Page 208 of Modern Romance March 2025 (5-8)

“Oh, my—” he began, but got no further.

CHAPTER SIX

THE AFTERMATH WASsweat soaked and punctuated with heavy breathing. Desmond and Val lay together, entangled in the bed sheets. His head was resting on her lower belly, and her fingers were threading through his hair absent-mindedly. Too absent-mindedly. As much as he wanted to stay there and revel in the softness of her, he knew it would be a mistake.

She looked the most beautiful she’d been all night. Her hair had escaped its slick ponytail and now haloed her face and her lips were swollen.

Desmond considered for a moment, then reached across her body to where the room phone sat on the ornate nightstand. When he did, his arm brushed across her breasts, skimming nipples that were still full and pouting; he felt heat surge down—Again?Surely not. He ignored it and dialed.

Val sat bolt upright. “What are you doing?”

“I’m hungry,” he said patiently. “You’ve kept us rather busy for the past couple of hours.”

“I’vekept us—!” She was speechless. He waggled his brows at her and half turned as the concierge answered, holding back his laughter with some effort. This was precisely what he wanted—something to tip power back into his hands after she’d undone every bit of the control he’d thought he had. His body was still humming from the aftermath.

More than that, she’d made himcare.

“Can I ask you to hold for a moment, sir?”

“Of course.”

“Are you crazy? You can’t order room service to my—”

“Why not? Don’t you eat?” He cleared his throat as the concierge came back on. “Hello, thanks. I feel like slumming it tonight. I’ll have the Wagyu burger, medium rare, and the black trufflefrites. And for the lady…?” He nodded in her direction.

“Theladyisn’t having anything! You can’t… I can’t… I…”

“You wanted me to leave? Is that it?”

There was a quick flash of guilt in her eyes. “It isn’t unreasonable, Desmond.TechnicallyI’m still at work.”

“If the sheikh is knocking at your door at—” he peered at his watch “—three a.m., I’d be a little curious about the nature of the work you do! No, sir, we still haven’t made a decision,” he said to the concierge. “Perhaps we could look at the menu and call you ba—”

Val made a noise of frustration that sounded so like a growl it stopped him dead, and he dropped the phone, surprising himself by bursting into laughter as he did so. Val, who’d tried lunging for it again, was half on top of him now, her small, soft fingers anchoring his wrists to the bed with sudden strength. And now he was officially getting hard again. This woman was full of surprises!

“I. Am. Not. Feeding. You,” she gritted out. He saw her eyes drift down to where he was stiffening then dart back to his face as if she were correcting herself.

“Do you want me to leave?” he asked softly.

She released his wrists without answering, sucking in her breath as she did so, and, heaven help him, there were her breasts again, heavy and round, perfectly in his line of vision, jiggling softly with every breath she took. Even before his eyes, her plump copper-brown nipples were growing painfully full and tight.

He reached up and palmed her breasts. Her breathing quickened.

“You know I will if you say the word,” he said mildly, and he punctuated his statement with a twist of one of the hardening buds; he’d observed enough during their union to know she liked that, alot. She gasped softly.

“Don’t move,” he said, then raised his head high enough to draw that nipple’s twin into his mouth. As he sucked, his fingers inched down her tummy to where she was slick and swollen; she jerked upward when he touched her and he shook his head, releasing her breasts.

“No. Don’t go back. Forward, sweetheart. Let me taste you.”

“Desmond—”

“Doit.”

She inched forward, crying out softly when he parted her, her thighs spread open inches above him, all glistening skin and the sharp, delicious scent of arousal. He reached up and dug his fingers into the glorious softness of her hips, then pulled her down till he was able to taste her. She trembled and shook and cried out, all reticence completely gone. She tried to pull away, but he held her fast. And when she finally fell forward, spent and gasping, he rolled over and drew her into his arms, his face fierce.

“Desmond,” she gasped out. He thought there was dampness on her cheeks.

“It’s all right,” he said, kissing the shell of her ear and biting down gently.

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