When Natalia uttered those words, his mind was made up. If she knew what she was doing, her uncle—editor, whoever he was—couldn’t accuse him of taking advantage of her. Cash had dreamed about fucking her for weeks, imagined over and over what it would feel like. The longer he’d had to wait, the crazier he had become.

He pried the champagne glass from her hand and placed it on the table, which allowed him to take both her hands in his as he looked straight into her eyes. “I wanted you from the first moment I saw you. When I spotted you sitting next to Ralph at the foundation ball, I found myself instantly attracted to you. Since then, I’ve tried so hard to control myself, but no more waiting, Natalia. I want to get my hands on those fabulous curves, to feel your body beneath mine. I want to be inside you more than I’ve wanted to be inside anyone. Come to bed with me?”

She kept her eyes trained on his and blinked slowly. “Yes,” she finally said after the longest pause of his life.

He sucked in a breath and immediately stood, taking her with him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and buried a hand in her hair. His fingers caressed the back of her neck, and the same feeling he’d had when he’d first touched her came racing back. Her flawless skin was pale and soft, and a delicate pulse that beat just underneath her jawline drew his eye. He wanted to put his mouth on it, but if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to stop, and they hadn’t even left the bar. And he liked staying at this hotel when he visited Paris.

He led her out of the bar, and when he headed for the bank of lifts, she glanced up at him.

“Was I so much of a sure thing?”

“Actually, I’ve never been so unsure about anything in my life.”

The lift arrived, and he ushered her inside, pissed off when another couple joined them. He pushed the button for the top floor and manoeuvred her to the back, ignoring the stares of recognition. When the couple exited on the fourth floor, they were still staring, so he turned his back, shielding Natalia with his body. As the lift doors closed, he slipped his hand around her waist and leaned forward to kiss her. The familiar rush of desire slammed into him. This time, though, it was definitely more intense, probably because, unlike the other times, it was leading somewhere. He was becoming addicted to the taste of her, the way her unique scent tickled his nostrils, how she felt beneath his hands. Though eager and anxious to get beneath the layers of clothing to the prize he knew would be waiting, instinct told him to take it slowly, to savour every moment, to make sure he didn’t leave her behind.

The lift doors opened, and he pulled back so he could look into her eyes. “Are you sure, Natalia? Because once we step outside, I’m not going to be able to hold back.”

She nodded. A slight flush crept up her neck and over her jaw, covering her normally pale complexion with a pinkish tinge. “I’m sure.”

He gently took her hand and led her down the corridor. When they reached his room, he opened the door and ushered her inside.

“Wow, look at this place,” she said, heading over towards the window to check out the view.

Cash kicked the door shut. “Look later.”

He lifted her and held her in his arms, curving her legs around his waist. His mouth cut off her squeal of surprise as he carried her to the bedroom.

His breathing quickened as he set her back on her feet. Threading his hands into her hair, he gazed into her eyes, which were looking back at him so earnestly, so innocently. He further hardened, his cock pressing tightly against his zipper.

She made a soft noise at the back of her throat. He circled his hips, and when she threw her head back, exposing the soft, creamy skin of her neck, the invitation was not to be ignored. He bent his head and flicked his tongue over the delicate skin before sucking, hard. He wanted to brand her, to let the world know she was taken, that she belonged to him.

He gently unfastened her blouse. His fingers brushed the soft skin underneath as he moved from button to button. His eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of the crest of her fantastic tits peeking over the top of a pale-cream bra. His thumb brushed her nipples through the satin material. They puckered, instantly becoming hard points that screamed for his tongue to taste.

His fingers found the zipper on her skirt, and he tugged it down. The material pooled on the floor. He stepped back, his eyes grazing over her. A flood of desire rushed through him, the intensity of his need making him light-headed. He reached around her back and unhooked her bra. Taking his time, he slid the straps down her arms before discarding it on top of the rest of her stuff.

She was breathing heavily, huge gasps of air being sucked in and pushed out of her full mouth. An image spilled into his mind: Natalia on her knees, his cock moving in and out of those generous, rosy lips. He dug his fingernails into his palms. Fuck, if he carried on having those thoughts, he wouldn’t last a minute.

He shrugged out of his shirt without taking his eyes off her. She stood in front of him in the cutest set of lace boy shorts and the earrings he’d bought for her.

