Page 34 of Wine and Research
Her husband had been her only lover until their divorce. And even afterward, it had taken her two years to spend a night with someone. Although, it wasn’t exactly the entire night. She hadn’t been looking for that. She’d just been lonely and had enjoyed a few hours with a bartender from a resort she’d been researching as a location for a book. The sex was good, and she’d returned home with a smile, but no damage to her heart. Thenext time had been with a doctor who’d given a workshop at a writer’s conference she attended.
That was almost two years ago, and although they’d enjoyed one another for several days, she left without looking back but hadn’t had sex since. Living vicariously through her characters had been enough…until now.
Until Jeremy.
The man brought her body to life with just a glance. Made her want things. Need things.
“What are you thinking right now?” he asked. His eyes were dark. Deliciously dark.
“That I want you,” she replied softly. “So bad.”
Before Elle could blink, Jeremy picked her up and carried her across the cabin and straight through her open bedroom door. Her pulse tripped several times before settling down. The man had her entire body sparking to life again as only he could do.
After setting her on the bed, he flicked on a lamp, then strode to her. “Now, where were we?”
Her ribs took another pounding from her out of control heartbeats. “You were about to relieve me of somewant. Some badwant.”
Jeremy sat down on the mattress and reached for her, lightly grasping her upper arms before he slowly pulled her against him. He was close. So deliciously close, Elle only had to lean forward for their lips to touch or shift a little and she could sit on his lap. But she was giving him the lead and she was curious to see what he had planned.
He stared at her mouth, his eyes heavy-lidded and deliciously heated. A spike of desire raced to all her good parts. The easy, sure strength with which he held her against his hard chest had butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
That was new. She liked it. A lot.
Still gazing at her mouth, Jeremy flexed his jaw as if it were an effort to hold back. “What do you feel, Elle?”
“Need. Want. Like we’re about to combust,” she whispered, sliding her hands over his shoulders.
Those words were usually part of her writing vocabulary, not her reality. It was all new and wonderful and she took stock of every emotion the amazing man made her feel.
His skin was hot and body rock-hard. The potent combination made her tremble. His gaze flashed with heat, and he pulled her even closer. Pressed up against all that man, she let out a small, needy sound as desire shot to parts south.
Deep south.
“More than once,” he murmured, pressing her down until her back hit the mattress.
Leaning above her, he looked incredible—all powerful and ripped and hungry. Damn. Those fathomless eyes were heated as they stared into hers. A fierce anticipation drummed between them, driving her a little bit crazy before he finally bent to kiss her.
More than ready, she opened her mouth for him, sliding her tongue against his, thrilling at the deep, raw sound that rumbled in his chest. His hands skimmed down her sides until they found her hips and gripped tight, lining their bodies up just right again. Instinctively, she made room for him between her legs and rocked against him. Elle needed to feel him. All of him. With no clothes between them.
With a grunt, he broke the kiss and lifted up to lean over her on his forearms. “Trying to test my control?”
She smiled. “Yep.”
He chuckled and set his forehead to hers. “Thought so.”
The feel of all that strength and muscle touching her was amazing, and she couldn’t stop her hips from undulating again.His gaze blazed with the same need eating her up inside as he muttered a curse and pressed back with his impressive erection.
She cupped his jaw, loving the texture of his stubble against her palm. “You’re to blame.”
“Me?” A smile tugged at his lips. “How?”
“You drive me crazy.”
Trying not to panic at what she’d just revealed, Elle watched her thumb as she skimmed over his lower lip. It’d been a while since she felt so moved. In fact, she hadn’t really ever experienced this foundation-rocking, earth-slipping movement before. Thanks to Jeremy Mercer, fiction was merging with reality.
It was scary and amazing.
“I give what I get,” he stated in a low, husky tone that had her insides trembling and told her he was just as unnerved.
