Susan Mallery: Wife in Disguise

As he finished speaking, he bent over and kissed her. At the same time, he reached for the front button of her dress and unfastened it.

Josie told herself to concentrate on the feel of his mouth against hers, on the way their tongues instinctively moved together in a pattern they’d established years before. She tried to focus on how right it felt to be with him, to be next to him, in bed with him. But she couldn’t. All she could think about was the row of buttons giving way beneath his questing fingers and how he was going to pull her dress open at any second and then he would be able to see a lot of her body and it wasn’t very pretty and he was going to want to call the whole thing off and he wouldn’t know how so she was going to have to do it but she really, really didn’t want to because-

One hand settled on her breast. The contact startled her, making her gasp against his mouth. But the quick exhalation came more from how good his palm and fingers felt than from horror. In fact there was less and less horror as he began to move against her curves. The lace of her bra was barely any barrier at all.

She knew she was fuller than she’d been the last time they’d made love. He slowly discovered all her fullness, then gently rubbed her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. The attention was exquisite, making her arch slightly against him.

She wanted to raise her hips and part her legs, but she didn’t. She was careful to keep her movements small so she wouldn’t set off any more pain explosions.

As his fingers teased her breast, his tongue teased her mouth. The combinations of contact made her want to whimper. Everything he was doing felt so very good. She’d been skin-starved for so long. The thought of another man doing this to her was impossible to imagine, but with Del she suddenly knew she would be safe.

“Josie,” he whispered against her mouth as his hand began to slip lower. Fingertips drifted across her belly, circling down to that most secret place between her thighs.

It was only then that she realized he’d unfastened her dress to the hem. Darn those buttons, anyway. They made her too accessible.

Not that she was going to complain, she thought dreamily as his fingers rubbed against her. Through the thin layer of her panties, he found that one place designed to make her scream with delight. She parted her legs to give him more room and forced herself not to arch into his caress.

He moved in a steady rhythm. Around and over, making her sigh and shudder and reach for that perfect moment of release. Past and present merged. How many times had he touched her like this before? How many ways had he pleasured her? It didn’t matter if he used his fingers or his tongue, if he was inside of her or not, he could always push her to the edge, then catch her as she fell.

“I want to do more,” he breathed against her mouth. “I want to crouch between your legs and kiss you there. I want to use my tongue to make you scream.”

His words made her dampen even more. Her breathing increased and she found she was clinging to him as if she was in danger of being swept away.

“Next time,” he promised. “We’re going to be more traditional tonight. Just to get you comfortable with me.”

She managed to distract herself from the growing pressure so that she could open her eyes and look directly at him. Passion tightened his face. She gave a slight smile.

“I’m feeling very comfortable,” she murmured.

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, yes. Very sure. And very comfortable.”

His fingers continued to move as they spoke. Around and over. Gently faster, then slower. Teasing, always teasing.

“Am I doing it right?” he asked. “Could I do anything differently?”

A sudden heat flared on her cheeks. She wasn’t usually embarrassed about sex, but this was different.

“Um, well, we could take off my panties.”

She forced the word out, her need larger than her shyness. Because if her panties were removed Del would continue to touch her, but without the scrap of silk between them. He would continue to stroke her most sensitive place but he would also push his fingers inside her. Just the thought of that was nearly enough to send her flying.

“Done,” he said, and dropped a quick kiss on her mouth.

He moved so that he could shift to his knees. It was only then that Josie realized her fatal mistake. Now he could see her legs.

“Del, don’t,” she said, reaching down to cover herself with the edges of her dress.

His gaze met hers. “Don’t what?” he asked. “Touch you?”

He demonstrated the action by sweeping a single finger between her legs. Despite herself, she moaned.

“Don’t what?” he repeated, then lowered himself so that he could kiss the top of her left thigh. “Don’t think you’re lovely and wonderful? Don’t imagine myself deep inside of you? Don’t remember how it felt to take you and be taken by you?”

Each word fell on her, branding her, making her recall how it had been between them. Her breathing quickened. When he swept his hands up the length of her legs, she found if she didn’t think about it too much, she actually didn’t mind. She felt the ridges of her assortment of scars and knew he felt them, too. But he didn’t look at them. Instead he kept his gaze locked with hers.

Slowly he reached forward and pulled down her panties. Then he returned to her side and drew her into a sitting position. When she’d shrugged out of her dress, he unfastened her bra and slid it down her arms. Finally he settled her back on the bed and stretched out beside her. His mouth returned to hers while his fingers resumed their delicate torture.

But this time was so much better. This time there wasn’t anything between them, not fabric, not even air. He brushed against her swollen wetness and dipped into her waiting heat. Over and over he thrust into her, mimicking the act of love to follow. His mouth trailed down her throat, then moved lower until he took one nipple between his lips. His tongue flicked against her. That combined with the gentle movements of his fingers was too much for her. She clutched the bedspread and prepared herself for flight.

Higher and faster and lighter and over and around. How he touched her. He knew when to concentrate on that single spot and when to push a finger inside. The pace increased. He returned his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply until she couldn’t hold back anymore. It had been so very long, and she’d so missed making love with Del.

That was her last conscious thought as the pleasure shuddered through her. Her body trembled with release. She called out his name over and over as she soared into the perfection of the release. And when she was finally still, she found herself cradled in his arms.

Seconds passed, then minutes, where she struggled to catch her breath. When she was finally still, he brushed her hair away from her face.

“I want you,” he murmured.

“Yes,” she told him. “Please, be inside of me.”

He rose to his feet and quickly stripped off his clothes. Shirt, shoes, socks, jeans, briefs. Until he was naked.

Josie looked at him, at the breadth of his shoulders and the way dark hair lightly covered his chest. Time had honed his muscles. He was still beautiful, especially that most male part of him. He was also very aroused. The proof of his desire made her feel safe and wanted.

He moved to rejoin her on the bed, but she raised her hand to hold him off.

“Protection,” she said. “I’m not on anything and parts of me are still completely intact.”

“No problem.” He opened the nightstand and pulled out a sealed box of condoms. After opening the container, he removed one, then returned to her side.

They kissed deeply. Although she’d already had her pleasure once, Josie wanted more. She needed to feel Del inside of her, filling her the way he used to. Tension radiated from him-more proof that he was as ready.