These Arms of Mine Read online

  She leaned weakly against the door. She tried to quiet the frantic thudding of her heart as she opened her overnight bag. She should be angry and appalled that in a few minutes she would be expected to make love to Derrick, but she wasn’t. If she were honest with herself, she was expectant. She was also nervous, excited and confused.

  Damn Derrick’s undeniable effect on her and damn Robert, too, for getting her into this mess! With a sigh of resignation, she glanced into her overnight bag and saw a white silky negligee with matching robe, which left nothing to the imagination.

  “Oh, Mother!”

  How could her mom have done this to her? She must have taken out her flannel gown and replaced it with this one. She couldn’t go out there wearing this! She rummaged further into her luggage and saw other negligees, all just as revealing. Carefully inspecting the diaphanous, flimsy creation in her hands, she admitted it was a knockout. The long gown was made of several layers of the sheerest chiffon she had ever seen, and the bodice and waist consisted of lace, which would allow tantalizing glimpses of her skin to peek out. The single-layer chiffon robe might as well be nonexistent for all that it covered. Well, it was either wear this sexy creation or nothing, so she quickly donned the ensemble and almost fainted when she saw how little it actually hid.

  After several minutes of deep breathing, which did nothing to calm her nerves, Alesha went to the door and grabbed the doorknob. She willed herself to calm down. She was married now, and on the other side of the door, her husband waited for her. Though their marriage was the result of a distasteful arrangement, she silently admitted that their mutual desire for each other was very real—as real as real could get. Soon she would know the culmination of the scandalous kisses they had shared. At that thought, she trembled visibly and, gathering the folds of the robe closer to her in one hand, she opened the door with the other and slowly exited the bathroom.

  The only light in the bedroom came from candles beside the bed, which had been turned down. Derrick stood on the opposite side of the room, though he faced her as she entered. He was dressed in a black robe.

  Alesha stopped just outside the bathroom. He couldn’t believe the tremendous surge of hunger he felt just staring at her luscious body in that sexy gown. In fact, he couldn’t believe she had packed such a piece of lingerie, but he was glad she had.

  She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He wanted her as he had wanted no other. He couldn’t believe that finally she was going to be completely his. Slowly, purposefully, he walked toward her, expecting her to flee at any moment. Yet she remained rooted to the spot, nervous, expectant eyes making tentative contact with his. The pulse at the base of her neck was beating rapidly and he longed to place his lips there. He stopped mere inches away.

  “Beautiful is too mild a word to describe how you look.”

  He reached out his hands and lightly cupped her warm cheeks. A shudder passed through her at his touch. He took her breath away for he was staring at her as if she were the most important person in the world. If she didn’t know any better, she would think he was madly in love with her.

  “Alesha, we’ve waited a long time for this.”

  She shook her head in agreement. “I know, but…” She paused, unable and unwilling to try to verbalize her topsy-turvy feelings as far as he was concerned.

  “But what?” His hands dropped to her shoulders, lightly massaging her tense flesh.

  “I—I don’t know…” Her voice trailed off again.

  “You don’t have to know anything.” His strong hands made soothing circles on her overheated skin. “Except that I want you.”

  “Do you?” His sincere words helped quiet some of the butterflies intent on making mincemeat out of her stomach lining.

  “Yes, I do. Very much.” The ease of his confession left little doubt as to its veracity. “Do you believe me?” He had always wanted her, and finally she was going to be his.

  “Yes.” She sighed the word.

  “And you want me.”

  She gasped lightly as his fingers drew the robe from her shoulders and let it fall in a soft heap at her feet. His eyes mesmerized her.

  “I…” She couldn’t bring herself to admit that, too.

  “It’s all right. I know.”

  That voice of his was turning her bones to mush. His hands slid down her bare, silky arms and back up again several times, causing her breathing to increase expectantly.

  “All right.”

  The arms on her shoulders drew her closer until their bodies were touching lightly. His eyes never left hers. Though she made no effort to move out of his arms, he knew she was still apprehensive. He wanted to replace her anxiety with passion and longing—emotions he knew were smoldering just beneath the surface.

  He slowly lowered his lips to hers, and placed a light kiss on her quivering mouth. His lips then trailed down her cheek to her earlobe, where he gently bit into her flesh before moving to the side of her neck, his teeth and tongue lingering there, reverently tasting her silky, delicately perfumed skin.

  Something strange was happening to her as he continued his pleasing caresses. She felt a little breathless as overpowering feelings began building within her body. After several long, pleasing minutes, his mouth trailed down her shoulder, his hands sliding the thin straps of her gown out of the way, down her arms, as his lips explored her tremulous skin. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy the extraordinary sensations engulfing her body at his every touch.

  His lips moved to her other shoulder, teeth gently scraping across her skin, sending shivers of delight up and down her spine. The hands that had been resting on his muscled arms tightened slightly as he trailed his hot tongue from her neck to her cheek, slowly outlining her tender lower lip. Her eyes were half closed as wonderful tremors coursed through her.

