All Work and No Play(9)

She popped open the buttons of his shirt. “Is this what you expect?” she murmured, running her hand over his bare chest. His skin was lightly tanned and firmly muscled with a faint smattering of hair. My God, he was gorgeous. She traced his pectorals, dizzy from his masculine beauty, and pushed the shirt off his shoulders.

He obliged by shrugging the shirt completely off him before he leaned over her, his shoulder muscles flexing as he reached for the buttons of her shirt. His deft fingers undid the row of buttons and drew the fabric aside. He paused to inhale a breath, his eyes glowing like gas as he took in her satin and lace bra.

“Now this I definitely did not expect,” he said as he traced a finger over the pearl-coloured cups with their delicate edging of black lace.

She gulped as his finger created a trail of burning pleasure across her flesh. “It’s one of my hidden vices,” she gasped out.

“Expensive, sexy lingerie under your conservative business clothes?” His fingers swirled over the tip of her bra cup, and she automatically arched her back, following the delicate caress. “My God, Anna. All these weeks I’ve been at the office and this is the kind of thing you’ve been wearing every single day?” He groaned before lowering his head and closing his mouth over her breast. Even through the satin his heat made its mark on her and her nipples peaked, aching for his touch.

He was breathing faster now, and the bulge in his pants had grown heavier and hotter. She thought maybe he’d let himself go and get rid of the rest of her clothes in a hurry, but it seemed he had more self-control than she. Shuffling lower, he eased his hands behind her waist to unzipped her skirt and pushed it off her legs.

“Glad to see you bought the matching set,” he said, sounding hoarse as he took in the skimpy satin and lace panties.

The look of pure lust on his face made her feel incredible. She shuddered as she basked in his appreciation, aware that no other man had ever triggered such a visceral response in her. He’d barely begun to touch her, but already she was drenched with need, her body burning to be joined with his.

Giles’s gaze roved slowly over her before settling on her face. She felt flushed and unsteady and slightly exposed, though she wasn’t even naked yet.

“You’re full of surprises,” he said, brushing a strand of her hair away from her cheek.

The gentleness of his fingers caused her breath to catch in her throat. Giles was a constant surprise, too, she realised. She’d assumed once she’d agreed to spend the night with him that he’d be something of a caveman, impatient to get to the main course, but instead he was being thoughtful, tender, careful. Something she hadn’t bargained for.

Eager to smother her vague misgivings, she hooked her fingers around his belt and fumbled with the catch. “Do you have a surprise for me? Silk briefs, perhaps? Or boxers with Santas and reindeers?”

Laughing, he helped her undo his belt and shucked off his trousers to reveal plain black briefs stretched across his hips and bulging groin.

“No Santas, no silk. Sorry to disappoint you.”

“Who said I was disappointed?” She wasn’t fooled by the plainness of his underwear. They were a top quality brand. Only the best for Giles.

She didn’t have time to admire his underwear as Giles gathered her in his arms and proceeded to explore her with his mouth and hands. He kissed and caressed her until she was on fire and gasping for air. Half-delirious, she was vaguely aware of her bra being unclipped before the satin slipped away, and Giles’s breath warmed her skin as his lips coasted over her breasts. A hum of mindless gratification gathered in her throat and then thickened into a muffled yelp as he sucked her nipple, hard and greedy.

Her body seethed with sensations as she contorted towards his mouth, desperate for that forceful, almost painful suck. He lavished attention on her breasts until her nipples were stiff, damp peaks before moving on to her belly, his hands sliding inside her panties to cup her arse. He squeezed her butt cheeks as he eased off her underwear. She couldn’t disguise the wet neediness between her legs, didn’t want to, either. With Giles she felt completely safe to abandon every caution.

She tugged off his black boxers, confident of herself, of him, of this night. The sight of his straining erection made her pause—heavens, she hadn’t realised he’d been packing this!—before anticipation got the better of her.

He laughed as she stroked his length and measured his girth. “Anna,” he groaned unsteadily, hands fisting into the sheets as he clearly strove for control. “You’re killing me here.”

