wait and see.”
“I hope you don’t make me wait too much longer,” she said, twisting so she could look at him over her shoulder. “I’ve been thinking about this since long before I should have.”
…
Audrey felt like heaven in his arms—her curvy body the perfect proportions for him. He loved the sensual shape of her—the curves and dips and how strong she felt, and yet how soft.
“I thought about it…shit,” he muttered. “Way too much. Way, way too much.”
There’d been a period where every night, the second he closed his eyes, she was there. But the frequent self-love didn’t do anything to dull the edges of his desire. In many ways, it only made it worse, because he could see how difficult it was to banish her from his mind, and that was highly unusual.
“And yet you tried so hard to convince me to be your student again,” she said.
“I wanted what was best for you. Not what was best for me.”
“Is this what’s best for you?”
Taking a gorgeous woman to bed was never a hardship. But being with Audrey wasn’t simply about the physical, though he appreciated that very much. He also found her complex and interesting, and he loved the qualities of who she was as a person.
“I would never want something I desired to come at a cost for you,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “But if you ask me whether I’ve wanted this from the second you walked into my classroom, even though I knew it was wrong…then yes.”
“Is this the first time you’ve…”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking if I’m a virgin?”
She rolled over so she could face him, her eyes alight with mischief. “I’m pretty sure oral sex isn’t that good without a little practice. But I really hope you have some condoms here.”
Shit. He hadn’t even thought about that when he’d invited Audrey back to his place—his mind had been too focused on the fantastical. Not the practical. He was pretty sure he had an emergency one stashed in his wallet, though.
“I think so,” he said. “Otherwise it’ll be an, uh…interesting trip to the store.”
Her lips curved into a wicked smile. “Welcome to small-town life, professor, where everybody knows your business.”
Not wanting to let his imagination wander toward something that awkward, his lips found the curve of her hip, his hand smoothing over her thighs and stomach as if he could use his touch to commit her to memory. Everything about her was smooth, soft, and yet Audrey had an inner strength and conviction that he found utterly irresistible.
She was a woman who did things on her own terms.
She scooted closer to him and smoothed one hand up along his jaw, leaning in so her lips brushed his ear. “You should get undressed.”
“You want to see what I’m hiding under here?”
“Very much so.”
Ronan rose off the bed and took a step back. Audrey looked like a goddess spread out on his bed, hair fanned out behind her and her lips parted in anticipation. He tore his T-shirt off without any finesse or teasing because, as far as he was concerned, they’d waited long enough already. The sound of his belt cut through the quiet room, and soon it joined the floor, along with his shoes, socks, and jeans. He stood in his underwear for a moment, enjoying the way her eyes roamed his body, eagerly sucking in every detail.
He drew the last item down over his hips, feeling his cock spring out and bob against his stomach. God, he was hard. So hard it was almost as if he hadn’t gotten himself off nightly for the last few weeks like some horny teenager. He went to find his wallet and prayed that he hadn’t thrown the spare condom away at some point. Victory. With a relieved release of breath, he returned to the bedroom and tore it open.
“Wait.” Audrey’s eyes were almost black now, and she reached out to him in silent invitation. “I want to touch you first.”
When he came down over her, his weight pressing her into the soft mattress, she hummed and closed her eyes. He dipped his head to kiss her, and, cupping the back of her head, he slid his tongue across hers, opening her. Allowing her to taste herself.
Audrey’s hands trembled as she ran her palms over him, brushing the dusting of hair on his chest and following the flat plane of his stomach, dipping lower.
Ronan sucked in a breath to steady himself. He never