“Jesus, Sophia.” His azure eyes sparkled with hunger and he bent to kiss her bare shoulder. “Do you want to unman me here?” he whispered in her ear. His hand ran over the strapless bodice that enhanced her breasts and revealed her curves. “Temptress.”

“Behave!” She gripped his hand and dragged him to the dance-floor.

The disco music throbbed as Sophia let herself go with it, the rhythm in her veins. They danced until the small hours of the morning.

When they returned to the hotel, Ethan had a peaceful expression on his face.

Two table lamps were on, softly illuminating the living room.

From the minifridge hidden inside a cabinet in the corner, Sophia took out a bottle of Cristal Louis Roederer. “Another toast.” She handed him the champagne bottle. “Open, please. I’ll be right back.”

He popped the cork.

“Where are the damn glasses?” he muttered, looking around.

“We don’t need glasses,” she whispered in his ear when she came back to the living room and snatched the bottle from his hand, laughing. Swirling away with it, she drank from the bottle, the champagne dribbling down her chin and onto her breasts. The icy liquid spread downward.

“Mmm,” she moaned and shuddered, whispering hoarsely, “it’s cold.” She dragged a hand over her neck, breasts, and flat stomach. The thin black gauze of her wrap clung to the swelling curve of her breasts and her nipples tightened.

Ethan’s mind shut down as he watched Sophia dance away from him, crossing the living room to the windows, the wrap swirling around her legs. The first light of day had started to creep in the sky and outlined her lean body and long legs.

He stalked her slowly and cornered her by the window, caging her with one arm on the wall. He fixed her with his blistering gaze, took the bottle from her hands, and lifted it over her shoulders, letting the champagne wash over her.

She moaned, letting her head fall back. Her mouth curved into a slow, wicked smile, “I’ve never had a chilled champagne shower before,” she licked her lips, “I want more,” she demanded naughtily.

“You little devil,” he breathed as he stepped to the fridge, shedding his coat, waistcoat, and shirt onto a chair.

She followed him, untying her wrap, and shrugging it off. It floated to the ground in a dark cloud. She reached for him to divest him of his breeches as he opened a magnum bottle.

He toed off his shoes as he popped out another cork and handed the bottle to her, ordering, “Drink.”

She lifted the bottle to her mouth, caressing it erotically with her fingers, lips, and tongue, promising with her eyes to do the same to him.

His gaze didn’t waver from the show as he finished taking off his clothes. He picked up the bottle from her and let the golden liquid pour from it slowly in a steady rivulet to soak her more.

“Don’t finish it on me,” she snatched the bottle from him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

The soft light from the incoming dawn danced on her wet skin and flashed on the diamonds of her headband as she tipped her head to drink and her hand closed over him and traveled the length of his erection.

She reached for him and scattered kisses along his jaw, licking a trail to his earlobe. She took it into her mouth and suckled.

Ethan groaned, “So good.” His head dropped to kiss her shoulder and lapped at her collarbone, “You and Cristal, the perfect combination.” He pulled away her nightgown and he licked his way to her breast and drew the nipple between his lips, sucking hard.

Sophia threw a hand into his hair, holding him in place. “Oh,” she gasped, “Ethan.” With a gentle shove to his shoulders, she backed him onto the sofa. She stood between his legs and slowly ran a hand over her moistened abdomen and stroked his erection in her wet palm.

“Sophia,” he moaned, “please.”

“What do you want?” She glided her hand harder, longer.

“Don’t tease, Sophia,” his hips jerked on the sofa and his breathing quickened.

She tightened her hold and stopped, causing him to moan in distress. “What do you want?”

“I want you,” he groaned, “take me in your mouth.”

“Mmm, let me see what I can do about that,” she murmured, her tongue licking his parted lips leisurely.

He sucked her tongue between his lips, grunting with desire and his hands caressed her rump. Her hand left his arousal for his chest and she handed him the bottle, “Drink.”

Her fingers lightly caressed his hard chest and she bent to kiss one nipple and then another, sucking them both hard.

Ethan grunted in instant appreciation.

Sophia nipped her way down the center of his stomach to his navel, dipping her tongue in his belly button.

His fingers found her curls and he tugged. “Down,” he rasped.

