She leaned into him, suddenly needy for his heat. She sought out his mouth with her lips. While their mouths still clung in a kiss, he shifted her into his lap. A moment later, when he stood with her in his arms, they didn’t speak. There was no need to talk. Their gazes said it all.
He carried her upstairs, laid her on his unmade bed and began to undress her. Colleen let him, even though she felt more naked and exposed than she ever had in her life.
But more beautiful, as well, she admitted, taking in Eric’s gaze as it trailed down over her naked body.
He stripped and came down next to her on the bed. He kissed her everywhere, sanctifying her with his touch, cleansing her with the fires of desire. When his head settled between her thighs, she accepted his most intimate kiss, opening herself to him. She felt vulnerable, but she felt whole, as well. His lips and tongue worshipped her with an avid, concise prayer. It stole her breath, the pleasure he brought her. She cried out as bliss flooded her, fierce and distilled.
He swallowed her whimpers with his kiss, their essences mingling. His possession was forceful and total, leaving her in little doubt that he’d been suffering the tortures of his own need while he’d brought her such sweet pleasure. He whispered in her ear roughly as their passion peaked, and she felt herself once again hovering on the precipice of climax.
“That’s right. Let go. Give yourself to me.”
She’d been so afraid of fully exploring the boundaries of her passion, afraid of what it would be like to fall from the lofty heights of ecstasy to the dark abyss of loss and betrayal. But in that moment, Colleen took a chance. She let go and leaped.
Eric was right there with her, holding her, fusing with her, a full partner, sharing in the sensual storm.
Chapter Twelve
The next morning the snowstorm had stopped. They worked together to clear Eric’s driveway. She’d talked to Marc, and he’d said to expect him and the kids at around two o’clock that afternoon.
Her weekend with Eric had been electric and vivid. All of her senses were peaked and sharp, as though she’d undergone a sensual awakening. But as she walked out the front door with Eric, she suddenly felt as flat and gray as the early December sky. It was time to return to her work and routine. She had no idea what the future would look like for her and Eric.
They went to Sultan’s for breakfast, and Colleen couldn’t help but be struck by the difference between this meal with Eric and their first at the restaurant a few weeks ago. They both sipped their coffee and shared the Sunday paper, their hands clasped on the tabletop. Every once in a while, she’d glance up and catch Eric watching her. What was he thinking as he studied her so soberly? She hated the fact that while they appeared to be the very image of a content, sensually connected couple, her doubtful thoughts and annoying questions about where the relationship was going started to harp at her again.
An hour later, Eric pulled into her driveway. He was due at the hospital within the hour in order to carry out a monthly mandatory shift in the emergency room. Neither of them spoke as he put the SUV in Park.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “It was a wonderful weekend.”
“You hardly need to thank me, when I enjoyed it so much.”
Colleen cleared her throat. Was it her imagination, or had the silence just become awkward…charged? All her doubts flooded to the surface. She opened her mouth, unable to stop herself from voicing a question about how he felt about the relationship on a go-forward basis. He spoke before she could, however.
“Colleen…you’ve been so honest with me over the weekend,” he began. “I’ve appreciated that. I feel like I owe you a truth in return.”
Her heart fluttered in her chest. “What?” His seriousness had set an alarm bell going off in her head.
“It’s just…” He paused and stared out the front window, seeming uncertain how to phrase his words. “When I operated on Brendan, and then when Liam and Natalie announced they were getting married, I realized there was a certain opportunity available to me that hadn’t been there before.”
“Opportunity?”
His flickering gaze bounced off her face. “Yeah. I told you earlier this week that I’ve always been attracted to you. But because of our history, you’d put a barrier the size of the Great Wall of China between us. It was damn near impossible for me to get anywhere near you. Every time I tried to…”
“Get me into bed?” she finished for him numbly when he faded off. His dark-eyed gaze met hers.
“I’m not going to deny that I always wanted you. Every time I tried to get near you though, you erected another layer on your wall. You blocked me at every turn.”
“So you used my son and the wedding to get what you wanted,” she clarified. She couldn’t believe she sounded so calm.
“Well…yeah, but I wasn’t dishonest about anything. I think I made it pretty clear how interested I was.”
“So why the need to confess?”
He blinked at her quiet question. Her heartbeat now roared in her ears.
“You always came off as so strong…so…impenetrable, like nothing could get to you. After last night,” he said gruffly, “I realized that was an illusion, though. I realized how hard it must have been for you to start up with me when you had so many doubts about a relationship since Darin died…and because of your discovery about what happened with your mom’s infidelity. It made me feel guilty.”
“Why?” Colleen breathed out, dreading his answer.
“Because