harsh in the still night. ‘Right,’ he said handing her the keys. ‘Open the bloody door.’
He stood aside for her and she took the heavy keyring from him, turning to insert the front door key into the lock. She pushed it in but then Nash’s lips were at her neck and his heat was at her back and she shut her eyes as her head lolled to the side to give him better access.
‘Damn it, Maggie,’ he whispered against the arch of her neck, his lips caressing her heated skin, ‘open the door.’
Maggie fumbled with the key as her flat-lined brain grappled with even the most basic task. Her fingers, heavy and useless, fumbled with the lock. But then the key turned and the door was opening to them, and then they were on the other side in the dark, fumbling for each other. She was turning and he was reaching and they fell into each other like lovers starved for an eternity of the other’s touch.
She reefed his shirt out of his jeans as he toed off each of his shoes. He pulled at her shirt, lifted it over her head and flung it to the floor. She returned the favour, his muscles shifting beneath her fingers as she reached the good stuff.
Maggie couldn’t ever remember feeling this focused or desperate - this crazed – over getting a man naked. She must have with her ex, in the beginning before conception sex and fertility treatments had derailed their lives. Back when sex had been for fun instead of procreation.
Like this.
Nash fumbled with the clasp on her purple lace half-cup bra. ‘Off,’ he growled. ‘Take it off.’
Maggie’s pelvic floor muscles seized at his rough demand. No. It had never been like this with Pete. Never.
The light from a streetlamp filtered in through a nearby open doorway and Nash’s frustration was well rewarded as she unclasped the bra and her naked breasts fell free, bathed in milky light. They were rose-tipped and heavy, her skin lush and creamy.
‘Oh, my,’ he whispered, taking a moment to just look.
Maggie blushed at his reverent exclamation and part of her wanted to cover herself beneath his hungry gaze. But another part wanted to lean back against the door-frame and wantonly arch her back like an old-time film starlet.
Blood roared in her ears as his eyes explored every inch of her. ‘And those,’ he said, his voice rough as he pointed at her jeans.
Nash watched as Maggie unzipped, peeled the denim down her legs and stepped out of their confines. A scrap of matching purple lace underwear hid the last piece of her from him and he reached out to her hip. ‘You’re even more beautiful than I imagined, Maggie May, and I’ve been imagining this...a lot.’
The heat in Maggie’s cheeks intensified. Beneath his gaze she felt beautiful. Not ten years his senior. Not some kind of Mrs Robinson or an infertile divorcee - somehow less of a woman.
She felt his equal, his partner. And all woman.
Closing the distance between them, her nipples tightened as they grazed against the light smattering of blond chest hairs. She rose on her tippy-toes, twined her fingers in his hair and pulled his head down so their lips met.
His mouth was hot against hers, sliding fire across her lips and into her mouth and beyond to her stomach, her breasts, her belly.
Her soul.
She opened for him, wanting more, welcoming the heat with more of her own. Fighting fire with fire.
His tongue tangoed with hers and she dug her nails into his shoulders, pushing closer, whimpering her need. His big hands smoothed over her back, drawing circles over her shoulder blades and ribcage, trailing fire there too as he anchored her to him. She could feel his arousal pressed into her stomach and she pushed against the hard length, aching to touch, aching for him to be inside her.
Her hand went to his belt and Nash groaned. ‘Hold on,’ he murmured, scooping her up, gathering her into his chest and looking for a place to get horizontal.
‘End of the hallway,’ Maggie murmured, her lips at his ear, her arms clinging to his neck.
Nash didn’t need any more direction, striding down the passageway and pushing the door open with his knee. He crossed to the bed and lowered her until she was stretched out before him.
Then he stood and looked. Just looked. She was beautiful.
Maggie felt her cheeks grow hot as his gaze travelled over her with a thoroughness that left her