Page 49 of Unpacking Secrets
I growled as a bolt of raw desire shot straight through me.
My eyes feasted on her, stroking over her skin in a way that made her breath come a little faster, a visible sign of my effect on her. When my gaze landed on the dainty silver ring hanging on a chain, nestled in her cleavage, I had to bite back a groan. Instead of burying my face there as well, I touched the ring with a careful fingertip, fully conscious of her sharp intake of breath when my knuckle brushed the swell of her breast.
“What’s this?”
“It was my mother’s.”
When I traced the edge of her bra with my fingertip, she broke off, apparently having no desire to talk about her mother at that moment. I read the sentiment in the way her head fell back slightly as I retraced the path again, and I didn’t comment on the ring any further.
“This color brings out your eyes,” I murmured as I swept my thumbs lightly over her satin-covered nipples, watching her eyelids flutter.
“Does it?”
“Damned if I know,” I groaned, finally setting my mouth to hers.
As I kissed her, I lifted my hands from her breasts to follow the same path along her shoulders and biceps that she had explored on me, equally intent, equally hungry. When her arms tightened around me, the brush of that turquoise satin against my chest was torturous. My palms coasted up her spine, spreading across the bare skin that had haunted my dreams since that night I spent on the couch, then back down, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.
We’d been moving slowly these past weeks, cautiously, as though one of us might spook. It had seemed important to learn more about one another before rushing ahead, but now I could think of nothing more vital than learning her body.
“I want to touch you,” I whispered, letting my lips drift over her cheekbone.
A quick nod from her was permission enough—I unclasped the bra and she shrugged it off, letting it fall to the floor. My exploration grew ravenous as I drew back to look at her, admiring the way her skin flushed under my gaze.
“So, so lovely,” I said hoarsely as my hands slid upward to cup her breasts again.
I was no artist, but I couldn’t imagine anything more beautiful than those rosy nipples growing taut as my thumbs swept lightly over them, back and forth. Her head fell back on a sigh and I kissed her again, sinking deep into the lush heat of her mouth.
She barely noticed when I leaned her back more, supporting her with one arm wrapped around her waist, until I kissed a path down her neck and took her nipple into my mouth.
Juliet gasped, then tangled one hand in my hair, clutching me there against her racing heartbeat.
I gloried in the soft whimpers that burst from her lips as my tongue worked over her skin, teasing and then sucking deep, circling and soothing, spiking the pleasure higher with each pass.
“I can’t get enough of you,” I whispered, desperate to fill my hands and mouth with every inch of her soft skin.
“I was thinking the same,” she replied with a strangled laugh, then my teeth grazed her nipple and she arched over my arm.
I drank in every response, delighting in each sweet sound I drew from her. Just as I suspected, her skin here was even more exquisitely sensitive than the rest of her. I'd just shifted to her other breast, swirling my tongue over its peak, when a cold, wet nose pushed between our bare stomachs.
“Oh!” Juliet yelped, jerking back just in time to avoid a collision with the top of my head as I stood upright.
Blue’s tail wagged and she offered a canine smile that normally would have charmed us both. At that precise moment, though, we were not amused.
I rubbed my hands over my face to clear my head. Juliet’s cheeks were flushed, her lips rosy from my kisses. Though I tried to keep my gaze from dropping to her breasts, heaving as she struggled to catch her breath, I gave up, taking in the perfection of her bare skin before me.
Blue woofed impatiently. Juliet stifled a laugh while I cursed beneath my breath and strode to the door to let the dog out into the yard.
Once I returned to stand before her, she laid a hand on my chest. I sighed as I sank down onto my stool. Her curls tumbled wildly about her bare shoulders, but I knew the look on her face meant we wouldn't be picking up right where we’d left off. I took her hands in mine, running my thumbs over the back of her knuckles.
“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling a rush of guilt that threatened to kill the mood. “I didn’t mean to push you.”
Juliet arched a brow, still looking a little dazed and distracted. “I’m not stopping you because I don’t want to . . ." She lifted one hand from mine in a vague gesture and I bit back a smile. “But I feel like there are some awkward conversations we should have first.”
“Okay. Let’s move this somewhere more comfortable, then,” I said, lifting her down from the stool.
She grabbed her shirt off the floor, clasping it to her chest as we transferred to the couch. This spot was probably even less conducive to conversation than the stools, but at least I wouldn’t be staring straight at her bare skin. The shirt barrier was reminiscent enough of that night in the bathroom to make me laugh softly as I sat beside her.
“Probably for the best you have a shield, if you expect my brain to function,” I said, stretching one arm along the back of the couch so my fingers were close but not quite touching her.
