Victoria's arms circled around his neck as her head turned, her mouth colliding with his.
And that's when the dam burst. His, hers. Did it matter? He'd wanted her for years, and whether she'd wanted him that long or she'd just decided it in the past few weeks they'd been together he didn't know, but he did know he was going to have her. Now. Here.
Stefan encircled her waist with his hands, slid them on down to the slight flare of her hips and slowly walked her to the bar in the back of the room. When he hoisted her up onto to the counter, she laughed.
"In a hurry?" she mocked with a teasing grin.
"I've waited for this for a long time," he told her, staring at her moist, swollen lips. "I always swore if we ever came to this moment I'd take my time. But right now I can't wait another minute."
Her smiled weakened as she held his gaze. "I think I've been waiting for this for a long time, too. I just never realized..."
Stefan didn't want a confession, not now. He didn't want her to explore her feelings...or, God forbid, try to uncover his. He just wanted Victoria.
He stepped between her gloriously spread legs, slid his palms up her smooth, bare thighs and thumbed along the edge of her white silk panties.
When she hooked her thumbs through the thin straps and shifted from side to side to ease them off, he gratefully helped her slide them down her long, toned legs.
She reached around behind the bustier.
"Leave it," he ordered. "I like how you look right now."
With tousled hair, bare skin from the waist down and that white silk bustier molded to her curves and pushing her breasts up...yeah, he liked her just the way she was. All sexy and rumpled and ready for him.
"I want to feel your skin on mine," she told him, still working on the back of her lingerie.
How could he argue with her defense? No man with air in his lungs would turn down bare breasts.
"Then let me help," he offered.
He eased his hands around and, one by one, each hook-and-eye closure popped open. Thankfully it was cut low, so there weren't very many. When the garment was fully open, he stepped back.
Victoria held on to the front of the material still covering her breasts. "You're sure?" she asked.
Without a word, he brushed her hands aside, took the bustier and threw it over his shoulder. And finally, she was completely and utterly naked. And completely and utterly his.
He palmed one breast in each hand as he captured her lips once more. Arching her back, Victoria leaned into his touch, his kiss, and let out a soft, low groan.
Her arms came around his shoulders, her fingertips toying with the ends of his hair on the nape of his neck. She shifted, scooting to the edge of the counter, and wrapping her legs around his waist. Stefan let go of her breasts long enough to shuck his boxers and kick them to the side. With her legs around him, he palmed her backside and lifted her off the bar until she was settled right above him.
His eyes searched hers as he walked a few steps to the nearest wall, where he rested her back. He stayed still, waiting for any hint of a signal that she was uncomfortable or not ready to go through with this.
Stopping would kill him, but even with his hormones in overdrive he'd stop if she said the word. But when he looked in her eyes, all he saw was desire. Heavy lids, half-covered vibrant blue eyes...eyes that were focused on his lips.
At the same time he sealed his mouth to hers, he slid her down to take him fully. The flood of emotions within him was indescribable. Her body all around his, the soft feel of her skin, the fresh, floral aroma and her tiny little gasps had him nearly embarrassing himself and drawing their first encounter to an abrupt, climactic halt.
He moved within her, slowly, then, when her hips rocked faster, he increased the pace.
She tore her lips from his. "Please."
If she liked things fast and sweaty, they could very well kill each other before the six months were up because she was speaking his language.
Victoria gripped his shoulders, flung her head back and closed her eyes. That long column of her neck begged to be licked, savored. He nibbled his way up, then back down and nestled his face between her breasts.
"Stefan...."
Yeah, he knew. She was close, which was a relief because so was he. He normally prided himself on his stamina, but one touch from Victoria and he was ready to explode. He didn't take the time or the energy to think that this had never happened before. There was something about his Tori....
Her legs tightened around his waist as her whole body stiffened. He grabbed her face, forced her to look at him and for the briefest of seconds, when their eyes met, he felt a twinge of something he didn't recognize. But he certainly wasn't taking the time to figure it out, not when he had a sexy, wild woman bucking in his arms, finding her release.
Capturing her lips while she came undone around him was all he wanted. His tongue slid in and out, mimicking their bodies. His own release built and before he knew it he, too, let go. He gave in to Victoria's sweet body, allowing her to take him-her welcoming arms enveloping him and her soft words calming him.
Never had he experienced anything like this before. But he knew that the next several months with his best friend-turned-wife would be nothing if not life-altering.
And that epiphany scared the hell out of him.
* * *
Victoria sat in the oversize cozy leather chair in the palace theater waiting for the movie to start and eating from a tub of popcorn. Only moments ago the man beside her rocked her world in a way she hadn't known possible, and now he pretended as if their giant step beyond friendship were perfectly normal.
After they'd nearly killed each other in a bout of heated, frenzied sex, she'd thrown on his tux shirt instead of her gown. He'd slipped back into his pants, leaving his gloriously tanned and tattooed chest bare. He nearly had a whole sleeve of tats on one sculpted arm. The swirls slid over his shoulder and stretched from his back over his pecs. And Victoria wanted to trace every line, every detail with her fingertip, then follow with her tongue.
God, he'd turned her into a sex fiend. Knowing Stefan, that had been his goal all along.
Who knew he had such...skills. Well, given the amount of women the paparazzi put him with over the years, she should've known, but she'd not thought of his hidden talents before. Shame that.
But she'd be thinking of them now. She had a feeling they would be in the forefront of her mind for quite some time. Would she ever get used to seeing, touching her best friend in such a way?
"So do we talk about this or just watch the movie?" she asked, reaching into the giant tub of popcorn he'd prepared.
He propped his feet upon the footrest of his own oversized leather chair and threw her a smile. "I knew you wouldn't be able to just relax and watch the movie."
Relax? After what had just happened? Her body was still trembling and her orgasm had stopped twenty minutes ago. Yeah, definite skills. But even through the climax-induced haze, she had to know what he was thinking. She didn't care if that was too girly and mushy for him, she couldn't just pretend this moment hadn't changed her life.
"Do you feel different?" she asked, turning in her chair to face him.
A wicked grin spread across his handsome, devilish face. "Oh, yeah."
With a playful swat on his arm, she laughed. "Stefan, be serious. We're married and we just had sex."
"Just sex?" he asked, quirking one black brow.
Images of how they must've looked slammed into her. His golden, toned body plastering hers against the wall as she arched into his touch. Her glorious Greek prince staking his claim, dominating her.
"Okay, so it was amazing sex," she admitted as tingles continued to spread through her. "This isn't going to be weird now, is it? Because I really can't handle weird."
"The way you were groaning earlier and the way you're smiling now, I'd say you feel anything but weird."
Victoria rolled her eyes. "You're begging for compliments, aren't you? I already said it was great sex. I just don't want this to get uncomfortable between us."
He reached out, grabbed her hand and squeezed. "I care for you just as much as I always have," he assured her, all joking gone from his face. "You're still my best friend, but I've discovered that my best friend has a kick-ass body that I can't wait to take my time in savoring and getting to know better."
Chills and excitement coursed through her at his promise. If he was this confident, than why was she letting fear spread through her? Why borrow trouble when she'd just had the most incredible sexual experience of her life?