The smile came without her permission. He was every bit the commanding man of authority. "All right." She rose to her feet. Holding his gaze, she reached under her shirt and skimmed her shorts and panties down. "But I"m not done with you yet. "

His gaze burned over her, urging her to haste. "We"ll see. "

She dropped her shorts to the side and reached for the hem of her shirt. "Promise me you"ll let me taste you first. "

As if pained, his eyes closed. "Anabel. "

"You know you want me to," she taunted, and pulled the shirt free.

His eyes snapped open and he went very still as he looked at her, taking an extra long time to study her belly and the small decorative jewel in her navel.

His jaw locked. "You like giving head?"

If he thought to disconcert her, he could forget it. "I"ll like sucking on you. "

In a heartbeat, he went willing, resting back against the door again, his limbs deliberately loose while his c.o.c.k twitched and his chest swelled with his laboring breaths.

Feeling wicked and s.e.xy, Anabel knelt in front of him again. She tasted the firm flesh of his abdomen first, dipped her tongue in his navel, bit his hipbonea"then curled her hand around him, held him still, and swallowed him deep.

His head tipped farther back, his knees locking tight. "Yes. "

It was better than she"d imagined, the sounds he made, the way he fought to hold still, the explosive moan when he gave up, grasping her head and moving with her mouth, thrusting in, feeling the hollows of her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I"m going to come," he whispered harshly.

Anabel drew him deeper still, letting him know what she wanted. At the same time, she cradled his b.a.l.l.s, very gently squeezing, urging him, and with a low shout, he exploded.

Slumped against the door, his eyes closed and his chest heaving, he curled his hands around her head and drew her away. Anabel gave one last, lingering lick to the head of his p.e.n.i.s, felt him flinch, and smiled.

For the moment, she was content to enjoy her victory, to sit there and peruse his gorgeous body and think about what was to come next. Her entire body felt alive, warm and soft in some places, ripe and swollen in others.

She licked her lips, tasting him again, salty and rich, and she wanted to start all over.

Gil was watching her. His face was flushed, his thickly lashed eyelids partially open. "Should I come down there," he murmured, "or are you going to come up here?"

Anabel reached a hand toward him. He hauled her up, proving that he might be winded, but was far from spent. He further made that point by scooping her up as easily as he had Nicole.

"What are you doing?"

"Putting you in my bed so I can give a little payback. "

"Yeah?" She could hardly wait. And in fact, she didn"t have to.

The second her back touched the mattress, Gil settled on top of her. He took her mouth, stifling her moan as his hands found and kneaded her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He sucked at her tonguea"and tugged at her nipples.

The pleasure was so acute, Anabel arched her back. Gil slid one arm beneath her, keeping her positioned that way so he could kiss a path down her throat to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"I always wondered if you had sensitive nipples. Do you?"

"I don"t know." At the moment, she barely knew her own name.

"Let"s find out." He drew her left nipple into his mouth, suckling softly, stroking easily with his tongue. He was being so gentle, it startled her when he increased the pressure, drawing hard, pressing her nipple to the roof of his mouth.

His fingers at her other breast mimicked the sensation, squeezing just so much, pulling and tugging.

Anabel twisted, fighting against the dual sensations while at the same time wanting more. It did her no good. Since he"d already come, Gil was in no particular hurry. Instead, he seemed determined to drive her crazy, spending so much time on her nipples while other parts of her body grew hot and wet.

He moved to the side of her, propped himself up on one elbow, and stared at her belly. "So?"

Anabel could barely breathe. No way could she hold still. "What?"

"Are they sensitive?"

He sounded utterly unaffected while she was going insane.

"Yes. "

"Good." He bent again, licking each nipple in turn while wedging one big hand between her thighs. She caught her breath, waited, but he didn"t do anything other than hold her. The warmth of his hard palm was stimulating, but she wanted his fingers inside her. She needed his fingers inside her.

"Gil?"

"Shhh." He licked his way down her body to her belly. "You are so f.u.c.king s.e.xy. "

His tongue dipped, teasing her navel, nudging the tiny belly b.u.t.ton jewelry, tickling her so that she tried to turn away.

