His breath blew warm on her skin, and the whispered words sent shivers down to her toes.
“I hope you remember the rules because I’m not going to repeat them.”
She cited them in her head to make sure she remembered them and even as she ticked them off, she knew she might willingly talk or touch him if it turned out she liked his definition of torture and wanted more.
When he took the nipple of her other breast in his mouth, she dug her fingers into the pillow. She wanted to beg him to remove her bra so she could feel the scrape of his teeth directly on her. Not yet, Maria. Don’t give him the satisfaction. Make him wait for it.
Two could play this game. As sure as she knew her name, she knew he wanted her to break another one of his rules. Little did he know she’d learned how to be invisible at an early age, a talent that included keeping her mouth shut.
When he leisurely licked his way down her stomach, she thought of a case study to keep from crying out his name. Thank God he hadn’t made it a rule she had to be still. That would have been impossible.
He took the elastic of her panties between his teeth and tugged them down her hips. When he’d bared her, he gave a grunt that sounded like one of satisfaction. Maria twisted the end of the pillow around her fist at the first feel of his tongue on her. Making good on his threat, he played with her, toyed with her until she wanted to scream at him to let her come.
Each time she came close to the edge, he moved away, trailing kisses down her legs or giving her stomach little nips. To keep from pleading with him, she bit down hard on her bottom lip. Was it possible to die from intense sexual frustration?
“You think you can’t take any more, but I’m going to prove otherwise,” he said, sounding gravelly and a little unsteady.
No, she knew she couldn’t take any more and could only hope the tremor she heard in his voice meant he too was nearing his limits. Minutes that felt like hours passed, and she finally, absolutely, couldn’t bear it. She would give him the satisfaction of begging.
Except somehow he knew. His tongue and teeth performed a magic act, and white, shimmering stars exploded behind her eyelids. The pleasure was so powerful it ripped a scream from her throat, and her heart pounded a roaring noise in her ears. “Oh God oh God oh God.”
Suddenly, he was holding her in his arms. “I’ve got you, Chiquita.”
Had she fainted? She had no sense of him moving until he was holding her close and murmuring comforting words. “Jake.” His name slipped past her lips before she could stop it, and she prayed he didn’t hear the notes of love embedded in it.
“I’m here.”
She burrowed her face against his neck, and when her tongue flicked out to taste a salty drop of sweat, he gave a little shudder and groaned. The climax he’d brought her to had rocked her world, and could it be he’d been affected too?
“Can I talk now?”
“Yeah, baby, say anything you want.” He pulled her tighter into him.
“Thank you. Take off your pants, please.”
His chest shook as a chuckle grew into an all-out laugh. “Not exactly what I was expecting to hear,” he said, then covered her mouth with his.
When he’d finished kissing her until she didn’t know what day it was, he rolled onto his back and lifted his hips to slide his slacks down his legs.
“You’re not wearing underwear.” Her gaze automatically fell on his erection and the drop of moisture glistening on the tip.
He turned onto his side to face her and grinned. “Was pretty sure I wouldn’t need any tonight. Like what you see?”
“I certainly do.” She caught his gaze and held it. As far as she was concerned, the game had ended in a tie, and she wanted to make sure he understood that.
“I won’t beg, Jake. Begging’s for someone who’s desperate. I’m not there yet.” Maria knew she was playing with fire—daring him, taunting him. Her blood simmered, hot and heavy in her veins, as his smoldering gaze raked hungrily over her. It was a look that promised she would indeed be begging before the night was over. Maybe she would let him win. Or maybe not.
It was at that moment Jake realized he’d truly met his match. “Careful, Chiquita. I’m not a man you want to issue that kind of challenge to.” Although he’d set out to punish her, he wasn’t sure the tables hadn’t been turned on him. Anger had first fueled his intention to prove . . . he was no longer sure what he meant to prove. There was something he wanted to make sure she understood, but it would come back to him. Later.