CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
IVY FELT AS if she was drowning in ecstasy. As profound as it could get. She had been kissed by others and was of the mind that one kiss was the same as another. Nothing unforgettable and nothing to savor. And definitely nothing to constitute any lasting effects. Nolan was knocking all those assumptions down in a way that had her breathless.
She definitely hadn’t counted on the heated rush of desire that overtook her senses with every flick of his tongue or her reaction to his entire body when he pressed against her to deepen the kiss and intensify it even more. And she definitely hadn’t counted on any kiss keeping her up at night while she relived every tongue-thrusting, teeth-nipping-the-lips moment.
Nolan had once said the one thing he enjoyed doing just short of making love was kissing, and that was becoming quite obvious. It was also quite obvious that she was enjoying going along for the ride.
How could he tap into a part of her she had been satisfied to ignore? A part she had denied wanting or needing? But not only had he tapped into it, he’d place an all-out assault on every erogenous zone on her body just from his heat. Ivy definitely hadn’t counted on undergoing a total sexual meltdown in the most intense way.
Ivy was no dummy. She was well aware kisses of this magnitude and sexual hunger were supposed to lead somewhere. Usually to the nearest bedroom. And at the moment, with her common sense being ripped to shreds, she had no problem being taken there. She needed to experience an end to the sexual hunger invading her body. But then she knew sleeping together was not the answer. It would only complicate things. But she was having a hard time convincing her mind and body of that now.
Suddenly Nolan broke off the kiss and the eyes staring deep into hers were filled with intense heat of the most erotic kind. So much so that Ivy felt a tingling sensation between her legs. Never had she felt such intense desire before. Not even with Damien. Definitely not with Damien.
“I want you.”
Nolan had whispered the words low in his throat but she heard them. She felt them. They had oozed all over her skin like rich, warm honey to be licked. Why did she think of that now? As if he had read her mind, he leaned in and began tracing the tip of his tongue across the side of her neck.
She couldn’t say anything by way of a response. At the moment she couldn’t even think. It was as if her body had a mind of its own, and instead of fighting for control, it wanted to succumb to Nolan’s wishes. His every desire, because his desires were becoming hers. He covered her mouth with his again as if he was obsessed with kissing her. And she felt his hands roam over her, touching her in intimate ways that seemed to fuel his fire as well as her own.
Only with Nolan was she experiencing how it felt to get caught up in the depth of a male’s yearnings and to be kissed by him in a way that made her feel craved, wanted and longed for in the most salacious way. No man had ever acted like he’d wanted her so much that he would kiss her senseless. Deep down she wanted to be made love to by a man like Nolan to erase her experience with a man who’d thought he was all that but obviously hadn’t been.
However all the kisses she’d shared with Nolan were showing her he was definitely all of that and then some. When it came to delivering sexual satisfaction, it was quite obvious no two men were created equal. As far as she was concerned, Nolan Madaris was in a class by himself. He was sexually male on an excruciating level.
And this would be the last night they would spend together like this.
Ivy knew when she returned to Houston and got back to work she would efficiently put her head back on right. They would see each other on occasion for show, but in private there wouldn’t be any more kisses. And especially with the heat and greed this one was generating.
He broke off the kiss again and stared down at her while licking his lips, as if to let her know he hadn’t finished with her mouth yet. She returned his stare, captivated by his gaze. She could feel her heart beat erratically in her chest and felt a deep ache between her legs.
And she felt the exact moment he lowered his hands and was inching up her dress. It was then she knew she needed to remind him of something. No matter how tempted she was...and Lord knew she was tempted...she refused to become one of his one-night stands, or in this case, his last-night stand.
Ivy reached down and caught hold of Nolan’s hand to stop him from lifting her dress any higher. “Remember our agreement, Nolan. I won’t have sex with you.”
His dark gaze seemed to burn deep into her. “Define having sex.”
She frowned and then narrowed her eyes. “I think you know what it means, Nolan.”
He leaned down and licked the side of her face with his tongue before moving to the underside of her ear. “Is this having sex?”
She drew in a sharp breath when he asked the words in a husky voice, close to her ear.
“Part of it.”
“And what do you call this part?” he asked in a raspy voice against her throat.
She had to think hard to give him that answer. “Foreplay?”
“You don’t sound sure,” he said, using the tip of his tongue to lick around her lips from corner to corner.
No, she wasn’t sure because she’d never engaged in it. Not really. Damien never got her tuned up, so to speak. He always thought when he was ready that she should be, too. “It’s foreplay,” she said, with a bit more forcefulness, trying to sound as if she was truly certain about what she was saying.
“What’s the difference between foreplay and having sex, Ivy?”
When he began licking around her throat again, she threw her head back, loving the way his heated tongue felt moving along her neck, drawing circles in some areas. “Are you trying to confuse me?” she asked, barely able to get the words out.
“No, I just need clarification.”
He smelled good. So good. His scent was overwhelming her senses. And what did he mean he needed clarification? He of all men should know the difference. “Why?”
“To make sure we’re on the same page.”
