Page 229 of My Real Love Affair

“Incredibly.” I stopped just out of his reach. “Want to know what else makes me feel powerful?”

“Tell me.”

“You. Looking at me like that. Like you can’t quite believe I’m real.”

“I can’t,” he admitted. “You’re too perfect.”

I moved closer, close enough that my legs brushed his knees. “I’m not perfect. But I am yours.”

His hands came up to my hips, pulling me onto his lap so I straddled him. “All mine?”

“Every inch.”

He groaned, his hands roaming over the lace, exploring. “This is killing me.”

“Good.” I leaned in, letting my lips brush his ear. “Because I’m just getting started.”

I stood up, and he made a sound of protest that made me smile. I wasn’t finished with my show yet. The music shifted to something with a deeper beat, and I let my body move with it.

Nothing too choreographed. I wasn’t a dancer by any means and you would never catch me trying one of those pole-dancing classes, but I let myself feel the rhythm. I let the music guide my movements. I unclasped the bra slowly, teasingly, watching Austin’s eyes darken with every move.

When I finally let it fall, his hands gripped the couch cushions like he was physically restraining himself from reaching for me.

“Melody,” he groaned.

“Not yet,” I said, turning away from him.

I hooked my thumbs in the waistband of my panties and slid them down slowly, stepping out of them with deliberate grace. Now I was completely naked except for the heels. I had never felt more powerful in my life.

I turned back to face him, and the look on his face was pure hunger mixed with awe. His expression made my breath catch.

“Come here,” he said, his voice commanding but pleading at the same time.

I walked to him slowly, savoring every second of this moment. When I was close enough, he pulled me down onto his lap again, his hands immediately going to my skin.

“You’re incredible,” he breathed. “So fucking incredible.”

“I feel incredible,” I admitted. “You make me feel like this. Like I can be anyone, do anything.”

“You can.” His lips found my neck, my collarbone, trailing fire everywhere they touched. “God, Melody, you light me on fire.”

I silenced him with a kiss, taking control, showing him exactly what I wanted. His hands roamed my body while I worked on getting his shirt off, both of us moving with urgent need now.

In the back of my mind, I thought about the other two lingerie outfits I wanted to show him. Screw it. They could wait. I needed him too much. There would be time in the future to put on another show for him. Hell, I was actually looking forward to it.

“Bedroom,” I said against his mouth.

We didn’t make it to the bedroom right away. Austin pinned me against the hallway wall first, his mouth consuming mine like he’d been starving for it.

I moaned into his kiss. I could feel the hard line of him through the shorts he was wearing. I ground against his cock shamelessly because I knew it would undo him.

“Bedroom,” I panted again, even though I was already rocking against him, already so lost that it felt like we were in orbit instead of stuck in a hallway.

He growled, “Two seconds,” and the two seconds turned into stumbling steps, kisses traded between us. We were clumsy and struggling to touch every part of one another while also trying to walk. We finally made it to the bed, tumbling onto cool sheets that smelled faintly of ocean salt from the open windows.

He yanked off his shirt, shucked his shorts, and stood before me gloriously naked. I let my gaze travel over him, tracing every line of muscle, every fine hair, every small detail I’d memorized and filed away underAustin, Things That Make Me Lose My Mind.

I reached out and wrapped my hand around him, stroked once, twice, and he jolted like he’d been shocked. I loved that I could do that to him. I loved that his next sound came out as my name. “Melody, yes, but hang on,” he said, voice ragged. “Condom. Let me?—”