Winning Appeal(29)

“It’s okay,” I said kicking off my heels. My voice was so heavy with desire that I barely recognized it. My skin was tingling from head to toe, and in some places, throbbing and aching. I couldn’t remember ever having been this turned on before.

“You go first in case you fall. And so I can look up your dress,” he teased. I smiled and headed for the stairs, climbing as carefully as I could. By the grace of God we both made it safely to the top. I’ll note that he quickly stepped away from the top of staircase.

The music carried upstairs through a sound system. I began to realize that Mark really loved music, which probably explained the Gibson Les Paul standing in the corner. I wasn’t surprised to see it; it fit his personality and besides, I had noticed the calluses on his fingertips. I was an artist and he was a musician. How perfect was that? I heard the opening notes to Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game and when he turned to face me I almost swooned. That song would melt me for the rest of my life.

I looked him deeply in the eyes, and then I reached down and took hold of the edge of my dress, lifting it over my head and tossing it aside. Like many women, there were things I would have changed about my body, but the way he looked at me made me feel absolutely flawless.

“So now you know,” I said throatily, and pointed to my hip.

“Picasso.” He smiled. “And your belly ring. So many fun things to discover.”

After he had taken his time to look me over, his eyes traveled back up to mine and he pushed his pants down over his hips and let them fall to the floor, stepping out of them and kicking them aside. He stood still and let me take a good long look too. I didn’t even try to be delicate or tactful; I stared openly. He was like a work of art… but better.

“What are you thinking?” he asked in a low, thick, velvety voice.

“That if you were a statue you would need a really big fig leaf,” I answered truthfully and after a beat he burst out laughing. I looked up and smiled. “You asked.”

“God, you’re… I mean you’re so… Beth is good,” he said finally.

“Mark is good too,” I answered and he went to the bedside table and took out a condom packet. Then he paused and seemed to reconsider. Reaching back into the drawer he took out the whole box. That was promising.

“Will you share my bed with me tonight Beth?” he asked walking over to me and pulling me into his arms. There are some sensations in life that are just unparalleled, a soothing hot bath at the end of a long day, a soft cozy bed on a cold winter night… Mark’s warm bare skin pressed up against mine fell into that category. In fact, it was better. It was truly heavenly.

“I’ll share your bed with you any night,” I answered wrapping my arms around him. He kissed me again and we resumed our intimate exploration, his tongue caressing mine, while his hands gently stroked my breasts. As we moved to the music, he guided me over to the edge of the bed and urged me to sit down on the edge. Then he knelt down in front of me and looking into my eyes, he began to slowly run his fingers up and down my inner thighs, mirroring how I had touched him the other night.

“Does this feel as good to you as it did to me?” he asked. His voice sounded so deep and seductive that my insides liquefied.

“It feels incredible,” I answered breathily and he smiled the naughty smile.

Gently nudging my legs apart further, he leaned in and brushed his tongue up against my nipple. I breathed in sharply and he scraped me with his teeth and then covered me with feathery little licks and kisses. The hair stood up on my arms and I got goose bumps, as my nipples, impossibly, became even more rigid. I was starting to pant when he moved to the other side and did the same thing again.

“You like that,” he mumbled against my tingling skin.

“Yes.” I gasped. I was starting to tremble.

“Lie back.”

I didn’t think twice. Although I was becoming increasingly lightheaded, I was also conscience of so many things, the soft comforter beneath me, the intoxicating music, my tummy tightening in anticipation… and him. I was so very aware of him, standing above me. He looked so big and predatory, but in a really good way, and I swear that I could almost smell the lust in the room.

He braced himself over me and went back to work on my breasts, lightly licking, biting, and gently sucking until I was moaning. Then he slowly moved down and sucked at my belly ring, sending waves of sensation throughout my body, and I moaned louder. “Do know what it does to me when you make those sounds, Beth?” he asked in a silky voice.

“Mmm.” That was the only answer I could offer at that moment. My brain was too busy processing all of the stimulation to handle things like speech.