Chapter Thirty Two

                                    

                                          
He turned to her and Kaarina felt her heart pounding way too fast. But she knew what she was doing. Exactly what she shouldn't be doing.
                          
With two steps, she closed the distance between them. His breath fanned across her lips, just before his mouth touched hers. This kiss was different from the few heated exchanges they had shared. There was a vulnerability in them both that hadn't been there before. Each touch, each press of his lips against hers, each sweep of his tongue as it glided sensually against hers was somehow more. Kaarina heard the door slam behind him, but she didn't give it a second thought of how she couldn't recall them moving into the apartment. She really couldn't care less. 
                          
"Theo," she whispered, as his lips left hers. He kissed her jawline, then down her neck, finding each sensitive spot along the way and paying it extra attention. 
                          
"I haven't been able to stop thinking of you like this," he confessed. By the time he reached the hollow of her throat, she was gasping.
                          
"I couldn't stop thinking of you either," she managed to get out before moaning as he nipped that sweet spot under her ear. 
                          
There were no words after that. With every touch, every kiss she felt herself falling into the abyss. There would be no coming back from this point. Everything she felt for him, all the emotions that she'd held at bay, locked up inside herself, were bursting forth. She had no illusions that he was offering her anything other than a moment, but it didn't seem to matter. Even as he reached for the zipper of her black pants, her fingers were fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. The need to feel him against her, skin to skin was insistent, consuming. Kaarina didn't even realize she was out of her pants and he was working on her blouse, but when her blouse gaped, the sleeves falling down her arms, she shed it quickly without a second thought. She saw the way his eyes narrowed, the pupils dilating as he took in what she'd worn beneath it. Lingerie was her weakness, and the black satin and ivory lace bra and panties with the matching garter belt and stockings were her favorites. She'd donned them that morning for no real reason besides from needing something that day to make her feel good. If she had thought about it, she would've taken a moment to be grateful she'd worn something so suitable to seduction, although it was a toss up at that moment as to which one of them was the seducer. She returned to the task of removing his shirt. The damn shirt. 
                          
"If I'd known this was what you were hiding under those clothes before, then I would have taken you a long time ago," he said, his voice a hot whisper against her neck.
                          
Kaarina shivered in response. "We all have secrets," she stated huskily. Jeez...didn't he know that. "This is my one vice."
                          
"And I'm thankful for it," he responded, shrugging out of the shirt that she'd finally managed to loosen. Her hands skimmed over his chest, her nails scraping lightly against his skin. 
                          
"Christ, you're killing me," he said, but not in the least bit sounding as if he disapproved. As a matter of fact, it sounded as if it pleased him. A smile almost made its way on her face due to learning that, but it was kind of weird since she wasn't one to ever try and please anyone. Except for her mother and her deceased father. She didn't have to dwell on that for long as his voice once more blocked out all other thoughts. "But we're just getting started." 
                          
She gasped when Achilles grasped her hair, just at the base of her skull and tilted her head back. It wasn't painful, but commanding. The position arched her neck and thrust her breasts forward until they strained against the satin and lace cups that covered her. 
                          
With just the tip of one finger, he traced a line from the hollow of her neck to her cleavage. The contrast of that subtle, gentle touch against his forceful hold was both exciting and frightening.