Page 42 of And Then There Was Us
Brianna set her purse on the table by the door and looked so seductive as she crossed the floor in the body-hugging dress that Hugh couldn’t wait to strip off so he could love every inch of her.
He took her in his arms. “I’ve been trying to figure out what it was about your eyes that make them so beautiful,” he whispered.
Flush covered her cheeks. Feeling her body against his brought rise to his desires and a throbbing in his heart that was new and different from anything he’d experienced before.
“There’s so much more to you than what anyone sees. Behind those beautiful eyes is a well of emotions.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “And thoughts.” He kissed her cheek. “And fears.” He kissed her lips again, feeling her body tremble against him.
She licked her lower lip, and his hand slid to the curve of her hip.
“Not fears,” she whispered, but worry hung in her voice.
“It’s just you and me, Bree.” For the first time in his life, he wasn’t trying to rush a woman into bed, and it struck him that everything about the way his mind reacted to Brianna was different than it had been with anyone else.
She put her hands flat on his stomach, spreading warmth beneath her palms. “Nerves. It’s been a long time, and I want to be with you more than anything. I just don’t want to disappoint you.”
“You’re here with me. Nothing could make me happier. We don’t have to do anything, Bree. I’ll wait until you’re ready. There’s no rush.”
“No. No,” she whispered. “I don’t want to wait.”
She took his hand and led him toward the hallway.
“Wait.” He grabbed her purse. “You promised Layla you’d keep your phone on.”
She took his hand again and led him down the hallway to the bedroom. Every step kicked up Hugh’s anticipation, and when she closed the bedroom door behind them and began to unbutton his shirt, he could barely breathe. He set her purse on the dresser and stilled her hands beneath his.
Music filtered in through the speakers, and moonlight streamed through the sheer curtains. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, moving his body to the rhythm of the music. Her hips moved in tune to the sensual beat, and their tongues stroked a lustful dance of their own. She gazed into his eyes and fiddled with his buttons again. Hugh took her in another desperate kiss before taking off his shirt. Brianna’s fingers found the sprinkling of fur on his chest, and her tentative touch magnified his desires. She pressed her lips to his chest, flicking a warm, wet path with her tongue. If he let her continue, he’d never last. Tonight he wanted to love her like she’d never been loved. He took her hands in his and kissed her palms.
“Let me,” he whispered. He gathered her hair in one hand, exposing the flawless skin on her neck. He dragged his tongue along the base of her neck before settling his mouth over the gentle curve at the base of her neck and sucking, stroking her with his tongue. She breathed harder. Her hands pressed against his chest and he drew back again and gently turned her around. He nibbled his way down the back of her neck and slowly unzipped her dress to just below her shoulder blades. Her body stiffened, and when he caught a glimpse of the black lacy bra, his body did, too. He slid her dress off her shoulders and kissed a line down her spine to the zipper, then ran his tongue up the center again. His hands trembled as he ran them along her bare shoulders—so small and feminine they made him ache. Hugh licked the arc of her shoulder, then widened his mouth and loved the gentle curve of her arm.
Brianna arched back, moaning in pleasure as he caressed her body. It took all of his restraint to go slow. He wanted her to experience desire like she never had before. He wanted her loins to ache like his did.
“Hugh,” she pleaded.
He moved her chin to the side and kissed her hard. When she tried to turn toward him, he held her in place. He drew back again, and she whimpered.
“Let me love you like you deserve to be loved,” he whispered. He lowered her zipper and slid his hands down her sides, gripping her hips. Her body trembled, and he held her tighter, and said, “You’re safe. I’ll never do anything you don’t want me to.”
“I know.” Her voice was a thready whisper. “I trust you.”
As he lowered his lips to hers, she said, “Love me, Hugh,” and his heart tumbled in his chest.
Chapter Nineteen
BRIANNA LAY ON her back with her arm over her eyes. She never imagined that making love could feel so good, and she wondered if that’s what it was like for everyone. Had she just been too young to know any better before? Is that why Kat always pushed her to get close to someone? Her whole body was on fire, humming with a gratified afterglow. If she’d known sex could be this amazing, she’d never have waited so long. Now that she’d experienced making love with Hugh, there was no turning back—and there was definitely no carrying out a twelve-year plan.What on earth was I thinking?
Hugh came out of the bathroom naked and ridiculously handsome, with a playful smile on his lips and a contented look in his eyes. He climbed onto the bed beside her and laid his hand across her belly.
“You okay?”
“You’ve asked me that a hundred times. I’m more than okay.” She touched his cheek. She loved how he worried about her, but she didn’t want him to think of her as fragile. “Hugh, I’d let you know if I wasn’t all right. Okay?”
He nodded.
“You’re so thoughtful, but you don’t need to ask to touch me. I love when you touch me, and you should just know I’m okay unless I say otherwise, or I look like I’m having trouble.”
“Okay, fair enough. I just don’t want you to feel pressured. I really like you, Bree, and I feel like I want to protect you from everything. I don’t think I’ve felt this way about anyone. Ever.” He drew circles on her belly with his finger. “It kind of scares the heck out of me, so I’m probably being even more careful.”
Relief swept through her. “Oh, thank goodness.”
