There were too many layers of clothing between them. Grabbing the hem of her shirt, he peeled it up and over her head. The glow of the fire painted her skin in shades of gold and peach. Beautiful. He caught her nipple with his lips and teased it into a stiff peak with quick flicks of his tongue and then gentle pressure with his teeth.
“Eli,” she sighed.
He paid equal homage to her other breast, loving the taste of her warm skin on his tongue. Safara grew more frantic and began trying to strip off his shirt. The minute his bare chest came into contact with hers, his control shattered. He was up off the hearth with an armload of gorgeous woman. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.
It was tempting to lay her down on the floor in front of the fire, but she deserved better than that. He’d make it as far as the bedroom if it killed him. Light spilled in from the hall to illuminate the bed, guiding his way. He tumbled them both down on the king-sized mattress, twisting at the last second so that he landed on his back with Safara sprawled across his chest.
She pushed herself up into a sitting position, still straddling his lap. “Nice move, big guy. Now, where shall I start?”
“Any damn place you want to.” He clasped his hands under his head to see what she had in mind. Safara arched over his chest to nibble on his chin and then kissed her way down the side of his neck to where it joined his shoulder. From there, she slid farther down his body, using both her fingernails and her tongue to explore his chest.
He admired the fullness of her breasts as she moved over him, wanting more than anything to fill his hands with their warm weight. He’d get around to it, but right now he wasn’t about to interrupt her determined journey down his body. Not if she was headed where he hoped she was. Prayed she was.
Oh God, she was. She nuzzled his erection through the heavy thickness of his fleece sweats. His back arched up off the mattress hard enough to almost toss her off. Safara gave him a smug smile. “Liked that, did you?”
He flexed his hips in an unsubtle hint for more of the same. “I’d think that would be obvious.”
When she hooked her fingers in his elastic waistband, he lifted his hips so she could tug his sweats down several inches. Not nearly low enough as far as he was concerned, but she looked awfully pleased with what she’d uncovered so far. Her fingers settled around his cock in a firm grip as she lifted it up to meet her lips. When she kissed the tip, his brain imploded.
Time to take control of the situation. With a lightning fast move, he grabbed her arms and flipped Safara over onto her back. He smothered her protest with an openmouthed kiss and used one of his legs to anchor hers right where he wanted them. Following her example, he kissed his way down to her nipples, stopping long enough to suckle each of them in turn. From there, he traced the lower curves of her breasts before exploring her belly button with the tip of his tongue.
She wiggled and protested, “That tickles!”
Making note of that fact for later use, he moved onward and downward. His sweats were so loose on her that they practically slid down past her hips on their own as she moved and twisted in response to his kisses. He sat up long enough to pull them down the length of her long legs and threw them someplace over his shoulder. His own followed, removing the last barrier between them.
The scent of her arousal filled his senses as he positioned himself between her legs, spreading them wide. He brushed his fingers through the curls at the junction of her thighs. “I want to taste you, Safara. Are you ready for that?”
Her pale eyes widened when she realized his intent. He waited until she nodded before resuming the soft strokes, gently parting her folds before finally using his tongue to continue his explorations. She made low noises of pleasure as her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him right where he most wanted to be.
“So damn sweet.”
It didn’t take long before she arched up off the bed as she rode out her climax. As the tension flowed out of her body, he kissed her one last time and then moved back up to cover her body with his. “Give me a minute, and we’ll see if we can top that.”
Her smile held a lot of satisfaction. “I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“We in the Special Forces love a challenge.” Not that he was still part of that elite group, but he wasn’t going to let that dampen his good mood.
“Okay, soldier, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, he opened the box of condoms he’d bought on his last trip to town. A few seconds later, he stretched out beside Safara on the bed, ready to show her another good time.
“Now, where did I leave off?”
“I bet you can figure it out. But just in case, here’s a hint.”
With her eyes at half-mast, she smiled as her fingertips traced a meandering path down between her breasts before continuing down the length of her torso. His cock jerked in reaction as if it had been his body she’d been stroking rather than her own. When she held her arms up in invitation, he didn’t hesitate. The time for slow and easy was past. He needed to possess this woman, to claim her fast and hard, to show her without words that this mattered to him. How much she mattered to him.
Settling his body over hers, he supported most of his weight on his elbows as he rocked against the entrance of her body. “Better brace yourself, babe. I’m not sure how long I can keep this slow and easy.”
“I’m okay with that.” Then she settled her hands on his rib cage and dug her nails in just enough to sting. “Kiss me first.”
A soldier knew how to follow orders. His kissed her a long time, using his tongue to offer a preview of the dance they were about to start. He flexed his hips and then pushed forward, repeating the steps until their bodies were joined. Feeling her tense at the invasion, he prayed for the strength to remain frozen in position long enough for her body to adjust.
When she finally let out a slow breath, he withdrew a short distance and slowly pressed forward again. She took his length more easily this time. After a third thrust, she was right there with him demanding everything he could give her. He kicked it into high gear, pulling her legs higher up around his hips as he set a pounding rhythm. Their sweat-slicked bodies slid against each other with a delicious friction that had both of them breathing hard and straining toward their common objective.
Safara pushed at his shoulders. “My turn.”
He obligingly rolled over onto his back and let her take control. It took her a few seconds to establish a tempo. She rode him slow and easy, but that was okay. He liked watching the gentle sway of her breasts as she moved forward and back. He palmed them with a soft squeeze. Murmuring her approval, she leaned into his hands, increasing the pleasure for them both.
