Page 40 of Rush

“Let’s take this inside,” was murmured against her lips right before she heard the car door open.

Cool night air hit her flushed cheeks, and she opened her eyes as Linc pulled away to step out of the car. Grabbing her bag, she quickly followed, taking his extended hand as he helped her out. His assistance was much appreciated, she soon discovered, as her wobbly legs barely supported her. Falling against his side, his arm encircled her waist as he slammed the car door and told the driver they were done with him for the evening. Then he swept her up into his arms, cradling her to his chest as his long strides ate the distance to the front door.

He didn’t bother with any lights as he kicked the door closed, dropping her to her feet and pressing her against it as his lips immediately found hers again. Unlike in the car, his hands roamed, sliding into and parting her bodice, cupping her breasts. He broke their kiss so his lips could follow, trailing down her neck and over her chest.

She sucked in a deep breath when he captured a nipple, sucking it into his mouth. Fire immediately raced to her coreand a groan fell from her lips. Then one of his hands found the slit in her dress and his hand skimmed up her thigh until she felt his fingers slip under the elastic of her panties.

Everything was happening too fast.

Shoring up her nerves, she took a deep breath. “Before this goes any further, there’s something I need to tell you.” She wasn’t sure what the proper protocol was, having never been in a situation like this, but she felt like she needed to say something. It seemed deceitful not to. “I think you should know, I’ve never done this before.”

His head lifted from her chest, revealing a smirk playing on his lips. “Never had sex against a door? Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it fast enough.”

She swallowed. “No. I mean like ever. I’ve never had sex before.”

There was an instant change in the air as his whole body stilled. She wasn’t sure he even breathed. “You’re a virgin?” He drew his hand from her panties and from under her dress.

Feeling her golden opportunity slipping from her fingers, she blurted, “You’re not stopping, are you?”

A small crease formed between his eyes, but he answered, “I don’t think I could, even if I wanted to.”

A sigh of relief rushed from her lungs. “Okay, good. I don’t want you to either.”

He wasn’t finished though. “But, for your first time, I’m not going to fuck you against a door.” He fixed her bodice, putting it to rights, then smirked again, “That can come later.”

Her lips quirked, liking the sound of that. More because it implied this wouldn’t be a one-shot deal.

“But for now, we’re going upstairs so I can make love to you properly.” He dipped his head and his lips brushed her ear when he murmured, “In other words, nice and slow.”

She shivered.

Before she had a chance to respond—if she even knew how to respond to something like that—she was once again swept into his arms. Only this time he took her upstairs.

Although he usually left his bedroom door open, she’d only been inside Linc’s room that one time when she’d woken up alone in his bed. Being in the state she’d been in that morning, she hadn’t taken the time to take a good look around.

She didn’t take the time now, either. Like a horse wearing blinders, the large bed in the center of the room was all she could see. Then, when Linc set her on her feet, it was only him.

She stood and watched as he stripped out of his jacket and toed off his shoes. His tie came off next and then his shirt, his deft fingers almost hypnotizing her as they slipped each button through their hole until the cotton fabric parted and he shrugged it off, tossing it to land on the floor with his tie.

She’d seen his bare chest many times—when he came home from a run and he would remove his tank as he made his way up the stairs to shower or when he took Sophie swimming—but never with the invitation to touch. She did that very thing now. Taking the couple of steps that separated them, she placed her hands on his upper stomach, feeling his abdominal muscles twitch under her palms. His skin was as smooth as silk but as hard as stone. If the man had an ounce of fat, it wasn’t evident as she continued her exploration, up over his ribcage, pausing when she reached his pecks.

His hands appeared and encircled her wrists, moving her hands behind her back.

She protested like a child denied their favorite toy. “I want to touch you.”

“Later. My control is walking a very fine line right now. More of your touch will put me over the edge.”

She wasn’t about to argue, not when his hands moved to the clasp at her neck, releasing the bodice of her dress. The material fell to her waist, exposing her breasts which were immediately swallowed by Linc’s hands. She lowered the zipper at the back of her dress and the material fell to pool at her feet, leaving her only in panties and high heels.

Hearing a low growl, she noticed Linc’s gaze raking her body, coming to rest on the scrap of red lace between her legs.

“Sit on the edge of the bed.”

Without thinking, she did as she was told, stepping out of her gown and taking the couple of steps to the side of the bed. The soft comforter was chilly against the back of her thighs and the sensitive skin left exposed by the barely-there coverage of her panties.

Linc knelt before her and started undoing the buckle of her shoe. “As sexy as these are, I hate to see them go.”

She’d seen it referenced enough in movies and books to know men loved high heels, especially during sex. “Then leave them on.”

---