Page 14 of The Present

“I’m flattered I’m one of the select few.” She glanced around the entry, a short hall with a door to the right and one straight ahead. Nice artwork on the walls and a tall potted plant in the corner between the two doors. “Can I get the exclusive tour?”

“Absolutely. First, the bathroom, if you need to freshen up.” He opened the door to the right, revealing a full bath done in blues and golds.

“Very nice, Hal.” She’d expected his apartment to be nice.

“Spare bedroom.” The door in front of them revealed a double sleigh bed in oak, with matching antique oak furnishings, also in the blue and gold color scheme.

They then turned the corner and straight ahead was a bank of full-length windows that gave her an awesome view of the city in the snow. She hurried toward the glass wall, mesmerized by the icy flakes hitting all around her.

“Quite a sight, isn’t it?” Hal’s voice was low, just above her ear as he’d come to stand directly behind her. Shivers slid down her spine not brought on by the cold pane before her.

“Yes, it is.” Lights twinkled below her, the city spread out like a living relief map. Exciting beyond belief with the movement of the swirling snow all around them. “This is absolutely stunning, Hal.”

“So are you.” His lips grazed the skin at the nape of her neck and her flesh pebbled all over her body.

Her heart sped up, flushing her cheeks with warmth. Breathing became something she had to think about doing, not the natural function she forgot she was doing every moment of her life.

He slipped his arms around her, pulling her to lean back against his chest. “Now this is a Christmas I’ll remember always.”

They moved subtly and a trick of the light from somewhere in the house made the window reflect their image, arms intertwined beneath her breasts, her head resting oh so naturally against his broad chest. An image as sexually charged as any erotic art. If this was going where she thought it was, Tess couldn’t have been happier. Her core had heated, sending a fire racing through her veins. She turned in his arms to face him. “It’s one I’ll remember forever, too, Hal.”

He lowered his mouth to hers, touching her lips briefly, coyly, then snatching back. Teasing her. The next time his lips met hers, she slid her arms around his neck, anchoring him while she pressed herself against him—lips, chest, groin—all intimately touching now. The bulge in his pants told her he wanted her, maybe as much as she wanted him.

Next moment, as if reading her mind, he thrust his tongue into her mouth, plundering her in wild abandon, making her whole body ache with wanting all of him inside her.

He moved his mouth and his breath rasped in her ear. “I want you, Tess. You must know that.”

“Yes.” She would have said more, but he ran his tongue around the rim of her ear and all power of speech disappeared. Shivering with her need for him, she simply stood, allowing him to kiss and caress his way down her neck. The plunging neckline of her dress was an invitation in its own right, one Hal accepted as he skimmed his lips down between her breasts. He urged her backward until her back rested on the icy glass. How could one side of her be so cold and the other burning like flame? His tongue swirled over her delicate skin and her core began to throb.

Gently, he pulled her dress down over her shoulders, until her breasts were free of the clingy fabric and exposed to his hot gaze. He ran his tongue over the swelling curves until he stopped, barely touching her nipple. Tess leaned her head back against the cool glass and moaned as he began circling the hardening tip. When he suddenly sucked it into his mouth, her legs almost buckled. “Oh, Jesus.”

Never had anything felt so good as his mouth on her body. She didn’t ever want this moment to end.

So intent on the delicious attention to the one breast, Tess had forgotten the other one until Hal’s fingers gently encircled that nipple, rolling it until it too stood rock hard. Her uneven breaths turned into panting, then moaning as her need increased every second. When he drew his teeth down to the tip of her hardened point and gently squeezed her legs went weak and she called out his name, her head rolling back and forth, needing her release now.

Scarcely aware of what he was doing, Tess moaned and swayed as Hal dropped to his knees and pulled her forward. With one tug he freed the rest of her dress, which fell in a pool at her feet. The kiss of cold glass on her butt cheeks brought Tess’s focus back just as Hal slipped her red thong down to her ankles. He gazed up at her, his eyes black with desire, seeking permission.

Oh, God, yes. She grasped his dark head and guided him to the sleek apex of her thighs. At the first touch of his lips to her intimate parts she almost came. Would have, but she wanted this to last at least a little longer. She forced herself to relax, though she couldn’t help visualizing everything his talented tongue was doing to her. First, he licked every inch of her, laving the tender flesh until Tess was writhing against the glass. Then he went deeper, seeking out her nub. Tess tried to resist, but it wasn’t possible. The moment Hal’s tongue touched her center of pleasure she cried out, shuddering as her body throbbed, the release stronger than any she’d ever experienced before.

Limp and still experiencing an occasional “aftershock” deep within, Tess scarcely realized Hal had picked her up and was carrying her somewhere.

The somewhere turned out to be his bed, which was more than fine with her. She’d only just discovered her whole back was freezing when he laid her on the soft mattress and drew the covers up over her. Intense heat cascaded over her. She so wanted to close her eyes and just enjoy the aftersex glow in this newfound warmth, but Hal had begun to strip and that roused her incredibly quickly.

Tess had always expected him to be buff. The way he looked in his clothes, the way he wore them hinted at the well-made body underneath. She was not disappointed.

His jacket had been disposed of long ago, leaving him in shirt, pants, and shoes. He now sat on the foot of the bed, removing the black Ferragamos and his socks, dropping them one by one on the floor. With a grin he stood and unbuckled his pants and skinned them off. “You like what you see?’

“Very much.” She propped herself up on one elbow, intentionally ogling him. “I just hope there’s more.”

“Oh, trust me. There’s a lot more.”

“Let me see.”

Unfortunately, and probably by design, his shirttail fell over his crotch, although the blue cloth couldn’t quite disguise the hard-on that poked the material. Slowly, he unbuttoned his cuffs, then started on the placket down the front. With each button released he took a step toward her.

“You should join the Chippendales.” When he got close enough, she was going to make a grab for him.

“They couldn’t afford me.” He unbuttoned the last one and his shirt swung free, revealing blue plaid boxer shorts tented out magnificently. “And I prefer to show only to private audiences.”