"Hold still." He anch.o.r.ed her by sinking his middle finger deep into her, drawing her to an immediate stillness. Just that, just that one finger, and she felt ready to come. Her inner muscles clamped tight around him, but other than that, she didn"t move.

"That"s better," Gil whispered, teasing her again with his tongue. Her nipples were wet and tight from his mouth, her belly twitching with the tickling, teasing licks and prods of his tongue, and she had to fight the urge to lift her hips, to thrust against that thick, invading finger.

He stared up her body at her face, making certain she understood. "Good girl. "

"Ia I need to come now, too. "

"And you will. More than once." She started to let out her breath when he added, "But not yet," then nibbled his way down to her hipbones.

It seemed he was determined to taste her everywhere. Her thighs, the backs of her knees. And all the while, his finger was inside her. Just when she thought she couldn"t play his game anymore, Gil situated himself between her thighs. "Open your legs for me. "

She did, immediately. He stared down at her s.e.x, his expression intent, determined. His finger pressed more firmly into her, and with his other hand he smoothed her pubic hair, touched her c.l.i.toris with a light stroke of his thumb, and said, "You can come now. "

And oh G.o.d, she did. The pleasure washed through her, rippling through her thighs, twisting inside her. Gil watched, his thumb brushing her very gently while his finger filled her. She could feel his breath, heard the smile in his voice when he said, "That"s gooda "

Anabel couldn"t believe what had happened. She was still numb, her body heavy and sated when Gil shifted, sliding his hands under her to raise her hips.

"Gil?" She lifted her head and stared down at him. He was between her thighs, his dark hair mussed, his mouth damp, his expression hot.

"Time to come again, Anabel. Then I"ll get a rubber and make love to you proper. But firsta "

She felt the damp stroke of his tongue and dropped her head back against the pillow with a low cry. She was already sensitive from her o.r.g.a.s.m, her v.u.l.v.a hot and full. Gil wasn"t timid about tasting her. He licked and sucked and stroked deep with his tongue until she was crying out, twisting and shaking, and just when she knew it was too much, he closed his mouth around her c.l.i.toris and sucked.

A tidal wave of sensation rushed through her, making her thighs shiver and shake, her belly hollow out, her back arch. He kept it going, sliding two fingers into her, back out, in again. She didn"t know if it"d ever end and didn"t really care.

Her mind was still blank of cognizant thought when Gil very gently kissed her cheek. "You still with me, Anabel?"

"Mmm. "

His mouth smiled against her jaw. "That"s good. Because I"m not done yet. "

A groan erupted. She honestly didn"t know if she could muster up any strength to accommodate him.

"You were awfully easy. But then, so was I." He continued to press tiny, affectionate kisses to her cheek, her ear, her temple. His big hand rested on her belly, one hairy thigh over hers. "It had been a long time for me," he admitted. "I guess too long. "

Anabel forced her eyes open. "Why?"

His gaze went from her eyes to her mouth. "Who knows? I thought I"d lost interest. I said I was too busy. Maybe it"s just that no one really appealed to me. "

She lifted a hand to his sweaty shoulder. "It"s been three years since I was with anyone else. "

Beneath her hand, his muscles stiffened. "Three years?"

Anabel shrugged. "Sh.e.l.ly was pregnant and upset and I spent a lot of time with her. Then Nicole was born. I didn"t really have a baby-sitter, and I was afraid if I left her with Sh.e.l.lya "

"That she"d take her away." His voice was low, a little angry, somber and accepting. He cupped her cheek and turned her face toward him. He wore a frown, but as he bent his head and kissed her, she felt his grave gentleness, and his silent thank you.

Amazingly enough, the second his mouth touched hers, Anabel felt revived. She loved him. For her, loving Gil was the biggest reason that she"d been celibate so long. True, she always put Nicki first, but it hadn"t been a hardship to give up men when Gil was the only man she wanted.

She turned toward him, sliding her arms around his neck and pressing her belly to his. Gil rolled to his back and pulled her atop him, adjusting her legs so that she straddled his hips.

"I want you to ride me, Anabel. I want to play with your b.r.e.a.s.t.s and belly while I"m inside you, and I want to watch you come. "

Just hearing his intent was almost enough for her. She said, "All right. Just tell me where to find a rubber. "

Chapter Four.

