Against the Edge (The Raines of Wind Can - By Kat Martin Page 0,63
what I’m planning to do. But we don’t have to hurry. We’ve got all night.”
She seemed more nervous than before. Ben plugged his iPad into the stereo system and soft jazz poured out of the speakers. Strains of Kenny G floated into the living room. Making his way to the kitchen, he took down a bottle of Kahlua, poured the sweet coffee liqueur into a pair of lowball glasses, added ice and some of the half-and-half Claire kept in the fridge for her morning coffee.
He carried the glasses into the living room. “We missed dessert. I figure this should do.” He set the drinks down on the coffee table, sat down on the sofa next to Claire. “A nice slow dance would be good, but I’m pushing my luck a little, as it is.” His side was aching, but only a little. Outside, the storm was building. The windows rattled, and he heard the roll of thunder.
Claire didn’t touch the drink.
“What, you don’t like Kahlua?”
Her pretty lips thinned and her chin went up. “Is this your usual seduction routine, Ben? You take a woman out to a swanky restaurant and buy her champagne, then bring her home and put on soft music. You fix her a drink and dance with her and then—”
“Stop it. Stop it right now.” His jaw flexed in anger. “I don’t have a seduction routine. And I rarely bring women home. Mostly I go to their place so I don’t have to wake up with them in the morning. I wanted this night to be special. I wanted you to know how special you are to me. I should have known better. Fuck it.” Ben shot up from the sofa, but Claire was also on her feet.
“Oh, God, Ben, I’m sorry.”
He stood rigid, a muscle clenched in his jaw.
Claire reached up and touched his cheek. “That time in Arizona...it was...it was easy. Nothing was planned, you know? It just happened. Everything just seemed right.”
“But not tonight,” he said darkly.
“Tonight...I wanted you to make love to me. But when we got here, I started worrying. I was afraid it wouldn’t be as good as it was before. I was afraid you’d compare me to your other women and find me lacking.” She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly on the mouth. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”
She thought he would find her lacking? No way in hell.
Cupping his face between her hands, she kissed him softly, planted tiny little butterfly kisses on the corners of his mouth, kissed him until his fierce expression softened and he couldn’t hold out any longer.
Deep kisses followed, soft and coaxing, then fierce and taking.
“I’d never compare you to another woman, Claire,” he whispered against the side of her neck. “If I did, she wouldn’t stand a chance.”
He caught the surprise in her eyes, along with the glitter of tears. “Ben...”
He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her. The physical attraction they felt for each other was strong. Tonight would be good. He knew it even if she didn’t. Ben kissed her one way and then another, kissed her until her body softened and her nervousness slid away.
“Let me make it up to you,” she said, kissing him one last time. The next thing he knew, she was reaching behind her back, sliding down her zipper, letting her little black dress fall in a heap at her feet. He watched as she unfastened the clasp on her lacy red bra and slid it off her shoulders, stood in front of him in only her tiny red lace panties, sheer black man-killer stockings and high black heels.
“You’re beautiful, Claire. No man could ask for more.”
“Make love to me, Ben. Make me feel the way you did the last time.”
Screw the ache in his side. He’d make it good for both of them. Sliding his hands into her hair, he hauled her against him, held her in place while he ravished her mouth.
Claire shoved his jacket off his shoulders, pulled his sweater off over his head, then ran her hands over his bare chest. “You have the most beautiful body.”
She pressed her mouth against his pecs, curled her tongue around a flat copper nipple and made him groan. Going up on her toes, she kissed him, slid her tongue into his mouth.
The kisses went deeper, wetter, hotter. The bedroom seemed a million miles away. They stumbled and kissed their way down the hall, through the door and over to