N. Walters - Touch of Topaz

“I like the view from here,” he drawled, looking pointedly at her butt.

A burst of laughter escaped her before she could stifle it and she gave him a mock glare. “I can see I’m not going to get any more work done in here.” She tossed the sponge onto the side of the tub and straightened. “We might as well go for a walk now.”

Topaz came toward him, but he didn’t move and continued to block the entrance to the room. She stopped in front of him, hands on her hips, and raised an eyebrow in question. Damn, she was hot when she went all authoritative on him. He could easily picture her giving that same glare to some supplier and having that person fall all over themselves trying to fix whatever the problem was.

But he was made of sterner stuff.

“You gotta pay the toll, babe.” He pointed at his lips.

She laughed again and cocked her hip to one side. “Is that so?”

“Yup.” He enjoyed playing with her, teasing her. She hadn’t had a lot to laugh about these past months. He liked her smile, the way the corners of her mouth turned upward, and the sparkle that illuminated her golden eyes so they appeared to shimmer.

“Hmmm.” She took a step closer to him and pressed her hands against his chest. She ran them up to his shoulders, teasing his nape with her fingers.

“Is the toll expensive?” she asked.

“You have no idea.” His voice was lower than normal, arousal making it deeper, rougher. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep from kissing her. He wanted her to initiate the kiss.

She went up onto her toes and pulled his head toward her. “I think I’m up to it,” she whispered just before her mouth touched his.

There was no doubt in his mind she was up to the challenge. She tasted like mint toothpaste and the faintest hint of coffee. He opened his mouth over hers and devoured her. He’d eaten breakfast, but he was a starving man. And only she could sate the hunger inside him.

His tongue tangled with hers as they both stroked and teased. She moaned and he broke, grabbed her butt in his hands and pulled her into the cradle of his groin. Her mound pressed against his cock, a perfect fit.

He groaned and moved against her as they continued to kiss. With her in his arms, he lost all track of time and place. Whether she knew it or not, the woman in his arms was everything to him.

He ran his hand up her spine and back down again. She made little sounds of pleasure that sparked the growing lust within him, setting it aflame.

It was only when he felt her palms push against him that he found the strength to pull back from the kiss. She stared up at him and licked her lips. He groaned, leaned down and licked her lips for her.

A deep shudder went through her. “I think,” she began. “I think we should probably take that walk now.”

He shook his head to clear it. She wanted to go for a walk. Now. His body was yelling its denial even as his head told him to suck it up and get back in the game.

She pushed him aside and eased by him. Heading toward the bedroom, she glanced over her shoulder. “I think that more than paid the toll. You can put the rest on my tab for future payment.”

A slow smile broke over his lips as he watched her sashay into the bedroom. “Yes ma’am,” he whispered under his breath. He’d thought to tease her, to get her all hot and bothered before they went for their walk.

Well, the idea had partly worked, except he was the one all hot and bothered. Although, he knew the look in her eyes very well and knew she was feeling the effects of their kiss just as much as he was.

Satisfied he’d set the tone for the day, John sauntered back to the living room to wait for Topaz.

Topaz gave John a sideways glance before looking back at the path in front of her. Her body still hummed from the kiss they’d shared in the bathroom. She couldn’t believe she’d been brazen enough to tease him about it. John brought out a side of her she hadn’t even known existed. She’d never teased a lover before, or thought about sex as something to laugh about. It was fun and liberating.

The bright sun warmed her face as they walked. The crisp air made her face tingle and the light snow covering the ground crunched beneath her boots. It was the perfect morning for a stroll. Winter was hanging on, but she could practically smell spring in the air.

The woods were quiet but they weren’t silent. Crows cawed and a squirrel scampered up the trunk of an oak tree off to their left. In the distance she could hear the distinct burble of a brook. It was so different from New York and reminded her of the simpler times of her childhood.

“Not too cold, are you?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s not that cold.” In fact, she wasn’t even wearing her gloves. They were stuffed in her pockets along with her hands. She’d wanted to reach out and take John’s hand, but she hadn’t been able to make herself do it.