On the same page? She was about to ask what he meant when he grabbed hold of her hair, released the band holding the curls on top of her head and grabbed hold of a section of her hair to bring her face closer to his. As soon as his lips touched hers, he greedily captured her mouth and began feasting on it again.
She felt weak in the knees and almost slid to the floor but his hand at her waist held her up. He broke off the kiss and stared down at her. She could see lusty greed in his gaze and it sent her desire skyrocketing through her veins. “Clarify the difference,” he said, his breath hot against her ear as he began nibbling on her earlobe.
A throbbing need rushed through her when she felt the hardness of him press against her at the juncture of her thighs. They were standing so close, it seemed her hips flowed into his. Even with clothes on their bodies, they seemed to be intimately and perfectly aligned.
“Tell me, Ivy,” he said in a voice so hot it nearly incinerated her. “Tell me the difference. I want you to tell me.”
What man wanted things clarified at a time like this? Most would rush through and practically bulldoze you over to get what they wanted. They certainly wouldn’t waste time to make sure he and the woman were on the same page. But she was discovering that Nolan wasn’t like most men. His focus was intense. Whether it was painting, fishing or cooking.
Knowing how his mind worked, she answered the best she could. “Sex is intercourse. Penetration. All else is foreplay.”
If the smile that suddenly shaped the fullness of his lips was anything to go by, they evidently were on the same page. “Remember your definition, Ivy.” He then released her and in a quick movement he ripped off his shirt.
The sound seemed to slash through the air. “What are you doing?” she asked, suddenly feeling light-headed from the manly scent of him. From seeing him standing there, bare chested. Her heart skipped a beat and she fought the low moan that tried slipping past her lips.
“No intercourse and no penetration. But I want a hell of a lot of foreplay with you, Ivy. Are you ready for that?”
For a minute Ivy couldn’t reply; she was trying to wrap her head around what he was saying. A part of her wanted to say no, she wasn’t ready. But then another part, the part that enjoyed him touching her and all the kisses they’d shared for the past week—even when she didn’t want to enjoy them—couldn’t help but be curious as to what his brand of foreplay entailed. And what would it hurt for her to find out? At least she would have the knowledge and she would rather share that experience with Nolan than with anyone else.
Over the past days she had got to know him. He was kind, considerate and nice. Definitely nice. And she had enjoyed the time she’d spent with him. He hadn’t crowded her space and had made this week fun for her. Even now he wasn’t forcing her to do anything she didn’t want to do. Tempting her, yes. Forcing her, no.
Making up her mind about how she intended to roll, she took a step closer to him, leaned up on tiptoe and placed the palms of her hands against his bare chest. Loving the feel of the warm flesh beneath her fingers, she said, “Yes, Nolan. I’m ready.”
* * *
AT THAT MOMENT Nolan was convinced his testosterone levels not only surged through the roof but spiked to the moon. He hadn’t wanted to want her so much. But he did. He desired her and every day that yearning had increased the more he’d been around her. And whether she realized it or not, they’d been emitting all kinds of I-want-you vibes all night. There was no doubt in his mind that Syneda and Clayton had picked up on them.
It was nothing she’d done intentionally or unintentionally. He was discovering what set her apart was Ivy being Ivy. He doubted there was a pretentious bone in her body...just a lot of doubting ones. He knew what she could do to a man...to him...with very little effort. Just being herself. Even now the feel of her hands on his chest had his stomach muscles clenching.
In truth, he wanted more than foreplay with her. He wanted to rock her world the way he knew she could rock his. But he would settle for sharing something with her that she would remember for a long time. He pushed from his mind why that was important to him.
He stared down at her. Even standing on tiptoe, she was not tall enough to be eye to eye with him. But that was fine. He loved looking down at such a beautiful face. He missed her eyeglasses but decided whether she wore glasses or not wasn’t important. What he loved most were her eyes and how they looked at him with trust—he didn’t intend to let her down. On their last night together, he wanted to give them what they both wanted.
He glanced around. Things could proceed here or elsewhere. Definitely not in either of the bedrooms. Way too much temptation for intercourse when they’d decided to limit things. Making a decision, he suddenly swept her off her feet and into his arms.
She sucked in a sharp breath. “Where are we going?”
“The living room,” he said, taking quick steps to that destination.
Nolan sat down on the sofa and eased Ivy into position on his lap. Then he leaned in and slanted his mouth across hers, needing her taste again. Jets of sensation shot through his body and took over his mind when he intensified the kiss while roaming his hands up and down her thighs. He loved touching her.
But first it was important to him that she understood something. He broke off the kiss and when she stared up at him with a disappointed pout on her moist lips, he knew he had her attention. “What we are about to share, Ivy, is between you and me and is not part of any premade plan. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She stared at him for a minute before nodding. He wanted to make sure she knew what they were about to share was their own doing, their own decision to fulfill their own needs and desires. Those desires hadn’t been orchestrated by her grandmother or his great-grandmother, but were of Ivy’s and his doing.
Satisfied that she fully understood, he kissed her again. He was more than ready to give her a night to remember.