the exquisite softness of her neck, trailing slow kisses from below her ear, over her shoulder and to the upper curve of her breasts. She drew in a hitching breath, gasping in pleasure, and he stroked his tongue over the exposed part of her breast, aching to explore her in more intimate detail. He began gently to tug her dress down to reveal more of her breast, but she suddenly froze and then pushed his hand away.
‘I’m sorry...’ She bit her lip, her cheeks bright pink.
Louis placed his hands on her hips. ‘Too soon for you?’
‘It’s not that...’
‘What is it? Talk to me, Ivy. Tell me what’s worrying you about me touching you like that.’
She swallowed and brought her gaze back to his. ‘My breasts are small. I’m worried you won’t find them attractive.’
He stroked a lazy finger down the curve of her blushing cheek. ‘I find everything about you attractive.’
A tremulous smile flirted with the edges of her mouth, but the shadows hadn’t gone from her eyes. ‘One of the dates I had made a comment about my breasts when I told him I didn’t want to sleep with him, and I’ve never really got over it. I can’t look at my body without thinking how unappealing it must be to men.’
Louis had to suppress a wave of anger so intense it threatened to boil his blood at what that jerk of a boyfriend had said to her. ‘Ivy, that idiot guy needs to be taught a lesson and I wish I could be the one to teach him. You have no reason to be ashamed of any part of your body. I’ve been trying not to notice for years how damn attractive you are.’
Ivy peered up into his face as if she couldn’t quite believe what he’d said was true. ‘Really? You never gave me any indication.’
He played with a loose curl of her hair, winding it around his finger and releasing it again. ‘Yes, well, your brother might have had something to say about it if I had, knowing my playboy reputation with women.’ He frowned and added, ‘I can’t help thinking he won’t be too happy about us spending the night together. I promised to keep an eye on you, not to sleep with you.’
Ivy pursed her lips, eyes flashing. ‘It’s time my brother accepted I’m not a child any more. I want to sleep with you, Louis.’ She took one of his hands and placed it back on her breast. ‘Now, where were we?’
Louis smiled. ‘Well, I was about to do this...’ He gently peeled her dress down to uncover half of her bra-less breast and then lowered his mouth to the ripe curve. She gave a soft sound of approval and he pulled the dress a little lower to uncover her nipple. He rolled his tongue over and around her peaking flesh, delighting in the exquisite softness of her skin and the way she was responding to his caresses.
‘Oh...oh...oh...’ Her voice was a breathless thread of sound and she gave a little shudder.
Louis lifted his head to look at her, his hands going to her hips to steady her. ‘Okay so far?’
Her eyes shimmered with the same desire he could feel thundering through his body. Hot. Urgent. Desperate. ‘More than okay. It feels so good to have you touch me like that.’ She sounded almost surprised that she enjoyed it. ‘Do it again. Please?’
‘Your wish is my command.’ And my most wicked fantasy.
Louis bent his head and placed his mouth over her right breast, sucking softly, teasing her with his lips and tongue and the gentle tether of his teeth. Her skin was like silk and she smelled of flowers and vanilla and musk, sending his senses haywire. He moved his mouth to her other breast, exploring it in the same thorough detail, delighting in the sounds of encouragement she was making, thrilled by her avid response to his touch.
She quivered under his hands, her eyelashes at half-mast, as if drunk on the sensations he was triggering in her. Powerful, intense sensations that were erupting vicariously through his own flesh. His erection was so tight and heavy it was painful, the desire for completion a pounding primal force in his blood. But he needed to be in control and, right now, his control was slipping away, pushing every thought aside for the goal of intense physical satisfaction.
But this wasn’t like any other one-nighter. This was Ivy and he had to take things slowly. Painfully,