Page 29 of All I Desire

Chapter Eight

MATTHEW

“Didn’t expect this,”I mumble as we attack each other’s mouths, my hands skimming Natalia’s narrow shoulders underneath the soft terry cloth of the robe.

I repeat myself because my brain isn’t working right; it’s in shock from how incredible her mouth feels. “Did. Not. Expect… wow. I still love the way you kiss.”

I cup her face and lightly bite her lip. Grin against her mouth. My hands slide to her neck. Her skin is warm and her hair damp.

Christ, the image of Natalia in the shower kicks my heart into high gear.

“I still love the way you taste,” she says in that throaty voice of hers. “What kind of mint did you eat? Because I want some of that. Or I could just kiss you for a taste. Come here. Kiss me again, Matthew.”

I love the way she says my name. “Happy to oblige.”

I’m crushing my body against hers and it’s all I can do not to rip that robe off her. She smells like something edible and sugary. Is she wearing anything under that robe? I grunt a little at the thought. God, can we just go to bed right now? That thought makes my chest tighten. I did remember to put a condom in my wallet…

“You’re early,” she murmurs in my ear. Her seductive tone makes parts of my body swell and harden.

“Mmm. I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would be this quick to get here. I keep thinking the island is bigger than it really is.” My hands slide around to her back, down to her narrow waist.

“I’m not sorry.” She takes my earlobe between her teeth.

I inhale sharply as a bolt of pure lust goes through me. “Actually, I’m not sorry either.”

We both laugh, a little breathless, then pull back to look at each other. Her eyes are wide and she rakes her bottom lip through her teeth.

“I’m going to change, okay? And put these in a vase.”

I tear my hands away from her face and run them through my hair. Take a deep breath to compose myself. “Yeah. Definitely.”

“Just make yourself comfortable on the sofa. I’ll be right out.”

I settle onto a long, gray console sofa, adjusting my jeans to accommodate my erection. I haven’t had this kind of reaction to a woman in years. To make my situation down there more comfortable, I extract my phone and keys from the front pocket of my jeans and deposit them on the sleek, wood coffee table.

“Smells good in here,” I call out. I’m mostly talking about the faint aroma of garlic and tomato, but there’s also the lingering sweet smell in the room from her shampoo or perfume or whatever it is.

“Thanks,” she says from a room down the hall. It’s not a big condo, but there are floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors overlooking the Gulf, giving the place an airy, light feeling. It’s on the third floor, so the view is just about perfect.

My eyes are sweeping around the room — it’s decorated in bold red, white, and gray tones — and I’m studying an abstract print on the wall when out of nowhere, a black form comes full speed at my leg.

“What the…” I say out loud.

There’s a yowl, and a cat bumps his head against my leg.

“Oh, hey, dude,” I say, reaching down to scratch his head.

Natalia walks out, her hair still damp and straight. She’s wearing a black tank top and black cutoff jean shorts. She’s barefoot, with no makeup. She looks badass and sexy all at once. I stare at her legs. She’s carrying a vase filled with water and the flowers.

“I see you’ve met my roommate. That’s Mister Sinister. I call him Sin. Aww, he’s purring. He likes you.” She sets the flowers on the table and sits next to me on the sofa, close enough that I can smell her perfume.

“I thought Sin was going to try to take me down like a lion does with a gazelle. He came out of nowhere.”

“That’s his signature move. He likes to charge at people. But after, he usually runs away and hides under the TV console. He’s not doing that with you. Do you like cats?”

“Yeah. I like all animals.”

Her wide grin is so sweet. “Good answer.”

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