Holly took some comfort from the fact that it was at least a new bed. No way did she want to share some bed with Richard that Joanna had slept in. Which was pretty silly, really. What did it matter? Alanna was right. Jealousy was a curse.
But she couldn't seem to help it. She was jealous of Richard's love for his beautiful wife. And fearful that she could never measure up, either in bed or out.
He lowered her down, down onto the satin quilt, pressing light kisses to her mouth all the while, nothing like the wildly hungry kiss he'd given her in the living room. It seemed that, now he had her in his bedroom, he didn't want to hurry. He wanted to savour the moment. Savour her.
For a minute or so he kept her captive under his mouth, but then he rolled onto his side next to her, propping himself up on one elbow whilst his free hand began to explore her body.
At last her mind was merciful, spinning her out into another world where she no longer worried about her own performance. Her focus was all on what Richard was doing to her and the wonderful ways her body kept responding, as though it had been waiting for him to come along to show her what she was capable of feeling. When he slipped his hand in over her right breast, the nipple became even more erect. When his outstretched palm slid back and forth over it, everything inside her contracted fiercely.
She moaned with the exquisite pleasure of it all, and the desire for more. Much more.
"As delicious as this dress is," he murmured, taking his hand away, "it has to go. But first, this very sexy belt."
The belt was not unlike a large silver watchband that expanded and contracted. Its clasp was strong, but very simple to undo.
"Interesting," he said as he slid the belt from her waist, placing it beside him on the bed before returning his attention to the dress. He quickly found the clasp that anchored the halter around her neck, un-snapping it, then peeling the top down over her breasts.
"Beautiful," he murmured, and bent his mouth to the same nipple he'd been playing with, licking it at first, then nipping it with his teeth before sucking it deep into his mouth.
Holly moaned again, the sensations of his suckling seeming to have some secret connection to that area between her legs. When his lips tugged on her breast there was a corresponding tug down there. No, not a tug. An exciting tightening. She didn't want him to ever stop.
He did stop, but not for long, his mouth moving over to her other breast whilst his right hand took possession of the bereft nipple, squeezing it quite hard.
She cried out, writhing against the rather confusing combination of pleasure and pain. Did she like it, or not?
He took an agonisingly long time before releasing her burning nipple, yet as soon as he did she wanted him to do it again. He obliged, and when his head finally lifted his normally cold eyes blazed down at her like molten steel.
Lord knew what she looked like. Her face felt hot and her heart was going so fast she could very well be heading for a coronary. Her mouth fell open and she was panting like a marathon runner on a hot day.
His stripping her of the rest of the dress was achieved with considerable speed, along with the removal of her white satin G-string. He left her silver high heels on, however, then stunned her by picking up the silver belt and refastening it around her naked waist.
"The chains of love," he said, his hand sliding down over her stomach and between her legs.
His fingers on her breast had made her writhe. His fingers inside her body propelled her to a place infinitely more intense, a place she'd never been to before. Any pleasure seemed overlaid with an agitating tension that made her grimace and groan. She wanted to tell him to stop. But she couldn't, and he didn't.
Holly came with a rush, a cry bursting from her lips as she was propelled headlong into her first full-blown orgasm. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, wallowing in the pleasure as her flesh spasmed over and over.
So this was what it was like. No wonder people became addicted to the experience.
Finally, the contractions stopped, followed up by the most delicious feeling of abandonment.
Richard's hand did not abandon her, however, Holly's eyes flying open on a gasp when it continued to probe and to play with her down there, even more intimately. At first, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to, but he must have known what he was doing, because eventually her first climax became a dim memory and she began craving another. Quite desperately.
When her hips started to lift from the bed, he did abandon her. Totally.
"Wh … where are you going?" she cried when he rose from the bed.
"Not very far," he returned, his eyes remaining hot on her as he began to strip off his own clothes.
Holly didn't know whose gaze was more intense. His or hers. She could not believe how magnificent his body was. Clearly, he worked out a lot.
He seemed to like her shape as well.
"You look incredibly sexy with that belt on," he said.
She flushed wildly, having forgotten about the belt. A downwards glance reminded her of what he'd said when he'd put it back on her.
The chains of love.
Holly didn't think it was love making Richard look at her the way he was looking at her. She suspected it didn't have much to do with her own feelings at that moment, either.
All she cared about was having Richard back on this bed with her. And soon.
When he yanked open the top drawer of his bedside chest and picked up a box of condoms, Holly blinked. Having that much protection on hand was hardly the act of a man who hadn't looked at a woman in the last eighteen months. Richard's mother didn't know him any better than she did.
But Holly was beyond caring at this moment. Desire had a very narrow focus.
"You don't need to use protection," she blurted out. "Not unless you think it's necessary. I … I'm on the pill."
"You're not at any risk from me," he reassured her as he tossed the box back into the drawer and pushed it shut.
"Don't … don't you think I'd better take these shoes off?" she said when he went to climb back on the bed. "They have very sharp heels."
"If you like. But not the belt. The belt stays. No, let me … "
She gasped when he took her by the ankles and pulled her crossways on the bed. He removed the left shoe first, dropping it onto the floor before bending her knee up and placing the sole of her foot flat on the edge of the bed. Then he did the same thing with her right foot, placing it so that her legs were far enough apart for him to see every secret, glistening part of her.
Her heart started thudding as he stared down at her. One part of her wanted to close her legs. But it was not the strongest part.
Finally, he came forward to kneel between her legs, his hands reaching to run up and down the front of her thighs. Her belly tightened, then trembled. Heat flooded her face as he continued to stare at her down there.
"Don't," she choked out. "Don't look at me like that."
"I want to look at you like that. I like seeing how much you want me. You do want me, Holly, don't you?"
"You know I do," she cried, shaken by the force of her wanting. "Oh, please … don't tease me, Richard."
"Tell me what you want."
"Just you."
"So easily pleased," he muttered, then did what she craved, entering her with a single, forceful thrust.
Her mouth fell open on a raw cry, her buttocks contracting fiercely. He scooped them up high with his hands and began driving into her with a long, slow, relentless rhythm, his eyes narrowing on hers as he did so.
"Oh, God," she gasped.
Her head began to twist from side to side on the bed, her eyes squeezing shut in an effort to hide the wild pleasure in them.
"No, don't close your eyes," he commanded gruffly. "Open them. Look at me!"
She opened them and stared up at him.
Did he want to watch her climax? Or did he want her to watch him climax?
Both prospects excited her.
What kind of girl was she to like lovemaking like this?
"Stop thinking," he ordered her. Then, before she could protest, he rolled over onto his back, taking her with him, like a yacht tossed in a storm. Suddenly, she was on top of him, swaying like a mast.
Her knees dug into the mattress on each side of him to steady herself, the action automatically lifting her hips, her internal muscles contracting to stop him from slipping out of her body. He grunted, then pulled her down hard onto him so that he was buried inside her to the hilt.
Holly blushed when he reached for her breasts, which were oh, so accessible to him now.
"No need for you to be shy," he said as he stroked his hands down over her breasts, each action ending with a tug on her nipples. "You have truly magnificent breasts," he said in a desire-thickened voice, doing the same action over and over, each tug on her nipples pulling her forward till she was leaning over him, her breasts dangling close to his lips, her nipples harder than they had ever been.