“Don’t make me wait, then,” she whispered back.

Reaching over her, he opened a bedside drawer and found a condom. When he was sheathed, he turned to her, hands on her shoulders as he lowered her to the pillows and positioned himself between her legs. His movements were gentle, yet she could feel the strength roiling in him, the primeval power harnessed because of her. The realisation only made her more frantic for him.

“Now,” she gasped, clasping her hands around his neck as she arched her body, eager for him.

With a hungry groan he slid deep into her welcoming heat, causing her to gasp again as her body adjusted to his size. His hips rolled as he began to thrust into her, his movements measured and slow and inexorable. Pleasure spiralled from her centre, taking her higher and higher until she was in a plane where thought didn’t exist, just sensation, and the only sensation was that of Giles around her, above her, in her.

His electric blue eyes were fixed on her, and there was nowhere for her to hide the emotions foaming through her. This wasn’t just sex; this was rare, pure connection, their bodies moving in unison, their breathing in sync, their gazes locked together.

She couldn’t hold it together anymore. Heat burst from her core as she shattered, her body flexing beneath his as her climax rippled out. Something like elation flashed in his eyes before he thrust into her several times, hard and fast, his body rigid as he came in her with a muffled shout, his forearms stiff and shaking.

There was silence for a few moments, then, with a deep sigh of contentment, he rolled off her, pulling her with him so she lay tucked into his side. They were both slick from their exertions, but she didn’t want to lose physical contact with him. She couldn’t stop gazing at him in awe. His hair was rumpled, a thin layer of perspiration gleamed on his throat, and he looked gorgeously mussed up and disarmingly young. A far cry from the polished professional she saw at the office. The one she would meet in the morning.

She wouldn’t see tonight’s Giles again. And she had to admit that made her heart pang.

But she had set the ground rules for this encounter, and she had sound reasons for doing so. This was all she could have.

With a soft sigh, she snuggled closer into Giles and breathed in his scent. If this was all she could have of him, then she may as well make the most of it.

***

Languorous warmth drifted over Giles as his breathing gradually recovered. One arm was wrapped around Anna, his hand comfortably settled on her hip while her head rested on his shoulder. She seemed made to be there, their bodies fitting so naturally together. A long sigh escaped his lips as he stretched out his body, completely sated and relaxed, the euphoria of great sex still buzzing in his muscles.

Anna tilted her head up to him. In the dim glow of the lamp, her eyes were like liquid chocolate.

“What’s the big sigh for,” she asked teasingly.

He stroked a finger along the line of her jaw. “That’s a big sigh of enjoyment, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“I noticed.” She traced a hand down the centre of his chest, following his happy trail. “Glad it lived up to expectations.”

He glanced at her with a slight frown, but she wasn’t looking at him. Had Anna worried about his expectations? Strange to imagine that; she projected such an aura of confidence that he hadn’t thought to consider her reservations. And the way she’d responded to his love-making... Well, she was truly mind-blowing.

Shifting slightly, he tipped her head towards him so he could see her face. “Anna,” he said with deep sincerity. “All my expectations were blown out of the water. You are a magnificent goddess.”

A blush rose in her cheeks, combining with her tangled hair to make her seem young and vulnerable and adorable. His heart constricted as he drank her in. Anna was such a complex creature. At the office she displayed spirit and tenacity, and tonight he had experienced her sensual wildness, but now he saw the softness she hid from others, and it floored him. He had underestimated her, like so many other men had, and that pained him.

“Thank you,” she murmured with aching simplicity.

“No, I should be the one thanking you,” he felt moved to say. He stroked her hair with hands that didn’t feel as steady as he would have liked. What was going on with him?

With an awkward laugh, she wrinkled her nose at him. “Okay, let’s stop thanking each other before it gets embarrassing. We both had a good time. End of story.”

She resettled herself in the crook of his arm and huffed out a sigh. The warm night closed in as silence drifted over them. In the distance, an ambulance siren wailed, but here in his room they were cocooned by white curtains and soft linen and the warmth of their bodies. After a short while, the regularity of Anna’s breathing told him she had fallen asleep.