  His hands moved from her shoulders to her lower back, to rest intimately on her buttocks, pulling her closer to his masculine physique. She was suddenly aware of every muscle in his body as she was molded to his hard frame. The ache in the pit of her stomach increased almost unbearably.

  His lips played lightly with hers, rubbing, nipping softly and then pulling away again, but refusing to end the sweet torture he was subjecting her to. She unashamedly longed to feel his mouth close warmly and decisively over her own. What was he doing to her? This question ran through her dazed mind while she could still think, before, finally, she received what she wanted when his strong mouth hotly engulfed hers.

  Like a starving man feasting, his lips hungrily wandered over hers, his marauding tongue sliding beneath the quickly conquered barrier of her white teeth to find and engage in a slow, thorough dance of rising passion with hers. She felt light-headed, overwhelmed with sensation and completely wanted and desired. They had shared many kisses since their engagement, but this was different because she knew, this time, there would be no stopping, interruptions or turning back, and she was absurdly pleased about that. After an eternity of waiting, she was about to fully experience Derrick’s lovemaking, and she wanted that more than she had ever wanted anything.

  Her arms on his shoulders encircled his neck of their own will. Her fingers tentatively massaged his nape. At her response, his mouth hardened, crushing her lips beneath the pressure his exerted as he intimately deepened the kiss, voraciously ravaging her sweet mouth.

  She moaned in pleasure, on fire and wanting—what, she didn’t know. Vaguely, she felt him slide the gown from her overheated body and realized she was standing naked in his arms, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that he not stop kissing her—ever. She clung to him unashamedly as he thirstily drank again and again from her luscious lips.

  As he lifted her easily, she then felt the cool, satiny softness of the sheets beneath her back. She vaguely realized they were both lying on the bed. Derrick
still wore his robe and the textured material brushed against her overly sensitive flesh.

  He reluctantly released her enticing lips and withdrew from her slightly to stare at her face. She was so beautiful, and he wanted her so much, yet he couldn’t rush her or himself. After years of waiting, he was determined that she would enjoy this as much as he was going to. She stared at him through half-closed, aroused eyes, a thousand questions in her expression.

  He smiled slightly and, propping himself up on one elbow, trailed one hand from her collarbone to the tip of a firm, ripe breast, slowly drawing circles around her chocolate nipple. He smiled as she audibly gasped in pleasure. His smile deepened and his traveling fingers became more ardent as he continued his masterful manipulations of her willing flesh.

  When his thumb and forefinger encircled her hard nipple, she moaned aloud, unable and unwilling to stop herself. His mouth slowly lowered to taste the flesh his hand had just caressed. She waited for what seemed like hours until his hot, warm, rough tongue licked across her nipple and she groaned louder, closing her eyes against the sweet pain rapidly invading her body.

  His hand trailed down her flat, trembling stomach, his palm rubbing against her skin as his mouth enclosed her breast. He pulled at her skin, softly at first, but then with increasing intensity. She felt as if she would die at any second from the exquisite torture he was inflicting on her.

  Her hands drifted to the back of his head, holding him closer to her flesh. When he bit into her skin, she simultaneously bit her lip to hold back the scream that wanted so desperately to escape from her mouth, while her hands held him closer still. After several agonizingly wonderful seconds, his hot roving mouth moved to repeat the process on her other breast. She stopped trying to hide her pleasure at his touch and passionate moans of pleasure escaped from her lips.

  Her fingers ran up and down his head, holding him closer still, and the hand on her stomach moved to trail across one of her silky inner thighs, before moving to touch her more intimately than anyone ever had, and she was suddenly lost in a savage, merciless storm.

  Raising his head, he watched the play of emotions that crossed her face as he did things to her she had only dreamed of. Her body shuddered uncontrollably and her hoarse screams of pleasure filled the room as he continued his mind-shattering stroking of her pliant body. He wanted her to forget every other man she had ever been with. His would be the face she saw, his the name she uttered. She would cling to his body and give herself to him completely.

  He fought the urge to plunge into her. She was so wet, so warm, so inviting. His teeth bit into her nipple again and she arched against him, her hips moving rhythmically against his skillful fingers as he continued to assail her with passion.

  Why hadn’t someone warned her that she would feel this way as his expert hands stroked her novice body? She had never imagined that anything could feel so marvelous! It couldn’t get any better than this, could it? Her question was answered emphatically yes with each subsequent devastating caress Derrick bestowed on her. She clung to him weakly, unabashedly begging for release of the sweet tension coiling inside her. She didn’t think she could take much more, but each touch proved her wrong.

  Derrick shrugged out of his robe and immediately covered her soft, welcoming body with his own. She gasped at the intimate contact, feeling every hard, masculine inch of him against her. His lips covered hers again and again. Her arms entwined around his neck before moving to slide down his powerful shoulders and his muscled back, enjoying the rough texture of his flesh against the satiny softness of her own. Her body begged him to end the wonderful torment he had stirred up within her.

