Page 68 of Mr. Scandalous

Stop it,she chided herself and reached for the worry stone in her pocket. She rubbed the stone’s smooth, comforting surface with her thumb and felt her worries abate. Alec wasn’t Josh. He was impulsive, yes, and spontaneous and unpredictable.

But he was also kind and considerate and endearingly vulnerable in his own way. Why else would the man jump out of perfectly good airplanes and snowboard down steep mountains and take all manner of daredevil risks if he wasn’t trying to compensate for something? Why else was he so terrified of commitment?

He used activities and plans and even sex as a buffer against pain and suffering.

Even though she could not fully verbalize why, Eden understood this about him. And because she understood Alec and recognized his vulnerability she felt safe with him. She knew he would never intentionally hurt her. That thought gave her the courage to reach for the zipper on her dress.

“Let me,” Alec commanded, his voice rough and demanding.

Trembling, she turned and presented her back to him. She lifted the hair off the nape of her neck and heard his raspy intake of breath. A second later, she felt his hot, moist lips tickle her collarbone.

When he grasped her shoulders with both his hands, she trembled and arched her back against his body. Her butt came into direct contact with his pelvis.

His groan circled the room and came to rest in her ears, the erotic sound echoing deep within her. Eden’s pulse skipped.

This was different. Tonight was different. The mood, the tone, the way he touched her—all different. It was more intimate, the sweep of his mouth more detailed, the wistful longing inside her more bittersweet.

God, she was wet and hot and ready for him.

He inched the zipper down with his teeth, his fingers stroked a gentle path over the skin he bared. She shivered and moaned softly.

“I’m going to make love to you all night long,” he said. “Tonight is all about you. First, I’m going to love you with my hands. Then, I’m going to love you with my mouth.”

“And then?” she whispered, her voice as tight and thin as a guitar string.

“And then I’m going to love you with my body. I’m going to make you come again and again and again.”

She hissed in her breath. His fingers trailed her bare back down to her bra. Smoothly he unhooked it and then gently turned her around to face him.

“Look at me,” he commanded.

Helplessly Eden raised her head even though she was scared out of her wits. Would this evening end in exquisite pleasure or would he soon be on his way out the door?

But the expression in his warm gray eyes vanquished all her fears. At least temporarily. His heated gaze caressed her, sent hot daggers of anticipation darting through her groin.

It was as if he couldn’t get enough of peering deeply into her eyes. Eden’s heart strummed with hope. He made her feel cherished and cared for and utterly secure.

It was a strange emotion to feel with a rich handsome man who could have his pick of any woman, but there it was. The calm settled sense that she could trust this man not to turn away from her because her body was less than cover-model perfect.

“I want to see you naked.”

“Okay.”

“All of you.” He never once lowered his eyes.

She nodded.

“In the light.”

“Yes.” She barely managed to force the word past her lips.

He stepped over and switched on the bedside lamp, bathing the room in bright fight. Eden moistened her lips and quelled the urge to flee. He returned to stand before her.

“I want to see those beautiful breasts.” As Alec spoke, he eased her dress over her shoulders, taking the straps of her bra down with the soft, silky material.

She closed her eyes briefly, gathered her courage. She could do this. She would do this.

He stroked her skin. “I want to see every inch of you. I’ve been at a disadvantage this whole time. You’ve kept yourself hidden, teasing me with your sexy games, but this is our last night together. No more games, Eden. No more toys. No more pretending. It’s just you and me and that big soft bed over there.”

---