Page 41 of Pure Temptation in Cowboy Boots

“That was my plan.” Heart racing, he began his journey, kissing his way along her downy soft skin to her navel. The scent of her cologne mixed with the perfume of crushed flowers and the heady aroma of arousal as he dipped his tongue into the small depression. She moaned and twitched beneath him.

He moved lower. The silk of her stockings and the ridiculously high heels excited him more than he wanted to admit, and he decided not to disturb any of it yet. The damp scrap of lace covering the object of his quest was easily drawn aside. Ah, she was so pretty. So drenched with need.

He touched her gently with one finger and she gasped. He kept his caress subtle as he planted lingering kisses along her inner thigh and ran his tongue over the lacy top of her stocking. Desire surged through him as he lavished the same attention on her other thigh, moving ever higher, ever closer to his goal.

At last he kissed her dark curls, and she moaned. When he finally touched his tongue to the delicate pearl nestled there waiting for him, she writhed beneath him. Suddenly impatient with the thin strip of lace denying him total access, he held it between his fingers and tore it with his teeth. Now.

Easing his shoulders under her silk-clad thighs, he sought his reward. The taste of her made him groan with delight. As her cries of pleasure filled the room, he immersed himself in sensory overload, relishing the stockings, the shoes, the rosy light, the satin sheets, the erotic music, and most of all, the passionate woman coming apart in his arms.

Her climax came quickly, too quickly for him. She lifted her hips and he took all that she offered, but as she sank back, quivering and gasping, he settled in for a more leisurely exploration. She tried to wiggle from his grasp but she was weak in the aftermath of her release. He held her easily and continued along his chosen path. Before long her slight resistance faded and she opened to him in a wanton gesture that nearly brought him to the boiling point.

And he learned her — the touch that made her whimper, the stroke that pushed her closer, the teasing flick that drove her wild. As he coaxed her toward the precipice a second time, a fierce possessiveness took over. Rational thought played no part as he boldly claimed her, drawing from her the most intimate of sounds as she gave herself up to wave upon wave of shattering convulsions.

He brought her gently back to earth with feathery touches and light kisses over her thighs and dew-sprinkled curls. At last he drew slowly up beside her and brushed the hair back from her flushed face.

She gazed up at him, her gray eyes filled with dazed wonder. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

He smiled. She looked the way he’d felt the other night. He was gratified that he’d created that sort of expression in her eyes. He trailed a finger down the curve of her throat and over her breastbone until he encountered the peart on its golden chain. He brought it up slowly to his lips and kissed it before settling it back between her breasts.

Her gaze grew smoky and she ran her tongue over her lips.

He was glad to see a return of desire in those gray depths, for he was far from finished. And he loved knowing that the pearl necklace had become a symbol for the intimate activity they’d just shared. If he had it his way she’d wear it forever, and each time it moved against her skin she’d relive the sensations his tongue had given her.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

Her voice was low and throaty. “Like a concubine. How do you feel?”

“Like the luckiest man on earth.”

She sighed. “That was way better than they described it in the books, and the books made it sound very nice.”

He brushed his finger against her lower lip. “But you’re still a virgin.”

Her smile was pure seduction. “Feel free to take care of that anytime, cowboy. In case you can’t tell, I’m putty in your hands.”

His erection throbbed. She made the next step sound almost casual, and he tried to keep the same tone in his voice. “How about now?”

“Now’s fine,” she said lazily. She ran a fingertip down his shaft. “Unless you’d rather have me⁠—”

“Not this time.” He heard the edge in his voice. Damn, he was strung tight as a roped calf, and he figured there was only one way he’d be able to unwind.

But in the process he didn’t want her to absorb his agitation and tighten up herself. The whole point behind the way he’d just loved her was to ease her into this moment. Well, part of the point. In truth he hadn’t been able to help himself. She was luscious.

“Do you want me to put the music on again?” she asked.

He became aware that the music had ended. He’d been so absorbed in her that he hadn’t noticed. He thought about the music, considering. “Let’s not,” he said, combing his fingers through her hair. “I think this is a moment when we should listen only to each other, to anything we might say, to how we breathe... and the cries we make.”

Her eyes darkened. “Okay.”

He reached across her and took a packet from the bedside table.

“I could put that on for you. I’ve practiced.”

“Practiced?” Jealousy hit him, swift and unyielding. “On who?”

“Mr. Cucumber.”

He started laughing. “Only you, Tess.”