Emma Darcy – Australian Bachelors: Masterful Magnates: Purchased: His Perfect Wife (страница 20)
She instinctively arched upwards and sank back against his bent knees, taking in the magnetic expression in those dark eyes, the disruptive sensuality apparent on his compelling features, and her lips parted as he traced the contours of each breast, then paid delicate attention to each peak.
Pleasure rippled across the surface of her skin, and her upper body shook a little as he shaped her face, her collarbone, then slid down to weigh each breast in his hands.
Evocative tracery that stirred alive her tenuous emotions … causing her to move restlessly as one hand trailed low, seeking the acutely sensitive bud … and her reaction when he found it.
She rose up as sensation shot through her lower body in waves, each more powerful than the last, as he drove her almost to the point of delirium … then he shaped her waist and took her on the ride of her life.
Afterwards he pulled her down against him and settled her head into the curve of his neck as her body trembled in the aftershock of multiple orgasms.
His fingers drifted slowly along the edge of her spine, soothing gently until she gradually quieted and her breathing returned to normal.
She slept, physically and emotionally exhausted, unaware of the man who held her, or that it was a long time before he carefully disengaged and drew her in against the curve of his body.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THEY arrived at JFK airport in New York and were met by a chauffeur whom Wolfe introduced as Mike, who greeted them as they entered the arrivals lounge, took care of their luggage and led the way to a black top-of-the-range Mercedes parked outside the terminal.
With skilled ease they were transferred from the airport into the city.
A wise move, Lara acknowledged, given New York traffic remained the nightmare she remembered from during a visit with Suzanne and Darius.
One-way streets, traffic lights on almost every corner, reduced speed limits, traffic snarls and delays.
Cosmopolitan, loud and brash vied with refined old-money and very real wealth. A city of contrasts, where business deals were made in boardrooms and deals of a dubious kind happened on the streets. Light and dark, legitimate and subversive … a city which never slept.
She didn’t know where Wolfe resided, and hadn’t thought to ask. Once it had been a loft in Tribeca, but that was years ago, and he’d undoubtedly moved on and up since then.
Upper East Side, Manhattan was definitely
‘A guest wing is situated beyond the dining room and kitchen on the right, and the main bedroom suite is to the left.’
There was also a home office, a media room, a guest powder-room and a small utility room, Lara noted as she followed Wolfe through to a spacious main suite with panoramic views and an adjoining
‘We’ll shower and change, unpack then send out for food.’
It sounded like a plan. She hadn’t slept on the flight from Hawaii, and her body still needed to adjust to New York time.
‘You go first. I’ll begin unpacking.’
‘We could share.’
She spared him a quick look, caught the faintly teasing humour curving his generous mouth, and shook her head.
‘No?’ He began discarding his outer clothes, and she deliberately kept her attention averted as he moved into the
She retained a vivid memory of the shower they’d shared … had it only been yesterday, or had it been the night before? She attempted to do the time conversion, then gave it away; ‘whenever’ seemed close enough.
Her body still felt sensitive from his touch, and the mere thought of what they’d shared caused sensation to spiral deep inside, heating her blood and sending her pulse-rate racing to a faster beat.
Unpack, she bade silently, then when Wolfe re-enters the bedroom collect a change of clothes and go shower.
Hadn’t she spent the past week sharing a hotel suite with him? Why the sudden onset of nerves? It hardly made sense.
She was almost done when he emerged from the bathroom, and she gathered up what she needed and entered the room he’d just vacated.
Extraction fans had removed the steam, but the soap he’d used and his cologne teased the warm air, bringing vividly alive the effect he had on her senses.
Oh, for heaven’s sake! Go with the prosaic—think food, and whether the pantry and freezer were stocked sufficiently to prepare a meal. Besides, cooking would give her something to do …
Lara dressed in jeans and a sweater, caught her hair into a loose knot atop her head, added moisturizer, took a deep breath and retraced her steps to the lounge.
Wolfe stood looking out at the city skyline, seemingly intent in conversation on his mobile phone, and she took a moment to admire his tall frame, the snug fit of his jeans and the black knit sweater which hugged and emphasized his broad shoulders.
He was something else … all harnessed power, and a degree of ruthlessness apparent beneath a sophisticated façade.
Passion, he possessed it in spades, and an intimate knowledge of precisely how to please a woman. A faint shiver slithered deliciously down her spine at the mere thought. Followed almost immediately by just how many women he’d undoubtedly slept with, where
Did he have a mistress? A variety of obliging girlfriends who had yet to discover he’d entered into marriage?
Instead, go check out the kitchen, and if nothing else compile a list of staples and whatever else is needed.
That was where Wolfe found her, engrossed in inspecting the pantry shelves.
‘I’ve ordered in.’ He crossed to where she stood, and saw the sheet of paper and pen in her hand. ‘This can wait until tomorrow.’
Sure it could, but she needed to
‘Do you entertain guests here in the apartment, or do you prefer to dine out?’
‘And this is important now?’
He sounded mildly amused, and she added something to her list. ‘Yes.’
Hands closed over her shoulders and turned her to face him. ‘You’re as nervous as a cat on hot bricks. Why?’
‘It makes a refreshing change.’
‘From the women who beat a path to your door?’
His eyes gleamed with humour. ‘Those too.’
‘Maybe we should notify the media—
‘I doubt it’ll be necessary.’
‘Because?’
‘An outstanding invitation to attend a charity fundraiser tomorrow night.’
Oh my. She was being flung in at the deep end. ‘How … nice. I get to do the dress-up thing and play pretend.’
‘You’ll manage.’
‘Of course.’ The facetiousness was intended, and he responded with a soft, husky laugh that was interrupted by the buzz of the in-house intercom.
Wolfe crossed the room and checked the visual screen, the delivery person’s ID, then released the entry security-door. ‘Our food.’
He’d ordered in Chinese. It was delicious, and she said so as they used chopsticks to taste the contents of various containers. When they were done, they gathered the empty containers together and put them in the trash.
‘Coffee?’
‘Hot, black and strong. I need to put in a few hours at the laptop.’
‘No problem. I’ll channel-surf the cable network.’
It was pleasant to relax away from his disturbing presence, and she settled in a comfortable leather recliner chair, found a movie on-screen that captured her attention and soon became engrossed in the storyline and the actors who played their parts.
It was around midnight that Wolfe found her there, and he stood for a moment, regarding her sleeping form in repose. She looked peaceful, and for a moment he contemplated leaving her there. Except there was every chance she’d wake disoriented by her surroundings.
Not a good option.
With care, he lifted her into his arms and carried her through to the main suite.
She didn’t stir as he placed her on the bed. The slip-ons came easily off her feet, but removing her jeans required some finesse … so too did her sweatshirt.