TALL DARK AND HUNGRY Page 0,77
as he fought it now, the struggle turning the kiss almost into a punishment. He knew by the way Terri responded that she, too, was almost frantic with need, desperate for release, teetering on the edge, but unable to find fulfillment.
Bastien could feel his own release creeping up on him, threatening to make its arrival whether she found hers first or not. Deciding he'd best move her along, and fast, else leave her disappointed, he reached between them and found the center of her excite¬ment. Caressing her feverishly, he urged her toward the release that would free him to find his own.
Just when Bastien thought that he couldn't stand a moment more, Terri tore her mouth from his and tossed her head back on a cry of triumph. Her body clenched in spasms around him; squeezing and releas¬ing, then squeezing again. Relieved, Bastien immedi¬ately allowed himself to let go. His own body stiffened as he drove upward one last time and poured himself into her.
Terri lay limp against Bastien's chest as he shifted her and eased to the edge of the couch. She'd collapsed against him after finding her pleasure, and now lay with her face nestled in the curve of his neck, sound asleep. Or unconscious, he thought wryly, consider¬ing how she wasn't even stirring. He'd sat for the longest time, just holding her in his arms, their bodies still joined. But she was showing no signs of waking up. If anything, her breathing was becoming deeper and more relaxed. The woman was dead to the world.
Smiling as she murmured sleepily and shifted against him, Bastien carefully stood, stepped out of his pants, which were bundled at his ankles, and scooped Terri into his arms. Even that didn't wake her. She merely cuddled against his chest and made lip-smacking sounds against his skin, as if she were either eating or kissing someone in her sleep. Hopefully she was kissing him if it was the latter option, he thought as he strode across the living room with her.
Bastien did consider how risky it was to be wan¬dering naked around the apartment, with an equally naked Terri in his arms. But then, it had been even more risky to make love in the living room, where ei¬ther Vincent or Chris could have come upon them at any time. Fortunately, they'd been lucky in that re¬spect, and he could only hope his luck held out. Bastien was too exhausted to bother dressing himself, let alone her, and it didn't appear she was in any shape to dress herself. He had definitely worn the poor woman out with his demands, he thought with satis¬faction, though she had been equally demanding.
He managed to make it all the way to the master suite without running across either Vinny or Chris. After setting Terri down in his bed, he made a quick trip back to the living room for their clothes. Bastien was aware that she would be terribly embarrassed should the others find that evidence scattered across the living room floor in the morning and guess what had happened. He wanted to spare her that.
Bastien heard knocking as he started back to his bedroom, and glanced up in alarm to find Chris standing at the end of the hall outside the master suite, rapping loudly. Afraid the noise might wake Terri, Bastien picked up speed to reach the man and stop him from knocking again. At the last moment, he remembered the clothes he carried and glanced down. He'd bundled them all together, not bothering to separate them. Spying Terri's lacy bra on top, he tucked the clothes quickly behind his back to hide this indicator of what they'd been up to.
"Chris!" he hissed as the fellow raised his hand to rap on the door again. "What are you doing up?"
"Oh, Bastien." The editor turned, opened his mouth to speak, then noticed his nakedness. He let his breath out on a vexed sigh. "What is it with you and your brother? Did you guys spend your sum¬mers at nudist camps while growing up or some¬thing? Don't you guys have any decorum at all? Sheesh."
Bastien glanced down at himself, started to bring the clothes back around to cover his nudity, but at the first glimpse of white lace, quickly tucked them be¬hind his back again.
"Never mind that," he said with a scowl. "Why are you knocking at my door at"--he glanced at his watch, the only item he still wore--"at two o'clock in the morning?"
"Oh." Reminded