Three years, Gil thought, unable to fathom such a thing, especially for a woman as sensual and open as Anabel.

Holding her hips with one hand, he reached past her to the nightstand and pulled open the top drawer. Anabel saw the packet of condoms and pulled one out.

She flipped it like you would a fan. "I"m out of practice, so let me know if it doesn"t feel right." After tearing the silver package open with her teeth, she held his c.o.c.k and teasingly rolled the rubber on.

Not feel right? Gil considered the touch of her small soft hand around him, the glint in her eyes as she concentrated on the task, wonderful, mind-blowing torture.

"On your knees. "

She lifted up, bracing her hands on his chest. "Like this?"

Gil didn"t answer. With two fingers, he stroked her, making sure she was wet enough, opening her, preparing her. "Now ease down. "

Her smile taunted. "You like to give orders, don"t you?"

He met her gaze. "Sit down, Anabel. "

She laughed, and slowly sank onto him. The head of his c.o.c.k pa.s.sed her delicate lips, then got hugged by the hungry clasp of her body. She paused, drawing a breath, closing her eyes.

"A little more," he urged through clenched teeth. He held her hips and pressed up while drawing her down. They both moaned with the incredible sensation of him sinking inside her, stretching her a bit, fitting snugly. Her fingers curled against his chest, leaving half moons from her nails. Her head tipped back and she thrust her b.r.e.a.s.t.s forward.

Gil drew her down so he could latch onto a tightly drawn nipplea"then he began to thrust. He wanted to be easy but he couldn"t manage it. Never mind his own long abstinence; knowing Anabel had been three years without s.e.x drove him wild. He loved seeing her shifting expressions, how her teeth bit into her bottom lip, the way her belly drew in, how her thighs gripped him. He squeezed her soft a.s.s, guiding her until she found his rhythm, then slipped one hand around the front of her and wedged his fingers between their bodies.

She was hot, wet, gasping and making low, s.e.xy sounds deep in her throat. Using the tips of his fingers, Gil applied pressure where he knew she"d need it most. Far too quickly, she started to come. She dropped forward to take his mouth, and Gil rolled, putting her under him again, slowing so that her climax was suspended.

"Gil. "

"Shhh. Easy now." He kissed her again, long, deep, wet kisses while slowly sliding in and out, giving her only shallow thrusts, keeping her on the edge.

She tried to lock her legs around him, probably in hopes of taking over. Gil caught her knees and pressed them forward and out, opening her completely, leaving her vulnerable. Anabel went still, a little apprehensive, he knew, but nowhere near ready to call it quits.

"Am I hurting you?"

Breathlessly, she said, "No," but she strained against him, trying to hold him back.

"Good." He eased her legs farther apart. "Then relax. "

She drew two deep breaths, trying to do as he asked.

Very slowly, Gil pressed forward, deeper, deepera "Oh G.o.d. "

"Relax for me, Anabel." He no sooner growled the words than he felt the start of her climax. Gil marveled at her. Her eyes had darkened with trepidation, and still she enjoyed him. She quit holding him off and instead embraced him with a soft, throaty, vibrating moan of surrender.

Gil lost it. He thrust hard, fast, aware only of the draining release, the powerful rush of scalding sensation. It was more than he had ever experienceda"more than he"d known existed.

Some moments later, utterly sated, he became aware of Anabel squirming beneath him. "Gil? My thighs are killing me. "

Oh h.e.l.l. He realized he still had her legs caught up in his elbows. He groaned, straightened away from her, and fell to his back. His bedroom smelled of s.e.x. It smelled of Anabel. He took a deep breath, then let it out on a sigh. "Sorry," he murmured.

"All things considered," she teased, "you"re forgiven. "

Gil turned his head on the pillow to look at her. "What things?"

Her eyes were closed, but she smiled. "Three o.r.g.a.s.ms?"

"Ah." Knowing he had to do the manly thing, he pushed himself from the bed and stumbled on shaky legs into the bathroom. He disposed of the condom, washed, and filled a gla.s.s with water. When he returned to the bedroom, his door was open and his bed was empty.