  He tore his mouth away from hers to bury it in the soft hollow of her neck as he rasped her name over and over again before lifting his head to stare at her face—highly aroused, yet somewhat troubled. She opened her eyes slightly within a few seconds and stared at him questioningly. He wanted to bury himself in her, he wanted to lose himself in her, and he was going to do just that and more.

  His eyes burned her with their intensity, his body lighting an answering inferno within her own as one of his muscled legs slipped between her satiny thighs. She gasped at the intimacy and her heavy eyelids began to droop.

  “Alesha, just enjoy it—enjoy us,” he urged. “Just feel,” he added as he devastated her in a kiss that seared her to her very being.

  His limbs entangled closely with hers. Intent on savoring each second, he slowly, inch by inch, merged their bodies into one. She felt engulfed by heat and slight pain as he slowly filled her—he was hot, hard and throbbing. He then glanced down at her, shock evident in his expression.

  “Alesha?”

  He couldn’t comprehend what his mind and her body was telling him. She was a virgin! How could she be a virgin? He continued to stare into her shimmering eyes. He started to withdraw, but she was so soft, so warm and fluid that he couldn’t bring himself to leave her, so he pressed deeper. He lay motionless for a few moments, and when she began to whimper against his hot mouth, and the hands on his back began to caress him, only then did he begin to move—slowly at first, yet urgently.

  Her body shuddered beneath his as momentary pain quickly gave way to immense pleasure. Hot molten lava flowing through her veins at his every erotic, pleasurable touch. Sensations she hadn’t dared to imagine erupted from the core of her being as Derrick opened her eyes to a wondrous desire whose existence she had never suspected.

  His powerful body continued to move frantically against hers. She instinctively arched to get closer to him. He groaned at her actions and his hands moved down her sides to rest on her hips, pressing her closer still, wrapping one of her slender legs around his waist as their passion rose higher and higher still, threatening to consume them both with its ferocious intensity.

  Many times, she had dreamed of this moment—what it would feel like to make love to Derrick completely and totally—yet this surpassed all her expectations. Forgotten was the fact that she had once driven him away, as was the fact that she had married him only to save her brother. Now, right now, he was the only person who could give her the release she so desperately craved. He was the only one who could bring her dormant body to glorious, vibrant life.

  They floated high, higher still on tenuous waves of life-affirming passion. When the moment of culmination came, she cried out into his mouth and he into hers. Her eyes, filled with wonder, flew open to stare into the blazing depths of his. Their bodies began to shake uncontrollably as the throes of their passion blinded them to everything except the unparalleled bliss they experienced in each other’s arms as they drifted slowly into a miraculous abyss of complete and total fulfillment.

  Some time later, he marshaled enough energy to remove his body from hers. They lay breast to breast on their sides, his hand resting on her waist.

  “Did I hurt you?” His warm breath vibrated against her ear.

  “No.” Her single-word response was muffled as she hid her face in his hair-covered chest, inhaling the heady male scent of him, which intoxicated her.

  On the contrary, she silently amended. He had made her feel wonderful, vibrant and alive. She had wantonly enjoyed his thorough possession of her, as she had never enjoyed anything else in her life. She had clung to him, whimpering, begging for his kisses and caresses. She had found rapture in his arms beyond belief. Had he known? Of course, he must have. Why didn’t that bother her? She had responded shamelessly to him and her body felt completely fulfilled against his, as if this was where she was meant to be.

  Out of duty to some absurd unwritten rule, she tried to roll away from him, but was glad when he wouldn’t let her go. His strong arms held her close to his masculine form, a body that had moments before given her the greatest gratification she had ever imagined. She stayed where she was, where she wanted to be, close to her husband.

  Derrick kne
w she wanted some time to rationalize what had just happened between them, and he knew that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn’t be able to. She would never be able to discount what they had just shared—neither would he. She felt so good lying in his arms, her soft body yielding against his.

  She was so inexperienced, but she had aroused him as no other woman ever had. He was her first lover, the first one to awaken her to the desires of her own sumptuous body. Given what had happened two years ago, he didn’t understand how that could be. However, it was undeniably true—Alesha had been a virgin. Why had she lied to him about that?

  Slowly, he ran his hands down her slender, silky back, pressing her closer, feeling her shudder against him. He wanted her again and again. Yet he resisted temptation for the moment—they needed to talk. He needed some long-overdue answers. He lowered his head to look at her and she tried to bury her face into his chest. His hand moved under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

  “Look at me.”

  When she complied, he placed a lingering kiss on her tempting lips, but pulled away before things got out of hand. Her beautiful face was marred with uneasiness and he knew she was aware of the questions swirling through his mind.

  “Derrick…”

  “Alesha, why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin?”

  He asked the question she dreaded but expected. How in the world should she respond?

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” She lowered her head onto his chest to escape his piercing gaze.

  “We have to talk about it.” A firm hand under her chin lifted her eyes to meet his darkening ones. “Why did you lie to me two years ago?”

  “Derrick, please. I can’t talk about this now—not now.” Her eyes begged him to understand what he couldn’t possibly.

  “I don’t know what game you’re playing…” His voice was understandably upset.