It bothered her that she was unable to do such a simple thing. Why was she so afraid to reach out to him in such a simple way? She’d had no trouble making love to him last night, or early this morning. Maybe it was because their lovemaking had happened in the heat of passion. Reaching out to hold his hand seemed like more of a commitment.

God, could she be any more messed up about her feelings?

She glanced at him again and sighed. John had been quiet since they left the cabin, the easy humor they’d shared over the kiss in the bathroom gone. She wondered what was on his mind, but was afraid to ask, not wanting to ruin the beauty of the moment.

The toe of her boot caught on an exposed root and she started to fall. She threw her hands out in front to catch herself, but John stopped her descent before she’d done more than stumble. Her boots looked great on a stroll down Madison Avenue, not so practical for a walk in the woods.

“I’ve got you.” He helped her stand upright again and brushed his thumb over her cheek. “All good?”

“Yes.” There was worry in his eyes, but behind it she saw the familiar flames of desire. His leather jacket crinkled beneath her hands as she clutched his shoulders. His gaze narrowed and his nostrils flared.

She had no idea what devil inside her made her go up on her toes and kiss him. It was like baiting a bull with a red cape during a bullfight. She wanted him to lose control.

At first he stayed as still as a statue, unmoving and unresponsive to her kiss. Just as embarrassment started to creep in and she began to pull back, he caught her head between his hands and held her while he devoured her. His kiss was filled with dark passion, with relentless need. As always, her body responded readily to his touch.

She wanted him and she wanted him now.

There were no thoughts of tomorrow and what it might bring. There was only now and the heat that sizzled that arose every time they touched.

“Topaz.” Her name was a tortured whisper on his lips. His hand skated down her back to her butt. He lifted her against his erection and ground his pelvis against her.

She had to touch him, had to feel his hard, hot flesh beneath her hands. The zipper of his jacket posed no problem and she slid her hands inside, shoving it down his arms. He released her long enough for her to push it off. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and she simply thrust her hands beneath it.

His body jerked when her cool hands hit his hot skin. The man was always so warm, so irresistible to her.

While she’d been busy removing his jacket, he’d opened her coat and now slipped his hands beneath her turtleneck sweater, finding her lace-clad breasts. His fingers closed around the mounds and he moaned deep in his throat. “I love your breasts, so full, so perfect.”

He took a step forward, forcing her to move backward until her spine connected with the broad trunk of a tree. John leaned down, shoved her sweater up and covered one nipple with his mouth, sucking on it through the delicate fabric of her bra. The tight nub stood at attention, the combination of the heat from his mouth and the cool air on her skin ratcheting her arousal up a notch.

This was crazy. They were in the middle of the woods and there was still snow on the ground. Plus, they were out in public. She had no idea how close they were to other people. Knowing John, not very close. He was a man who valued his privacy. But still, she wasn’t the type of woman to take these kinds of chances, to be this wild and impetuous.

He shifted his mouth to her other breast, wringing a moan of pleasure from her, and she forgot all her objections, all the reasons why this wasn’t a good idea. Her panties were damp and the familiar longing grew within her. “John.” She groaned his name as he sucked hard and used his tongue on her straining nipple.

“Right here. Right now.” He pulled back and yanked down the zipper of her jeans and tore open the button.

His sense of urgency fired hers and she found herself agreeing, even helping. She shimmied her hips and he pulled her jeans down around her knees, taking her panties with them. Cool air hit her bare butt and her pussy and she shivered.

Her boots prevented her clothing from going down any farther. John swore and spun her around so she was facing the tree. “Bend forward.”

A blast of heat beat back the cold when she realized what he wanted to do. She placed her hands on the rough bark of the tree and leaned down. Behind her, she could hear the sound of a zipper. Fabric moved over fabric and then she felt the hard, hot head of his cock pressed against her opening.

John swore and pulled back. “Condom,” he muttered. She felt exposed and vulnerable just waiting for him, yet every nerve in her body tingled in anticipation.