No, you didn’t catch me at a bad time. What’s up?”
“I