With tender care, he removed her boots, her blouse, her pants, and her undergarments. Each touch sparked a new wave of desire, and she mewled in frustration, aching for him.
Stepping away, his gaze roamed from her face down to her breasts, stopping for a moment at the juncture between her legs before trailing down to her toes. At last, he looked into her eyes. “So beautiful, Elle.”
The longing in his gaze and the tenderness in his voice brought pinpricks of tears to her eyes. Her chest constricted, bottling up all her emotion like a cork in a flask. The slightest pressure and she’d explode.
His erection strained against the thin synthetic material of his pants and the length and breadth of him sent a fresh round of wetness to her sheath. She squeezed her thighs together, enjoying the gentle pressure, increasing her desire.
“Angelo, I want to see you.” She held his gaze, but by the spark in his eyes, he understood all too well what she asked of him.
With a firm tug, he pushed his scrubs over his hips and down his legs. His member was long and thick, the tip a slightly darker shade then the rest of his skin. A bead of wetness formed at the end, and she licked her lips. What would it be like to taste him?
“Do I meet your approval?” His words were low, sensual.
She met his gaze. He studied her, this proud, virile male. His question wasn’t one of arrogance, but one born of a true desire to please her. She’d never known a man like him.
Unable to contain the sense of euphoria welling in her chest, her voice wavered. “Oh, yes, Angelo. Yes, indeed.”
The smile that crossed his features did her in. Deep in her heart, she was lost to him now, and a part of her was glad.
He knelt on the bed and straddled her legs. She reached for him, but he gripped her wrists, preventing her from touching him. “Not yet, Captain. Relax, let me drive. Let me pleasure you.”
A tendril of fear wormed its way into her heart and her pulse spiked. He’d asked her to give up control. As if he’d sensed her discomfort, his brow furrowed, and he released her. “Elle, I would never hurt you. If I do something you don’t like, just tell me to stop.”
She was at a crossroad. Open her heart or kick him out and reinforce the barriers she’d erected long ago. Her breath lodged in her throat. What should she do?
CHAPTER 10
A ngelo Thirteen’s mouth went dry. In not so many words, he’d asked Elle to trust him. Would she? He held his breath, waiting for her response. The whir of recycled air was the only sound in the room, that, and his beating heart.
The tension lines in her features eased. She relaxed against the soft pillow, a slow exhale easing from her lips. “Okay Angelo, I believe you.”
The weight lifted from his shoulders, and he released the breath. He’d do everything in his power to show her how much he’d come to care for her.
“Lay still.” His words came out husky, evidence of his own desire.
She bit her lip, but settled into the mattress. A beauty like he’d never seen before, her arms glistened with a slight sheen of sweat, making her green skin glow. His fingers tingled with his need to touch her. Tenderly, he trailed the tips of his fingers up her thigh until he circled her hip bone.
“That tickles.” She shivered under his touch, goosebumps forming in his wake.
“Close your eyes. Focus on my touch, feel the sensation over your body.”
She did as he asked, endearing her to him, and his chest constricted. This strong, independent woman let him past her defenses. He wouldn’t betray her trust.
“I’m going to run my fingers over your skin, explore your body.” As he drew his fingers over her stomach and between her breasts, a smile crossed her face. Little tremors travelled along in his wake, and blood rushed to his groin, tightening his already engorged shaft.
Tiny mewls escaped her lips as his fingers wound down first one arm, then the other. The softness of her skin called to him, and before he could stop himself, he bent down and brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth. Her eyes opened at the unexpected contact, and she raked her hands through his hair. She tried to pull him closer, but he was on a mission. He wouldn’t be sidetracked from his quest.
He broke the kiss and circled his fingers around one of her breasts, closer and closer until he reached the firm peak. With a gentle squeeze, he rolled the taut flesh between his fingers. She bucked beneath him, and a loud cry of frustration tore from her throat. “Angelo, please.”
Warmth spread through him, and he couldn’t help the chuckle that reverberated in his chest. “As you wish, Captain.”
He lightly tweaked the end once more before circling her nipple with his tongue. The taste of her flesh and the firmness of her round bud sent more blood south. He groaned, and she inhaled, digging her nails into his shoulders. The painful spike made his shaft twitch.
Sliding his palm over her hip, he squeezed her tender bottom as he brushed his lips over the soft skin of her abdomen. With deliberate leisure, he pressed his mouth against the edge of the small triangle of curls that graced the juncture of her legs. Her moan travelled along his nerves, piercing his heart. His chest ached like he’d never felt before.
Was this what love felt like? He wasn’t sure, but he wanted to please her over and over again so he could continue to hear her sweet sigh.
He lingered at her curls, inching closer and closer to her sex with each kiss. She squirmed under his onslaught. Her soft giggles only tightened the band around his heart, squeezing him with such bliss.
He peered at her. The soft glow on her cheeks and her hooded eyes indicated her pleasure. He smiled and gripped her thighs, giving them a gentle coax. “Open for me.”
She tensed, the muscles in her legs hardening beneath his touch.
His senses went on high alert. Creases formed around her eyes as she nibbled her lip. “I’m afraid.”
A ball of dread tightened in his stomach. “I promised I wouldn’t hurt you, and I won’t.”
She gripped the sheets in her fist, her knuckles turning white. “It’s not that. I’ve never done this before.”
The muscles in his arms and back stiffened. “You’ve never made love before?” He wasn’t sure what surprised him more, that she was so untouched or that he’d come to understand his emotions. He cared for her.
“I’m not a virgin, but I’ve never done this.” Her green cheeks darkened, and she bit her lip once again.
They’d already crossed one bridge together. He needed to help her cross another, so he gave her his most encouraging smile. “It’ll feel good. Believe me.”
Her gaze darted back and forth as she studied him. She seemed to want him to continue, yet fear held her back. Finally, her features softened, and she gave him a quick nod.
His chest expanded once again, filling him all the way to his soul. He’d won her trust, and she’d won his heart.
He pressed against her thighs, encouraging her. She opened to him, and her sweet spot glistened with her desire. As he inhaled, her unique apple scent invaded his senses.
His balls tightened, and a groan eased from him. “You’re so wet, so inviting.”
He didn’t wait for her response. With a slow, lingering swipe of his tongue, he tasted her for the first time. Her sweet essence made him moan, the reverberation traveling through their connection. She bucked under his onslaught, and he gripped her hips, holding her in place. He circled her clit with his tongue, and she continued to jerk against him, the intensity in her movements increasing to a fevered pitch.