Page 24 of One Night in My Rival's Bed

Finally, he straightened and looked me directly in the eye. ‘You still want to do this?’

‘I do. You?’

His smile was crooked, and he tugged me against him, pelvis to pelvis. Heat coursed through my body in a scorching wave that made my legs tremble. ‘What do you think?’

‘I’m not sure I’m capable of thinking right now,’ I said, relishing the rock-hard bulge of him against me. ‘You’ve scrambled my brains.’

His mouth came down to just above mine, his warm breath teasing my lips. ‘You’ve done a pretty good job on mine too.’ And then his mouth sealed mine in a kiss that set my lips on fire.

But kissing wasn’t enough for either of us. Within seconds his mouth was back on my right breast, licking and sucking and pleasuring my naked flesh until I was breathless with need.

Grayson walked me backwards to his bed and somewhere along the way I kicked off my high-heeled shoes. His shoes and socks and trousers and underwear landed on the floor nearby. He laid me on the bed and stood looking down at me. I should have felt exposed and vulnerable under the searing heat of his gaze but instead I felt powerfully female.

‘I need to get a condom.’ He bent down to retrieve his wallet from the bedside table, deftly removing the protection from its packet and applying it to his swollen length. I could not take my eyes off him if I tried.

He came down beside me on the bed, leaning his weight on one elbow as he stroked his other hand down the length of my body, from my breasts to my thighs and back again. It was a slow, leisurely movement, as if he had all the time in the world, but my body was screaming for him in a silently throbbing ache between my legs that was almost like pain.

Grayson hooked one leg over one of mine, his mouth going back to my breast. I arched my back and gave myself up to the sensation of his lips and tongue on my skin. He moved his mouth down to the underside of my breast, his tongue moving in a slow stroke that made my toes curl and my desire for him skyrocket. He moved his mouth to the sensitive skin just below my ear and I shivered as his lips fluttered against me.

‘You probably have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this,’ he said in a growly voice that sent another wave of molten heat to my core.

‘Really?’ To say I was a little shocked would be an understatement. I angled my head to look at him. ‘You’re very good at keeping your cards close. Just about every time I’ve ever looked at you, you were frowning.’

He pressed a brief kiss to my mouth with just enough pressure to make my pulse race. ‘I’m not frowning now.’

I ran a fingertip around the gentle curve of his mouth. ‘You don’t look half as threatening when you smile. You should do it more often.’

He brushed his thumb across my lower lip, his gaze holding mine. ‘So should you.’

I twisted my lips in a self-deprecating manner. ‘I had crooked teeth when I was a kid. I guess I forgot how to smile, even when I got them straightened.’ I waited a beat and then added, ‘But then I didn’t have too much to smile about after my dad’s death and then Niamh’s accident.’

Grayson stroked a wayward strand of hair away from my face, his expression thoughtful. ‘I’m sorry life dealt you such a rough hand, but you mustn’t blame yourself for either event. You were a kid. Sometimes bad stuff just happens.’

I didn’t want to talk about my childhood and was annoyed at myself and embarrassed for bringing it up during such an intimate moment. I placed one of my hands on the side of his face, his light stubble tickling the flesh of my palm. I adopted a playful tone and asked, ‘Do you have such deep and meaningful conversations with all your casual lovers?’

A flicker of something crossed his features like a sudden waft off air across a still body of water. ‘Not usually.’

‘What do you talk about?’

‘Not much.’

‘The weather?’

‘Occasionally.’ His gaze went to my mouth and my lips tingled in anticipation.

I brought my hand back down to his chest, laying in flat against his right pectoral muscle. His skin was like hot satin under my hand, and I longed to explore every inch of his body.

‘Are you nervous?’ His question caught me by surprise, mostly because I didn’t think I had shown any sign of nervousness. But sleeping with a new partner was always a little tricky for me. What if I didn’t turn them on? What if I made too much noise or not enough? And then there were all the body issues I had tried so hard to dispense with over the years. Somehow Grayson had picked up on my feelings and that was almost as threatening,morethreatening, than him seeing me naked. I usually avoided emotional vulnerability at all costs. But being with him made me want to expose more of myself, my true self. My secret self.

I chewed at my lower lip, averting my gaze from his probing one. ‘It’s been a while since I...was with anyone...’

Grayson lifted my chin, so my gaze met his once more. ‘Because you’re not over your ex?’

I scrunched up my face at the ridiculous notion of me nursing a broken heart over Ryan. How could I ever have thought we had what it took to have a good relationship?

‘I was over him the moment he made it clear Niamh wasn’t welcome in our lives going forward.’ I sighed and went on, ‘I should’ve seen it a lot earlier, of course, but I ignored the red flags.’

Grayson brushed another strand of hair away from my face. ‘A lot of people don’t understand how much we love and feel responsible for our less able-bodied siblings. It’s more than blood being thicker than water. I don’t think a day goes past without me worrying about Ethan’s future.’

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