Natalie was so filled with exultation, so beguiled that she lay passively, a willing captive, her breasts hard and swollen beneath his searching hands, her body arching instinctively as his fair head bent and he caressed each rosy tip with gentle lips.
'My beautiful Natalie,' he whispered against her skin and even his voice seduced her, dark as black velvet, gentle, wonderful to hear.
Almost without her knowing, her own fingers reached for his shirt, her breathing slow and uneven, and the dark eyes were raised, meeting hers for a minute before he pulled the shirt over his head and lifted her towards him, bending her like a delicate flower, his hand beneath the heavy fall of her black hair, his lips claiming hers as she gasped with pleasure at the thrilling touch of his skin against hers.
She was bewitched, enslaved, caught up in an impelling fascination. No one had held her like this, looked at her, touched her, been so carefully gentle. She was floating in a new, entrancing world, lost beneath soothing hands, drowning in the sound of Kip's coaxing murmurs. As his hand reached for the zip of her skirt she moved languorously, her arms clinging to his neck, her long slender legs moving obediently as he pulled the skirt aside and tossed it to the floor.
She had no fear or thought of resistance as his hands moved possessively over her, tracing her stomach and the long slender length of her legs. She curled towards him, her green eyes wide and alluring, faintly surprised to see the taut expression on his face.
'Are you angry?'
'Angry? God!' His arms tightened at her whispered question, light flaring in his eyes as she smiled bewitchingly and entwined her arms around his neck. He stood in one swift movement, lifting her high against him, her body almost naked in his arms, and she felt no danger, no threat even when he walked into his bedroom and placed her on the bed.
Some deep, puzzled feeling was asking her why she felt no shame, why this was different. The blazing dark of Kip's eyes only excited her further and she welcomed the hard pressure of his body as it lay over her own, her whole being softening to his violent arousal.
She was so far lost that the feel of his hand sliding into the top of her lacy panties shocked her into stiffening, brought her right back to the reality of the softly lit room. Everything within her wanted to stay here but inside her head she heard his amused admission of love for one or two nights and suddenly the room stifled her, spoke to her of Annette Shelton, of other women. She stared up into his eyes, seeing the darkness narrow, probe into her mind.
'You're afraid, Natalie?'
'No. I—I...'
He watched her for a minute, the determined drive inside him easing, and then his hand came up to cup her flushed face as he partly assessed her problems.
'You're a virgin. Why the burning response when you're scared stiff?'
'I—I couldn't help it. You coaxed me and...'
'You mean I set out to seduce you?' Anger flared for a second deep in his eyes. 'Do you know how you are in my arms? Don't play such dangerous games with anyone else, butterfly, or you might not be so lucky.'
He swung off the bed and strode out of the room, coming back again before she could do more than sit up, her clothes in his hand.
'Well, you did warn me when we first met that you wouldn't have an affair with me,' he grated. 'Let me tell you, sweetie, that you came pretty close there.'
'I can take care of myself.' She sounded flustered, close to tears, and he took one deep controlling breath and then sat beside her, taking her blouse forcefully from her trembling fingers and dressing her whether she liked it or not.
'I've undressed you twice now,' he reminded her caustically when she protested. 'Dressing you is somewhat of a greater problem at this moment.' He slid her skirt over her head and then as her fingers searched tremblingly for the zip he suddenly ran his hand down her black shining hair. 'Calm down, Natalie. I already know you're a fake. One shrewdy businesslike television lady who turned out to be a delicate, frightened near-child.'
She opened her mouth to protest, to deny but his lips were suddenly on hers, a deep, dark pressure ^hat warned and promised.