Overcome with emotion, it took a great deal of effort to get words past the lump in her throat. “I—I don’t know what to say. You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough.”
“Are you happy?”
Fiona nodded. “Very.”
“Then that’s all I need to know.”
Taking stock of her apartment again, she marveled at the gift she’d been given and the incredible man who’d made it possible. “Did you put this up by yourself?”
“Well, I’d like to take all of the credit, but the elves helped. They even made their own contribution to your collection.”
Her gaze swung up to where he gestured, and she saw a small sprig of mistletoe hanging from a small hook in the ceiling.
Tilting her head, she looked into his eyes and found friendship, genuine desire, and the promise of something far deeper and longer lasting. It ignited a host of emotions within her that burned too brightly to deny.
Giving in to the need, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him with everything she had.
A primal sound rose from his throat. Every muscle in his body tensed. In the blink of an eye, he pulled her in tight against his hard lines and took control of the kiss. His tongue stroked hers, hot and demanding, triggering a mind-blowing explosion of heat, desire, and longing.
Fiona’s heart raced at a fevered pace as her fingers delved into his hair. She lost herself in his taste and his touch, her heart pounding with the insatiable desire to take everything this man had to offer.
One of his hands slid down her back and settled on the curve of her ass. The hard press of his erection dug into her belly, and it thrilled her to know she had that kind of effect on him.
Joe broke the kiss and peered down at her, his breathing harsh and uneven and his dark eyes molten with hunger. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
She paused, reveling in the sheer excitement rushing through her veins. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this alive. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
The smile that spread over his face promised all sorts of wicked things. His fingers gripped the hem of her shirt, and she raised her arms long enough for him to pull the fabric up and over her head. He tossed it aside, and then his mouth was on hers again, electrifying and demanding, and it stole her breath away.
Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her up as if she weighed nothing, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He crossed the room and lowered them to the couch, him sitting on the cushions and her straddling him.
“Bed,” she murmured against his mouth, her heart beating a mile a minute.
“Next time. I like seeing the lights on your skin.”
His hands slid up her back. He unfastened the clasp, and then the bra was gone, and the cool air against her breasts was replaced with the warmth of his hands and the wet heat of his mouth.
A low moan slid from her throat as her hand cupped the back of his head. “No fair. You still have all of your clothes on. I want to see you too.”
The next few minutes were a frenzied stripping of clothes, most of it scattered all over the living room floor, and her mouth went dry at the sight of Joe fully naked and fully aroused. She’d seen him before in running shorts and not much else, but Joseph Pinto in all his glory was truly a sight to behold.
Somewhere along the line, she ended up on her back with Joe stretched out alongside her, his mouth and hands everywhere at once, igniting little fires until it felt like her whole body was ablaze.
Wanda, either disgusted or offended by their brazen displays of affection, hopped off the recliner and scampered out of sight.
Joe chuckled. “I think we broke your cat.”
“She’ll get over it.” Fiona slipped her hand between their bodies and wrapped her hand around him.
A guttural groan rose in his throat. “If you keep that up, it’ll be over before it gets started.”
“I’m willing to take that risk.”
“I’m not.”
He cut off her response with a soul-scorching kiss, followed by soft, slow, open-mouthed kisses down the length of her torso, pausing a moment to nip the swell of her hip before resuming his leisurely journey. Lower still, and her muscles tensed when he settled between her thighs.
He raised his head, his gaze catching hers. “Have you done this before?”