“You’re fucking gorgeous.”

She blushed and curled her hands around her stomach.

“Oh no you don’t,” he said, gripping her wrists and holding her arms apart. “I mean it. You’re stunning.”

Her eyes flickered to his. The uncertain expression she wore confused him.

“No, I’m not.” She glanced down.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

She slowly raised her eyes to his. He took hold of her hand and put it over his crotch. “Feel that? That’s how much I want you. I’m so hard my zipper is going to leave teeth marks.”

She chuckled at his joke, and her shoulders lowered a fraction. He stripped off his trousers and boxers. Her eyes flickered to his erection, widening as they did so.

“Touch me,” he said.

She moved a step closer and flexed her fingers before tentatively wrapping her hand around his cock. His hips jerked forward of their own accord, and a guttural growl sounded low in his throat. Fuck. He’d known it would feel good when she put her hands on him, but that good?

“I don’t have bags of experience, Cash. I’m not sure if what I’m doing is right.”

He groaned as her hand moved up and down. Fast then slow. Firm then soft.

“Trust me,” he said through gritted teeth, his breath coming in gasps. “You’re doing just fine.”

At his encouragement, a fleeting smile crossed her face, and his chest swelled because he’d been the one to put it there. She began to move her hand faster, holding him even more firmly than before. His balls tightened, and he knew if he let her carry on, this was going to be over far too quickly.

He removed her hand from his cock and placed it around his waist as he bent forward to kiss her. He briefly lapped inside her mouth, his tongue gently brushing hers. Dragging himself away from her soft lips, he moulded one breast in his hand and flicked the tip of his tongue over her nipple. She moaned so quietly he barely heard her. The sound alone almost made him come.

Taking both her breasts in his hands, he took turns sucking on each nipple, and the groans and moans spilling from her lips told him he was hitting all the right buttons. But he wanted more. He wanted to taste the very essence of her. Cash sank onto his knees. His hands moved to her waist, and he gripped lightly as he kissed from hip to hip. He dipped his tongue into her navel as his mouth travelled across her stomach then slipped his thumbs inside the waistband of her knickers and tugged them down. Her body stiffened.

“Relax,” he said. “I’m going to take good care of you.” He gently pushed her onto the bed and urged her legs apart. As he moved between her spread thighs, she tried to jam her legs back together.

“Cash…”

“Shhh, it’s okay. Trust me.”

As his mouth closed in on her clit, she thrust her hands into his hair, but instead of pulling him closer, she held him back. Their eyes met, and he smiled reassuringly.

“Trust me,” he reiterated.

Her hands loosened in his hair. He pressed firmly on her thighs to keep her legs apart and swirled his tongue around her clit. She cried out, her back arching off the bed. Her hands fisted in the sheets as he switched between pushing his tongue inside her and rolling it around the hard bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. He’d hit on the exact thing to drive her crazy, because she came fast. Her hips rose off the bed as her orgasm broke.

“Cash… oh… God.”

He continued licking her, drawing every last bit out of her climax. She was responsive, refreshingly so. That he’d curbed his need to be inside her long enough to put her pleasure before his own amazed him. That was definitely a new experience. He’d enjoyed every fucking minute, but he couldn’t wait any longer. He quickly donned a condom and crawled up her body. He buried his face in her neck as he pushed inside her—only an inch, but even that was enough to almost send him over the edge.

“Jesus… Christ,” he gritted out.

She was so fucking tight, and he clenched his jaw as he pushed farther inside her. It was like she’d been custom-made just for him without a millimetre wasted. Once he was fully buried, he leaned up onto his elbows, withdrawing slowly before driving hard into her again. She cried out as he repeated the movement, tilting his hips each time to make sure he reached the perfect spot deep inside. Her eyes were screwed shut, her head twisted to the side.

“Look at me,” he said.

Her eyes fluttered open, glossy with desire, and he smiled.

“That’s better,” he said. “I want to look into your eyes when I come. When you come.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist and tilted her hips, the change of position giving him an even better angle. He thrust into her over and over, and as he pressed his thumb onto her clit, she cried out as a second orgasm tore through her. As her muscles contracted around him, a powerful orgasm shot from the head of his cock. Despite what he’d said about wanting to maintain eye contact, he dropped his head and buried his face in her neck as his body throbbed with the most intense pleasure he’d ever experienced.