Page 29 of Wild Heart
I tugged lightly on her hair and separated my mouth from hers. With heaving breaths, Ava and I were locked in a prolonged stare. “Does that answer your question?” My voice had dropped so low, an indication of just how much one kiss with her had impacted me.
Ava’s tongue darted out to touch her lips. “I think it does.”
Releasing the grip I had on her hair, I brought my hands to her hips, took half of a step back, and glanced down at her body. “This thing you’re wearing is fantastic. You looked stunning in your dress earlier, but this is on another level.”
A genuine smile appeared, lighting up her face and brimming with confidence. Although I didn’t mind seeing a timid side to Ava, after what she’d shown me on the dance floor, it was the confident woman I’d expected to see when I walked into this room. “I was hopeful I’d get to show it to you.”
“It would have been a crying shame if I missed it.”
She tilted her chin up, exposing her slender neck. “Are you planning to show me your appreciation for it? You might like what’s underneath it even more.”
Seemingly of its own accord, my hand left her hip and wrapped around the side of her neck, my thumb resting at the front of her throat. The move caught Ava off guard for just a moment, but when she realized the effect that she was having on me, she closed her eyes and smiled.
Seeing that look, it was a miracle I held myself back any longer. “What will I find there?”
Her eyes fluttered open, a gleam in them. “I’d rather not say. I think it’d be more fun for you to discover that on your own.”
Confidence and playfulness. The lightness was back in my chest, and the temptation to slide the nightie up her thighs and over her ass to reveal what was beneath was real.
“Before I do that and things get past the point of no return, are you covered with birth control?”
“Yes.”
My thumb moved along the front of her throat in response, and Ava tipped her head toward my hand. With unhindered access to the opposite side, I stepped close again and leaned down to touch my lips to the skin there.
Ava’s body shuddered, her knees buckling. I wrapped my arm around her waist to hold her up while my mouth explored. I kissed and nipped at the skin along the side of her throat, my tongue occasionally darting out to taste her.
I worked my way up toward her jaw, kissed along the surface of it, until my mouth was at her ear. When I pulled her lobe between my teeth, she whimpered. “Tate.”
My name coming past her lips and dripping with such need, I felt like I could conquer the whole world. I released her ear, found her mouth, and stole another kiss from her, taking more than before as my tongue ran along the seam of her lips.
Ava gave me what I wanted, granting me access to explore and taste her. And while I did that, she sought to propel things forward by working her hands at my neck to loosen my tie.
We slowly undressed one another. My jacket, shirt, and tie were gone first followed by my shoes, socks, and pants. No matter how much I enjoyed seeing it on her, Ava’s nightie was gone next.
She hadn’t been wrong. I loved what was underneath it more than anything else.
“Do you know how beautiful you are?” The words came out rough, my throat thick with emotion.
A bashful smile spread across her face. Maybe it was because she was naked in front of me for the first time, but the move was so out of character for her. Confidence had always come naturally for Ava.
She stepped close to me, her lips seeking mine. I didn’t hesitate to kiss her, doing it while relishing the feel of her naked skin against mine.
Eventually, I wrapped my arm firmly around her waist, lifted her slightly, and turned to fall back into the bed, Ava’s body coming over mine. Her legs dropped to either side of my hips, her mouth still connected to mine.
I took a moment to appreciate having her naked body on top of mine like that, my hands roaming over her back, along her sides, and to her ass.
But I ultimately had plans for us, for her. So, I rolled her onto her back, shifting her body farther up in the bed until her head was nearly resting on the pillows. There was something I liked even more about having Ava’s body beneath mine, both her arms and legs wrapped around me.
As much as I enjoyed it, I had to lose that connection to go where I intended to go next. Tearing my mouth from hers, I pulled back slightly to take her in. Ava’s lips were swollen and her skin heated.
I needed more.
I dropped my head forward again, kissing along her jaw and down the side of her throat. Continuing my descent, I brought my hands to her breasts and listened to the way she moaned. Nothing had ever sounded so sweet.
God, I felt like I’d wanted this my whole life, and I didn’t want to miss a single opportunity to touch and tease and taste every single inch of her.
My mouth journeyed down her body, stopping at her breasts. I licked and sucked, moving from one side to the other. And as much as I had believed it was going to be me who enjoyed this most, Ava didn’t hold back. With every swipe of my tongue or nibble of my teeth, she moaned—panted. Her hands were in my hair and on my shoulders, her fingertips pressing in, her nails biting into the flesh.