He'd only found relief in his dreams, dreams of Caro, beneath him, riding him, taking him away from reality, taking him to paradise and beyond.
He stopped dead when he saw her.
She'd undone her blouse, revealing perfect breasts encased in some sort of lace marvel that married engineering with sin, and sent blood rushing to his cock with enough speed to make him dizzy. Caro's head rested on the back of the sofa, her eyes closed, her full lips parted. Images flashed through his impaired brain, and he couldn't decide which he wanted more – to shove his cock past those soft lips, or lick the sweat from her body, one inch at a time.
He stood silent, watching her breathe, almost afraid to breathe himself – afraid he'd wake and find it was a dream – a fantasy. He wasn't the man for her. He knew it in his soul, but it didn't keep his body from wanting her.
A wave of possessiveness stole over him. The erotic tableau was for him only. The tantalizing band of exposed skin was meant for his hands, his lips, and no other. Those lips were meant for his cock, his kiss. And the rest of her, the hot center taunting him in his dreams, that was his too, and he'd murder anyone who believed otherwise.
She stirred, turning those sapphire blue eyes on him. An invisible current flowed between them, releasing Dell from his paralysis. Wrong. What he wanted was so wrong, but like a bug drawn to the light, he couldn't overcome nature. Knowing he was courting the flames of hell, he closed the distance between them. Her gaze followed his progress until he joined her on the sofa.
“Dell,” she breathed.
“Shh. Let me take care of you,” he said. He bathed her face with the wet cloth, trailing the cool fabric across her forehead, her flushed cheeks, over her lips and down the length of her chin. Her chest rose and fell on a sigh as he dragged the cloth over her chest, pushing the edges of her blouse aside as he descended.
“You're so beautiful.” He brushed the cloth over the swell of her breasts, pausing to watch a drop of water disappear into the cleft. He groaned and dipped his head.
Moth. Flame.
Caro gasped and arched her back as his tongue delved into the spot in search of the elusive water droplet. Her silk skin tasted of salt and the heat of her body magnified her scent. His nostrils flared.
Intoxicating.
He drew his tongue across the top of one lace-clad breast, then the other before he hooked his index finger in one cup. Her skin set him on fire. And when his questing digit found the hard nub he sought, her moan of pleasure shattered him.
Lost.
“I've got to see you, Caro,” he said. He searched her eyes for resistance and saw need and a raw hunger that matched his own. Still, he vowed to himself to take it slow, savor every moment. Even though he saw acceptance now, if she changed her mind, he would stop, even if it killed him. She was too precious, too perfect, and he'd never do anything to harm her.
Mine.
He used his finger to draw the fabric down until her darkened areola peeked above the lace. He touched his tongue to the puckered skin before he dipped lower to taste the still hidden jewel. It was too much.
It wasn't enough.
He had to have more. He jerked the fabric, and at the same time sucked her nipple into his mouth, pulling hard on her sensitive skin. Suddenly, her hands cradled his head, her fingers combing through his hair, holding him to her. A sexy moan vibrated through her chest, setting him aflame.
Mine. Mine.
Then she was beneath him on the sofa. He feasted on one breast, while he fumbled with the back closure of her bra. It came loose and he pushed the fabric down to expose both breasts. He released her, pushing up to see the treasure he'd uncovered.
“My God, Carolina.” He reverently touched one breast, testing the weight in his palm. He brushed his thumb across the tight nipple. “You are so damned perfect.”
“Dell.” His name was a whisper on her lips. He tore his eyes from her breasts. He saw wonder and surrender in her eyes. Something inside him shifted and he swallowed hard.
“Caro, my sweet Carolina.”
“Love me, Dell.”
He was hard as a post with want and need, but this was Carolina and hurting her wasn't an option. He would be a gentleman about this for her. “You don't know how much I want to, Caro.” He ground his erection against her stomach to emphasize the point. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Please, Dell.” Her hips rose to meet his. “Don't make me beg.”
“Ah, sweet Carolina, you'll never have to beg.”
She squealed as he swept her into his arms and carried her to the back of the coach, laying her on his bed. He stripped and came down beside her. With a measure of control he didn't know he was capable of, he stripped her clothes from her, one garment at a time, indulging in his fantasy of licking the perspiration from her, one inch at a time.