Chapter 4
Sasha moaned as his fingers tangled in her hair. The emotional rollercoaster of their conversation had left her wrung out and needy. She craved this complicated man’s touch in a way that made her question her sanity. But as his lips moved across hers in a soul-scorching kiss, she pushed aside any doubts she had about him. So what if he was completely messed up. Maybe she needed chaos right now. Maybe a passionate night in his arms was exactly what she needed to regain her creative spark.
When his hands slid down her neck, the feral passion in his touch awakened every inch of her body. Heat pooled in her liquid center. She sighed as he traced hungry kisses down her throat. His fingers glided down her back, leaving a trail of quivering flesh in their wake.
As he scraped his palms over her hips, her knees went weak. She leaned against the solid wall of muscle on his chest. Her hands slipped into the waistband of his jeans. He groaned and pressed his forehead against her collarbone for a moment before rising up to nip at her earlobe.
She shuddered with lust as his teeth closed over her sensitive skin. He’d found one of her hot buttons, and boy did he know how to press it.
Swirling, languid swipes of his tongue descended toward her neck. She arched, giving him access to the most vulnerable part of her body. He didn’t waste a second. Instead, he unzipped her jacket and slid his hands inside.
“Tell me if you get cold,” he whispered against her neck.
“Impossible,” she murmured.
“Even if I stripped you down and laid you in the snow?”
She smiled at the teasing tone in his voice.
“And here I was thinking that you’re a gentleman,” she joked.
He drew back and regarded her with a serious expression. “You must think I’m an animal.”
“You are an animal,” she whispered. “Positively beastly.”
“You have no idea,” he growled.
“Then show me,” she challenged. “Inspire me.”
She wasn’t prepared to be scooped up into his arms. “Oh!”
“I can’t show you how creative I can be right here,” he said.
“No?”
“No. But I can show you in my bedroom.”
“A civilized beast,” she said.
“No. I just don’t want to get pine needles in my ass.”
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his chest. For the first time in months, joy filled her heart. To be playful again felt amazing. But as they approached the B&B, she tensed up.
“What if someone sees us?” she asked.
“Then they’ll be jealous.”
“You’re so bad,” she whispered as she bent to kiss him.
As he hurried through the patio door, she glanced to see if anyone was around. Everyone seemed to be in bed already. How long had they been outside talking?
When they reached the second floor landing, he put her down. He fumbled with the key, causing enough of a ruckus that the door to one of the other rooms cracked open just as they slipped into his room. She quickly closed the door behind them and put a finger to her lips. She couldn’t hold back a giggle.
“You naughty woman,” he whispered. “What will they think of you, sneaking into my room at night to take advantage of me?”
“Me?” she asked. “You’re the one with the come-and-get-it eyes.”
He backed into the room and clicked on one of the lamps.
“Well?” he asked.
“Well what?”
“Are you going to come and get it?”
Silvery laughter bubbled up from a place inside her that had lain dormant for too long. She prowled across the room. When she reached him, she slid her hands up his chiseled chest.
“Maybe I should be sculpting this in marble,” she said as she slipped her fingers under his shirt.
“I’d be more than happy to pose for you.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes.” He backed up a step and began to unbutton his shirt. “I’m more than willing to sit on a pedestal for an artist of your caliber.”
“You don’t even know my work,” she said breathlessly.
“I googled you.”
The moment his shirt opened to reveal his golden skin, she shivered with desire. The marble sculptures of ancient gods paled in comparison to his perfection. A sparse wash of coarse hair formed a tantalizing line down his belly. His rock-hard abs fluttered with every breath. But the most intriguing part of him lay hidden just beyond the zipper on his jeans.
As she glided toward him, she reached behind her back to unzip her dress. His sharp intake of breath filled her with erotic power. Her bear pranced around in her chest, celebrating the fact that she was just about to roll around with the hottest man she’d ever encountered. She almost stopped to question how she’d gotten so lucky, but there would be time for doubts later—there always was. But for now, she wasn’t willing to think too hard about what any of this meant. She only cared about the thud of her heart against her ribcage and the molten heat pooling between her thighs.