She cried out as she shattered, and he swallowed her cry with a kiss that went on and on, anchoring her through the shudders that racked her body.
Finally, dragging in a breath that sounded like a sob, Jess collapsed, her forehead sagging to his shoulder, her knees almost buckling. If not for the table behind her and the man in front of her, she would have fallen to a puddle on the floor.
Sean’s arms went around her, half an embrace, half to support her, as she tried to regain her breath. She was very aware of the heat of him, her cheek rested against his still-shirt-covered shoulder, but the body beneath was hot, and she wished her dress was gone so she could press herself against him and feel that warmth directly against her skin.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked gently, his hands rubbing circles over her back.
Jess managed a strangled-sounding laugh. “I’m awesome,” she said, her voice breathy and strained.
He chuckled, too, low and a little raspy. “Glad to hear it.”
As she regained some strength in her pleasure-weakened body, she straightened slightly to put a little distance between them. Just enough to see his face, watch him flinch slightly as her hands spread across his chest. A muscle ticked in his jaw, the only outward sign of his self-restraint.
His eyes were almost entirely black in the dim light of the room.
It took only a moment to slide her hands across his chest to his shoulders, pushing the shirt with her. He flexed his arms and the shirt slipped down and off, baring his chest and surprisingly muscled arms to her hungry gaze.
“You’re so hot,” she said, her hands tracing the heated skin and rounded muscle of his shoulders, across his collarbone, trailing a fingernail down to where the fine thatch of hair spread outward from his sternum. Too late she realized what she’d said had two meanings.
A deep laugh vibrated through his chest.
A blush heated her cheeks, but she shrugged. “I meant it both ways,” she said, darting a glance to his twinkling eyes.
“Well, then, thank you, I guess.”
Jess let her fingers continue their journey south, tracing a path from his chest, down his firm stomach to the waistband of his tuxedo trousers. The muscles of his belly jumped as she skated over them, looking for the button or catch.
After a brief search she gave up, her hands falling by her sides.
“I’ll do you a deal,” she said, giving him what she hoped was a sexy smile. “You get rid of the pants, I’ll get rid of my dress.”
He didn’t hesitate, rewarding her with a wide grin. “Done.”
As Jess pulled her dress over her head, she saw him remove his pants and briefs, walk over to where his jacket was and throw the pants over the same chair. She wondered for a moment about this display of neatness when he picked up his jacket and fished in the inside pocket for a moment, pulling out his wallet.
Ah. It really had been too long if Jess had almost entirely forgotten about that side of things.
Anticipation for what was to come next made her fingers shake as she removed her shoes and scrap of underwear, looking up to find Sean’s gaze on her, any trace of humor in his expression vanished.
He stood there, a few paces away, proudly, defiantly naked. Fully aroused, his chest visibly rose and fell with rapid breaths. The sight alone was enough to send tremors of desire threading through her. Combined with the aftershocks of her recent climax, it was a potent mix.
A few confident strides brought him to her side. He paused, taking a moment to scan her naked body, an assessing, all-encompassing look that made Jess want to grab her dress and pull it on again. Instead she forced herself to stand still, hands by her sides, her fingernails digging into her palms as she fought her discomfort. Age had brought with it a certain measure of acceptance of her body—it was what it was, and it was hers, for better or worse. Now that she no longer had her ex-husband around, telling her that she wasn’t good enough—proving it by making her second best in his life—it was easier to be more objective. But that was all well and good when she was alone, giving herself a critical review in the mirror. It was an entirely different thing to be standing in front of Sean’s careful gaze. In front of a man in the prime of his youth—strong and firm and no doubt used to women who were the same.
“Keep in mind that I’m a few years older than you.”
Sean’s hand flicked in dismissal. “I don’t care.”
She bit her lip to stop herself from saying any further self-denigrating comments and instead turned them inward. Her breasts weren’t as perky as they used to be, and it didn’t seem to matter how many sit-ups she did at the gym, she couldn’t shift the plump pad of fat under her navel that curved her belly outwards. And she wished—as she’d wished since she was a teen—that she was a few inches taller. If she could just stretch everything up a bit, she’d be more willowy than hourglass, and everything would be more balanced.
His eyes finally came back to meet hers. “You’re gorgeous,” he said.
Her first instinct was to deny the compliment, to point out her imperfections. But that wasn’t what this night was all about.
“You’re not too bad yourself,” she said instead.
He took one more step, a step that brought him close, so close that Jess could simply sway forward and her nipples would brush his chest.
But he didn’t touch her; instead, keeping his eyes locked with hers, he lowered his head until his eyelashes fluttered shut and his lips connected with hers.
She expected a hungry kiss, a demanding and passion-filled approach. But instead he nibbled gently at her lips, seducing her all over again. It was a kiss designed to mesmerize, to ignite and inflame, and oh, God, was it working. It took her to the edge of her patience—beyond—and Jess could no longer wait. She opened her mouth to him, stepping forward into his body at the same time, moaning as her breasts met the hot, damp skin of his chest and his tongue surged to meet hers.
“Oh, Jess,” he groaned.
Before she knew what was happening, Sean had reached down and swept one arm under her knees, scooping her into his arms. He kissed her again, silencing her protest, taking her several steps away from the light, into the darker end of Hailey and Rob’s living room. He deposited her on the modern, modular sofa, one end of which extended into a chaise-longue-style arrangement, almost long enough and wide enough to be a bed.
Jess didn’t want to think about whether Hailey had had something like this in mind when she’d chosen the furniture. Jess didn’t want to think about anything except Sean as he knelt over her, his head lowering to her breast. Then her nipple was in his mouth, between his teeth, and whether or not Jess wanted to think was a moot point—she couldn’t.
He made love to her thoroughly, patiently, as if he hadn’t already brought her the ultimate pleasure. He was driving her mad, teasing, touching, tasting, drawing her to the brink and then halting, before beginning the exquisite torture all over again.
Jess did her best to touch him as he worked over her—his firm, fine body, hard planes of muscle and silky bronzed skin were impossible to resist.
Finally, when she was about to go out of her mind, he reached for the package he’d recovered from his wallet and tucked under a sofa cushion while they played. It took only a moment for him to ready himself, and then he was poised above her, his eyes boring deep into hers, the golden sparkle she’d noticed earlier completely gone in the heat and demand of his gaze.
She nodded, as if he was waiting for permission. “Yes, Sean. Now.”
Jess tilted her hips and wrapped her legs around his thighs, drawing him to her, taking control as he seemed to hesitate.
Then he was sliding inside her and they both groaned. Jess arched her