Paula Graves - Forbidden Touch

He dropped his hands to her thighs again, his thumbs resuming a slow, circling path up her legs until he reached her panties again. This time, he slipped one hand underneath the fabric and cupped her in his palm, the heel of his hand pressing firmly against the sensitive knot of nerves at her center. He lifted his mouth from her breast, his forehead resting against her collarbone.

He slipped a finger inside her, chuckling softly at her gasp, "You like that too, huh?"

She was helpless to stop the slow thrust of her hips against his hand. "Yes, Please…"

He kissed her breast. "I want you so much, Iris. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes" she breathed, her head falling back. Pleasure stole over her as relentless as an ocean tide.

"That's it, baby. Just let it happen." Between her legs, his fingers wrought dark magic. Heat bloomed at her center and spread outward, setting off tremors in her thighs and belly.

She dug her fingers into his upper arms, a groan rumbling through her chest as she unraveled beneath his touch. She felt hot, then cold, her heart slamming hard and fast against her rib cage. And still Maddox stroked her deeper into madness, murmuring soft words of encouragement as she rode an even longer wave of pleasure.

She collapsed against him, her head resting in the curve of his neck. Her breathing was rapid and harsh, edged with a low keening sound she hardly recognized as her own voice.

"Do you want to stop here?" he whispered in her ear, the soft words edged with fierce need.

She found the strength to lift her gaze to his. She shook her head slowly. "No. Don't stop."

He sat back and reached for the zipper of his jeans. She caught his hands and pushed them aside. Holding his gaze, she unzipped the jeans herself and slipped her hand inside, closing her fingers around him through his briefs. He uttered a heartfelt oath, making her smile.

"You like that?" she asked, feeling deliciously wicked.

"Oh, yeah." He laughed softly, but his expression bordered on agony as she stroked the length of him through the thin cotton. "I like that a lot."

She slipped her hand inside the briefs and took him fully in her hand, both shocked and thrilled by her daring. "How about this?"

Furrow appeared between his eyebrows and his eyes fluttered shut. He made a low growling noise that she took as an affirmation. She realized, with sudden dismay, that she didn't really know what to do next. Her touch faltered, her hand shaking.

Maddox opened his eyes and looked at her. "What's wrong?"

She withdrew her hand, hot tears burning her eyes. She looked away. Maddox caught her face between his hands, forcing her gaze up to meet his. The tenderness in his eyes brought the tears spilling down her cheeks.

'It's okay. We don't have to-"

"It's not that." she said quickly, "I just don't know-"

He shushed her with a light kiss, "You're doing fine."

"I know this was my idea-"

A smile curved his lips, caning dimples into his cheeks, "I don't know about that, sugar."

She laughed despite her growing mortification. "You're a nice guy, you know that?"

He shook his head, his hands settling on her hips. "Actually. I'm a naughty guy, I thought you knew that by now."

"I do want this, Maddox."

She pressed her palm to the center of his chest, allowing herself to draw on the sense of calm she saw in his face. He exhaled softly, his expression shifting as if he realized what she was doing. She started to remove her hand, but he trapped it against his chest.

"It's okay."

He let go of her hand, and she reached down and tugged the hem of his T-shirt upwards, baring his flat belly. He was sun-bronzed and well-toned, the conditioning he must have received in the Marine Corps still evident. He helped her pull the shirt over his head, then returned his hands to her hips and sat quietly, awaiting her next move.

She ran her fingers over the tattoo of a snarling bulldog and the letters USMC that blued the skin over his heart, then bent and kissed the tattoo. He cradled her face and drew her up for a long, deep kiss. He whispered words of encouragement as she helped him remove his jeans and boxers. He eased her panties down her legs, kissing her from hips to ankles and back up again. He pressed soft kisses against her lower belly, stroking her lightly between her legs with two fingers.

He moved up her body, dropping kisses along her rib cage and over her breasts. He rolled away from her long enough to retrieve a condom from his wallet. She lay back against the pillows and watched him sheath himself, her heart pounding.

What was she doing? Why was she here, naked with this man she'd met only days before, on the eve of the most dangerous thing she'd ever done in her entire life?

Maybe that was why, she realized as he settled his body over hers, his dark blue gaze as fierce as the pounding of her heart. Maddox made her feel safe. He cared whether or not she made it out of the Telarana lab alive. He might be the only person on the whole island who did.

Night fell like a whisper, surrounding them with shadows as they made love. Time melted into a riot of sensations, both hers and his, each one building on the other, twisting and twining until Iris couldn't tell where her body ended and Maddox's began. He was both gentle and demanding, pushing her deeper into the sweet heart of madness with each kiss, each touch, each roll of his hips.

She rose to meet the challenge of his passion, giving as much as she got, until she plunged over the edge once more, taking him with her this time. She hadn't thought she could sleep that night, with thoughts of the coming trip to Telarana Labs heavy on her mind, but nestled in the curve of Maddox's strong arms, she found the first real rest she'd known in days.

Maddox woke to an empty bed. He blinked away sleep and pushed up on his elbows, looking around the dark, unfamiliar room until he spotted Iris's silhouette by the window, softly outlined by the golden lamplight from the street below. He rolled off the bed and crossed to her side, closing his hand over her shoulder.

She jumped, whirling around to look at him. He could barely make out her wide eyes in the low light. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

She remained tense. "I guess your knee is feeling better."

The cryptic remark threw him. "Actually, it's killing me."

She stared at him a moment, her expression unfathomable. Then she turned and looked out the window. When she spoke, her voice was distant. "It's starting to rain."

The cool tone of her voice made his stomach clench. He took a deep breath and brushed a tousled lock of dark hair away from her neck. "Sure you don't want to stay here instead? Lovely weather for lying in bed all day."

"I can't. I should go shower. I'm supposed to meet the Telarana Labs shuttle in front of the hotel at eight."

She slid away from his grasp and crossed to the bathroom. She flicked on the light, and he caught a glimpse of her pale face and dark, haunted eyes before she shut the door behind her. He walked slowly back to the bed, his gut twisting with unexpected dismay.

Her change of mood had caught him flat-footed. She'd seemed happy and relaxed after they'd made love, curling like a kitten in his arms, her sleepy smile making his heart turn flips. But maybe with dawn had come regrets. She barely knew him, and by her own admission, she wasn't a woman with any real sexual experience. Maybe she'd let nerves and hormones overcome good sense and was now kicking herself for it.

Maybe he'd been nothing but a distraction after all. He dropped heavily onto the bed, gazing at the closed bathroom door. The sound of the shower mingled with the soft drumming of rain against the window, a melancholy symphony washing over him like a cold draft.

He found his T-shirt and pulled it over his head, trying to ignore the slow ache spreading like poison through his chest. It was only much later that he thought to wonder why Iris hadn't felt the throbbing ache in his knee.