She dropped to her knees, between his thighs, her hand motioning for the bottle. She drank a gulp and smiled sinfully at him. Her hands glided over his thighs to his knees and her nails backed up, scrapping the inside of them.

“Damn, Sophia,” his eyes blazed a darker azure.

She bit at the skin beneath his navel and he drew a long and ragged breath. She drew her cheek along the pulsating length of his hard arousal, moving up from the base to his smooth rounded tip and she lightly blew on him. She drank a gulp of the chilly champagne and took him fully into her cold mouth.

“Sophia,” he shouted. His hands held her shoulders, digging his fingers in her flesh. The muscles of his stomach tightened and flexed as he thrust forward between her lips.

She sucked him into her mouth fiercely and he howled in pleasure as she worked her mouth along him.

He watched as her mouth worshipped him.

Her hands grasped the base of his erection as desire shot through her body. She loved giving pleasure.

Seeing was too much, and Ethan pulled her by the arms onto his lap before the orgasm shattered him. “Ride me,” he ordered, gripping her hips.

Her fingers gripped his shoulders and slowly, torturously she sheathed him with her body as he plunged into her at the same time. “Ah, Ethan,” she gasped throatily as he filled her again with a hard thrust.

He gave her a heated kiss, deep and lascivious, dragging his hands over the silky skin of her ribs, down her back to the curve of her bottom as he entered her mercilessly.

He broke the kiss and watched her. Lost in her pleasure, Sophia’s eyes closed and her mouth parted, her head thrown back. Her curls brushed his hands as they moved together.

“So beautiful,” he whispered as he cupped her hips in his hands, “So soft. I love touching you. I love tasting you. Love watching you respond to passion.”

She opened her eyes to look at him.

“How your eyes turn into this yellow feline color when you’re aroused,” he shoved harder into her and she gasped. Ethan felt her body tightening the moment his finger touched her clitoris.

“Sophia, you’re mine,” he said hoarsely with a fierce thrust.

“Ethan,” she gasped and pushed down against him. He plunged into her again and she shattered.

She flung her arms around his neck, dragging him to a searing kiss, her fingers in his hair and holding him tightly as an orgasm consumed her. “Ethan,” she whispered again on his lips.

Every motion and spasm of her body frayed the threads of his self-control. And with another shove, he let go, his climax hitting him hard. With it came a rush of happiness that filled him with wonder. He let himself sink into her soft body.

“Sophia, I love you.” He buried his face in her curled hair and her sweet scent enveloped him. This is heaven. I want to be here every single day of my life.

She shuddered one last time in his arms and he stroked her back waiting for their hearts to calm.

“I love you,” he repeated in her hair, “you are my only and lasting love.”

She purred, her face resting on the hollow of his shoulder, her arms flung around his neck and back.

He felt safe.

He felt secure.

And above all, he felt loved, as he never had before.

Chapter 9

London. Leibowitz Oil Building.

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010.

4.20 p.m.

The intercom buzzed, jolting Sophia. “Yes, Sarah?”

“Mr. Ashford’s on the phone, Mrs. L. I informed him you were busy, but he was quite insistent,” Sarah said in an apologetic voice.

“It’s okay, Sarah, I’ll take his call. Please, hold all others, except Gabriela’s calls. Any excuse will do, all right?”

“Yes, Mrs. L, I’m sorry.”

“No prob,” Sophia sighed and picked up the receiver. “Hello, Ethan.”

“What took you so long, Sophia?” Ethan said, in an annoyed voice.

“Good afternoon to you, too, Ethan.” Sophia said in a voice that held a hint of ice. “I was working. I have responsibilities, you know. Lawsuits with final judgments, contracts to review, essays to mark; small things that, perhaps, are far from your big world but they make up my daily life.”

“Sorry, darling, it’s just that I’m having a stressful day,” Ethan explained himself. “Baby, I’ve changed our plans for this evening. I’m hosting a small dinner for some friends, who came over for a business meeting. They’re French and I would like you to help me receive them.”

“Okay. Do you need me to bring anything?” she offered.

“Just your beautiful presence. My secretary has ordered the catering from Arbutus,” he said. The Michelin-starred restaurant in Soho was one of Ethan’s favorites.

“I’m already salivating.” Sophia loved the exceptional modern European food prepared by Chef Anthony Demeter. “What time do you need me there?”