‘I’m tuned in like that.’ A memory came from nowhere to knock him for six—a memory of his mother leaning over him, smiling, with a book in one hand. Had she just read him a story? Was she about to? She was dressed up, going out for the evening.
He clenched his jaw as the vivid image faded. ‘Enough talk,’ he growled, edging them both towards the bed. Rose giggled as her knees hit the mattress and she toppled backwards, taking him with her, although he niftily deflected the bulk of his weight from landing directly on her. But he remained where he was, flat on his back next to her.
‘The canopy has stars,’ he commented, amused, and he heard the grin in her voice when she replied.
‘That’s the hidden romantic in me.’
Art turned his head to look at her and she did likewise.
‘You don’t have to worry,’ she said flatly, before he could jump in with another warning lecture on his nomadic tendencies—warning her off the temptation to look for more involvement than was on the table.
‘Worry about what?’
‘I may have the occasional romantic lapse, but I’m pretty level-headed when it comes to men, and latching onto a good-looking guy who has an aversion to putting down roots is the last sort of guy who would tick any boxes for me.’
‘I tick at leastonebox,’ Art murmured, smiling very slowly.
‘Well, yes...you tick that one box.’ Flustered, she held her breath as their eyes locked.
‘Never knock the physical attraction box. It’s the biggest one of all.’
‘We’ll have to agree to differ on that.’
‘Think so?’ Art grinned, settling on his side and manoeuvring her so that they were now facing one another, clothes still on and that very fact sending the temperature into the sizzling stratosphere. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t talk too fast if I were you...’ He slipped his hand under her top and took his time getting to her breast, waiting until her breathing had become halting, her eyelids fluttering and her nostrils flaring. Then and only then did he touch her, cup her naked breast, feel the tight bud of her nipple. He’d spent the meal in a state of heightened awareness and the feel of her now was electrifying.
While he was busy telling her just how fast he could make her believe in the importance of sexual attraction because nothing was better than good sex, and he was very,veryadept at giving very,verygood sex, he was simultaneously on the verge of blowing it by getting turned on too quickly. In his book, speed and good sex rarely went together for a sensational experience.
He kept looking at her, holding her gaze, while he played with her nipple.
He wasn’t going to go a step further until he got himself under control.
But, hell, those sexy eyes that were just on the right side of innocent, however sassy she was, were doing a million things to his body.
‘You think you can convert me?’ Rose breathed, squirming with want.
‘No harm in trying.’ Art let loose a low, sexy laugh. In one slick movement, he eased himself up to straddle her prone body, caging her in with his thighs. He hooked his fingers under the top and began slowly tugging it up.
‘No bra,’ he murmured. ‘I like that.’
* * *
‘I...’ Rose gulped and wished that she hadn’t switched any lights on at all, although would she have sacrificed the joy of looking at him to preserve her modesty? She felt faint as her top rode higher and then the whisper of cool air brought goosebumps to her naked skin. Automatically, she lifted her arms to cross them over her bare chest and, just as fast, Arturo gently pushed them aside and stifled a primal groan of pleasure as his eyes feasted on her.
‘Beautiful,’ he whispered, circling one straining bud with the tip of his finger.
Rose had never felt quite so exposed. She wasn’t ashamed of her body. She simply recognised its limitations. Lights off worked when it came to dealing with those limitations and to have him looking at her like that...
She sneaked a glance at him and felt a surge of thrilling excitement because his eyes were dark with masculine appreciation.
‘I’m not exactly the most voluptuous woman on the face of the earth,’ Rose apologised, blushing. ‘That’s why I can go without a bra a lot of the time. Not much there to contain.’ She laughed and watched his finger as it continued to circle her nipple, moving onto the other.
‘You should never have hang-ups about your body,’ Arturo said thickly. ‘It’s amazing. Your nipples are stunning...dark...succulent...’
‘Arturo!’
He laughed and shot her a wicked look from under his lashes. ‘Is that the sound of you begging me to continue telling you why you should be proud of your body?’
‘No!’ But she laughed, a little breathless laugh that was unsteady with anticipation.
