Shelley Munro

“Where’s your key?” he murmured.

“At the bottom of my basket.”

Seth slid his hand into her straw basket and retrieved her room key with a minimum of difficulty. He slid the key into the lock, opened the door and stood back to let her enter. It felt as though she were crossing the point of no return. For a moment, her feet hesitated and then she lifted her chin and stepped over the threshold.

“Good girl.”

Josephine turned to face him. “I’m not sure I want to be a good girl. That sounds a little…well…boring.”

Seth flashed her a grin that sent aftershocks dancing through her body. “Don’t you worry, sweetheart. There’s nothing boring about you.” He stepped inside the apartment and shut the door behind him with a soft click.

Josephine swallowed. A shiver worked its way down her body but it had nothing to do with fear.

“Come here,” he said, his tone intent and serious.

Josephine hesitated. She wasn’t frightened, more expectant and excited. She was on the top rise of the roller coaster again, it was almost time to drop into freefall, but her stomach trembled with apprehension. Adrenaline. She raised her eyes to look at him. Before she knew it, her tongue snaked out to moisten her dry lips. Oh, yeah. There was definitely adrenaline in the room.

Seth cocked his head to the side. “You big on control?” he asked.

The way he said it didn’t sound like an insult.

“I have my moments,” Josephine admitted.

He nodded, and Josephine just knew a smile lurked in his mind. “We’ll have time to explore all the possibilities,” he murmured. The rough huskiness of his voice shivered through her mind. Her stomach turned over, while her nipples pulled into tight buds. She swallowed again, her pulse leaping as she stared at him.

Josephine found herself stepping toward him. Her heart still thundered but deep down she knew she was doing the right thing. Seth wouldn’t hurt her. As of today, she had a new motto. Live for the moment.

Just repeating the mantra in her mind gave her new confidence. A smile curved her lips and she leaned into him, curling her arms around his neck.

“Is this close enough?”

“For the moment.” One hand rose to skim across her cheek. His fingers were slightly calloused but his touch was so incredibly gentle that she started to melt inside.

His eyes sparkled, full of laughter and something else less easy to define. “Do you think you can work up enthusiasm for a kiss?”

Josephine leaned into him, resting against his muscled chest. She lowered her lips and touched his mouth with the softest of kisses before retreating.

“Is that what you have in mind?”

“Not quite.” His eyes sparkled in a naughty boy kind of way. “I’d thought we could try a more advanced kiss.”

“Mmmm.” Josephine pretended to consider his suggestion. But inside, laughter bubbled like a glass of champagne. This was fun. Sex had never ever been fun with Ethan. “Perhaps you should show me what you have in mind?”

“Sure, I could do that.”

Before Josephine could take a breath, his mouth covered hers. She gasped at the suddenness as his tongue slipped inside to taste her more fully. His hands anchored on her shoulders as their bodies melded together from chest to thigh. Josephine’s eyes fluttered closed and every sensation heightened. His hands smoothed down her arms, then moved to her hips, holding her and molding her body to his.

This wasn’t enough. Josephine wanted more. More skin, more kisses, more everything. She pulled away slowly, noticing at the back of her mind that each breath was coming fast and choppy while Seth appeared unaffected. He seemed as calm and unruffled as when he’d stepped through her door. Josephine took that as a personal challenge.

“Can I take your shirt off?”

“You can do anything you want, sweetheart. Remember, you’re the one in control.”

So, she’d take him at his word. She’d give him control, she thought, staring at his calm face through narrowed eyes. Her fingers smoothed over his chest, savoring the feel of hard muscles beneath the cotton fabric of his T-shirt. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she considered her first move. Skin. Definitely warm skin under her exploring fingers. Her hands wandered down his chest to his swim shorts.

“These definitely need to go,” she told him, her tone soft yet serious.

Josephine caught the slight quiver of his lips and the bright humor in his eyes before he nodded.

She held his gaze. Her hands slid down his hips and inside his shorts to caress warm, silky smooth skin. Josephine splayed her fingers across his belly then, with a thundering heart, she grazed her fingers across the swollen hardness of his arousal. His only reaction was a slight widening of his dark pupils. Josephine decided the response wasn’t even a blip on the radar screen, not when her heart threatened to jump out her mouth. Her hands shot up to the waistband of the black shorts and in seconds flat, they puddled around his feet. This time, he blinked, but she only caught the reaction because she never took her eyes off him. Her hands fisted in his cotton T-shirt. That had to go as well. Then she’d have a view worthy of a photograph.

“Lift your arms, please.”

Laughter flashed in his eyes before the dark blue cotton swept over his head and dropped to the floor.

Josephine stared, her breath catching in her throat. The man looked good-mighty fine as her friends would say. A fine dusting of hair covered his chest then arrowed downward to his groin. Tight abs, slim hips, muscular legs. Her eyes skimmed his erection, and she swallowed as she imagined how he would feel thrusting into her with long, slow, deep strokes. A low moan built at the back of her throat and heat suffused the length of her body. She moved from one foot to the other, edgy and aware of arousal soaking her bikini panties.

“Turn around,” she whispered, licking away of dryness of her lips. “Please.”

The soft plea in her voice did things to him. He’d never felt so turned on so quickly before and with just a glance, a few soft words. Seth turned as she instructed, feeling her gaze on his back and bare ass. He wondered what she’d think of the small cartoon dragon tattoo that decorated his right butt cheek. Seth slowed his turn and looked over his shoulder. The expression on her face made his gut tighten and his cock twitch. God, she was beautiful.