Page 50 of Storm Warning
“You, Kate, are amazing.” His voice was rough, intimate. “You solved a problem we didn’t even realize we had.”
Chapter 23
Control
Nick gazeddown at the woman under him and let a little more of his weight settle on her. God, but he loved the feel of her! The give of her body beneath his harder frame sent a primal satisfaction coursing through him. He shook his head and forced his focus back to the conversation. He lowered his voice and purred, “so, now that you’ve solved our work problems, what shall we do with the rest of the evening?”
Nick dropped his head and took her lips, sliding his tongue across the seam, seeking admittance. She immediately responded, her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him closer. The taste of her—sweet with a hint of wine—flooded his senses. Their tongues dueled as they explored each other’s mouths, the kiss both passionate and intense. He slid a hand over Kate’s body, caressing her curves, memorizing every dip and swell, searching for what made her shiver, what drew those breathless little sounds from her throat.
As their breathing grew heavier, Nick left her mouth and moved lower, kissing a trail down the curve of her neck. The flutter of her pulse against his lips made something tighten in his chest. He couldn’t believe how fiercely he wantedher—needed her. A hungry groan escaped him as his hand drifted down, tracing the line of her bra, the heat of her skin searing through the delicate fabric.
Kate shivered under his touch, her eyes closing as she arched her back into him. “Nick,” she breathed, her voice a husky whisper that went straight to his groin. “Please…”
With a growl, Nick leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, his tongue darting out to tease at her lower lip inviting hers to tango with his in a desperate dance that made his blood run hot.
As their kiss deepened, Nick cupped Kate’s breast, his fingers strumming over the lace of her bra, playing with the tight bud of her nipple beneath. Kate moaned into his mouth, her body twisting, and he swallowed the sound like a drowning man gulping air. Her heart pounded against his, the rapid thud matching his own: she was just as lost in desire as he.
Nick eased Kate’s top up, fingers trembling with anticipation, revealing the sleek curves of her bra-clad chest. The sight of her—flushed skin, rapid breathing, eyes dark with want—nearly undid him. Kate gasped as his hand slipped inside, cupping her breast in his palm, the weight of it perfect, the warmth of her skin searing him. His fingers strummed over her nipple, tightening further beneath his touch.
Nick’s mouth moved lower again, his tongue trailing a path down her neck and across her collarbone, tasting the salt of her skin, the subtle vanilla scent that was uniquely Kate. He tugged her bra down, freeing her breasts, and paused, studying her exquisite body as Kate sighed. Beautiful. So fucking beautiful.
“Nick,” she breathed again, her hands sliding into his hair, her fingers threading through and gripping with just enough pressure to make his scalp tingle. “Please, I need more.”
Without hesitation, Nick lowered his mouth to Kate’s breast, his tongue flicking out to caress a nipple, whilehis fingers strummed the other. He took one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking hard, and shivers ran through her body as she arched her back, pushing into him for more. He smiled against her skin. The taste of her, the feel of her responding so perfectly to his touch—it was intoxicating. Kate’s fingers twisted in his hair, urging him on, and he shifted his attention to her other breast, giving it the same intense treatment, lavishing it with lips and tongue and the edge of his teeth.
In this moment, urgency unlike anything he’d ever experienced before drove him. His entire body thrummed with need, every nerve ending alive and focused on the woman beneath him. His heart raced as he pulled back, his eyes locked on hers, seeing his own desire reflected in those beautiful depths.
“God, Kate,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion, “you have no idea how much I want you right now.”
Nick dropped his head into the curve of her neck, struggling to regain control. Her pulse hammered against his lips, her skin warm and silky soft. “Goddammit, I’m too old to be on the edge of losing control like this. What you do to me, woman!”
His heart pounded so fiercely he was sure she must feel it. His cock—hard enough to pound nails—strained against his jeans, pressed against the heat of her core. He desperately needed to slide into her, to feel her clench around him, to lose himself in her. But it was too soon. He didn’t want to risk losing her for a quick fuck. Kate wasn’t a one-night stand. Her reaction to his home proved that. She had gazed around curiously, not covetously. She hadn’t commented on the lack of fancy furnishings, but on the homey feel. She’d seen him, not his possessions.
He breathed deeply and tried to will his cock to stand down, but Kate was all he smelled—vanilla and arousal and something indefinably her. All he felt—her soft curves pressed into him, her breasts against his chest, her fingers strokingthe back of his neck in a tender gesture that somehow made him want her even more. Nick took one last inhale of her scent before pushing himself up on his arms once again, lifting most of his body off hers, but driving his cock harder into her in the process.
Well, that didn’t help.The pressure of her body against his erection had him biting back a groan.
He swept his gaze over her visible body, drinking in every detail. Her mussed hair spread across his couch cushions like dark silk. Her cheeks flushed rose. Her chest heaved from rapid breaths through parted lips, pink and and swollen from his kisses, breasts still damp from his attention, the nipples rigid peaks that made his mouth water.
So fucking perfect.
Shit. Shouldn’t have looked. The image burned itself into his brain, making his hands tremble as he gently pulled her bra up and her shirt down, blocking his view and his temptation.
Nick’s heart pounded faster as a sudden realization hit him. Kate hadn’t uttered a single word since he’d pulled back. He’d been so caught up in his own hunger for her, in the thundering need coursing through his veins, he hadn’t noticed. Was he pushing her too fast? Had he scared her off? Had he misread everything? The thought sent a chill through him.
He pulled back, his eyes searching her face for any sign of discomfort or unease, for hesitation or regret. But her eyes, glowing with heat, dark and dilated with desire, locked onto his with an intensity that stole his breath.
Chapter 24
Interrupted
Kate held Nick’s gaze,her heart hammering. She wanted him,neededhim, with a terrifying intensity—more than anything she’d ever wanted before—but anxiety coiled beneath the desire, whispering questions she wasn’t ready to answer. His eyes were dark with concern, and she realized he feared he’d pushed her too far.
“Kate,” he whispered, and her chest ached at the worry threading through his voice. “Are you okay? Am I pushing you too fast? If I am, tell me to back off. I don’t mean to. It’s hard to control myself with you, I want you so damn much, but if you need me to slow down, say the word.”
She smiled, warmth blooming through her at his consideration. A shrill ring from his phone shattered the moment, and Nick groaned, the sound rumbling through his chest where she still touched him. He dropped his head into her neck before pulling the device out.
“I need to get this. Michael is gatekeeping, so if he put a call through, it’s important.”