Page 51 of The Scent of Happiness

“The whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” Brooke asked.

“Yes.” Theo’s strong arms circled her and his hard body was excited for her and his tongue flicked the edge of her ear. Brooke felt like lye that had met water, heating with an uncontrollable chemical reaction.

“I want more than a kiss,” Theo said. “I want to touch you, taste every inch of you, inhale every part of you, until I understand your desire, so I’ll know how to please you. Whatever you want, whatever you need, I want to give you that, until you’re so fully satisfied you can hardly breathe.”

Her desire spilled over and she kissed him again. She was already so hot for him, but his words melted her into nothing but liquid need. She kissed his cheeks, his chin, his neck.

“Is that what you want, too?” he whispered in her ear. Nothing was left of Theo’s arrogant lawyer persona. His words were sweet and hopeful.

“Yes!” she almost shouted. “I want you to do that.”

“All of that?” he asked. “I need to be sure that’s what you want.”

“Well, I’m not going to sign a contract, counselor. But yes, I’d like to touch you. I’d like you to touch me.”

“And then?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

“And then we’ll see if you’re as good as your word,” she answered. “But we’re not going to stand here making out in my kitchen. We need to go to my bedroom, where there’s room to move and there are essential things like condoms.”

Theo gave her a look of gratitude. “You have…”

“Yes, I do.” They were from a while ago, but she had a stash in her bedside drawer, mostly because she was too disorganized to throw them out. And thank goodness for that, because she needed all of Theo. She needed to wrap herself around him and feel him inside her and nothing was going to stop them now.

She took his hand and led him to the bedroom. Like the rest of her apartment, it was small, with just enough room for a bed and a dresser. And like the rest of the apartment, it was currently clean, although she hadn’t made her bed that morning. The pale orange coverlet was rumpled at the foot, exposing her pink sheets and lime green pillows. But what did that matter? They were about to mess up the bed a lot worse than this.

At least she hoped they were.

Theo was behind her now, unbuttoning her blouse. He paused to kiss her neck and shoulders as he removed it. The tickle of his unshaven scruff raised pleasurable goosebumps on her arms. He unhooked her bra and eased the straps down, then slid it off and cupped her breasts in his hands, teasing her nipples. She leaned against him and threw her head back, opening her neck to his kisses. His fingers were warm, his skin smooth, and she reveled in the contrast of his hard body and soft touch.

Brooke turned to face him and pulled at his shirt, untucking it from his pants. He had a t-shirt on under it, and she tugged at that too. She touched him around his waistband, feeling his toned muscles. She’d wondered about that gym-hard body, and so far, every part of Theo was living up to her imagination. She worked the buttons of his shirt and finally got it off him, followed by the t-shirt.

His shoulders were broad, his chest bulked up, leading to flat abs. She gave an appreciative hum as she moved to touch him. She wanted to rub her hands over every bit of his skin and drink in his rich fragrance.

He bent to take a breast in his mouth, tracing her nipple with his tongue. Brooke arched her back and moaned. “God, yes. More.”

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured. “All of you.”

He lifted his head. His mouth was hungry on hers and she opened her lips. He had such a talented tongue and she wondered what else he could do with it. He paused to kiss her cheeks, her nose, and her neck before taking her lips once again.

She unbuckled his pants and the rest of his clothes followed. Brooke stood back and admired him for a moment. As good as he looked in a suit, he looked even better out of one. His erection stood at attention and she couldn’t wait to touch him.

Theo’s hands were at her hips, working her pants off little by little, taking the time to appreciate each part of her that became bare. By the time she was naked, her entire body was tingling.

He maneuvered them toward the bed and she drifted backwards onto it. He parted her knees, gliding his hands up her thighs, sending thrills through her legs and up her body.

He teased her with his tongue and it was better than she’d imagined when he was kissing her. He moved softly at first, almost delicately, pleasing her with his mouth and beard, making her squirm with delight. After several long, agonizing minutes, he increased his tempo and she wound her hands into his hair and lifted her hips to meet his mouth as he nibbled and licked.

“Wait,” she panted.

He stopped and lifted his head.

But Brooke could barely speak. What were words but unnecessary burdens? “I need…I need…”

“Anything you want,” he whispered. And oh, God, he was so sincere, and so patient, and so ready to give her what she desperately needed.

She needed to touch him. She needed him to touch her. She needed to give herself to him and take him in turn. She spent several frantic minutes kissing him all over, trying to take in all of him at once. He matched her passion and they rolled and turned and found new parts of their bodies to appreciate.

Finally, when neither of them could take it anymore, she found a condom in her drawer and pressed it into his hand. Finally, she would have him. He would be hers.