Australia: In Bed with a Bachelor. Emma Darcy

and tug his body over hers.

      He was ready to oblige now, knowing her entire being was screaming for him and he was still in control, though bursting to unleash his own knife-edge desire. As he lifted himself up, her legs locked around him, her hips already rocking, and there was no more waiting. He surged into the slick passage to the edge of her womb and dropped his head to ravish her mouth, wanting total invasion, absolute domination of this intimate togetherness.

      Yet she met the attack of his kiss with an assault of her own, a fusion of heat that turned aggression into a melting pot of exploding sensations and he lost every vestige of control. Her legs goaded him into a series of fast thrusts, clamping around him at the point of deepest penetration as she moaned at the intense satisfaction of it, then rolling her hips around the hard heated fullness of him as he withdrew to plunge again, driven to hear and feel her pleasure in him over and over, wildly intoxicated by the sense of being drawn from peak to peak, each one raising the stakes to a higher level of fierce feeling.

      It was like riding a storm, hurtling towards the eye of it at breakneck velocity, their lives hanging on holding on to each other until they reached beyond the violent shattering that threatened every escalating moment and landed in a place where they could peacefully return to themselves again. Jake didn’t care how long that took…minutes, hours.

      It was a fantastic journey—her response to him, what he felt himself, a host of primal elements whipping them towards a final crescendo. The breakthrough was a totally cataclysmic moment, both of them crying out as the storm released them into a free fall of exquisite delight and they floated down on a sweet cloud of ecstasy, still clamped together as they shifted into a more relaxed embrace, prolonging what they had shared as long as they could.

      Even just cuddling her close to him was sweet, smelling the scent of her hair, winding strands of it around his fingers, rubbing his cheek over its silkiness, feeling the rhythm of her breathing in the rise and fall of her breasts against his chest, the sensual stroking of one of her legs between his, knowing she was still revelling in feeling him.

      Eventually thoughts drifted through Jake’s mind, carrying a need to make sense of why this sexual experience with Laura had been so incredibly intense. Never before had he been completely locked into having a woman like this, driven to take, driven beyond what he’d previously known. His liaisons with other women had been more casual pleasures, enjoyable, relaxing—what he’d considered normal. Why did the animal chemistry go deeper with Laura Costarella?

      She was definitely the most beautiful woman he’d ever taken to bed. Had that heightened his excitement? Somehow he couldn’t quite believe that would affect him so much. His mind kept niggling at her family connection to Alex Costarella. Was it because of who she was, linking her to the passion for retribution, which had consumed most of his life for the past ten years? Or did the fact that she should have remained forbidden to him cause the difference?

      Impossible to pin it down. All he absolutely knew was he couldn’t allow this affair to escalate into a serious relationship. If he kept to that, surely he could simply enjoy what she gave him—her companionship over the dinners he would arrange, and the intense physical pleasure they would share in bed together afterwards.

      Settling on this determination, Jake shut down on the questions, intent on making the most of this night together. ‘Feeling good?’ he asked, wondering what she was thinking, if she was happily satisfied with her decision to set aside her reservations about him.

      ‘Mmmh…very good.’

      There was a smile in her voice.

      He didn’t need to know any more. He smiled his own contentment with the situation.

      She began an idle stroking of his body—slow, erotic caresses, which instantly stimulated him into touching more of her, lingering over every voluptuous curve, loving the wonderfully sensual feel of her womanliness. Touching moved into kissing as they explored each other in intimate detail, arousing the need to merge again, to feel all that could be felt between them.

      It was marvellous, less frenzied this time but still incredibly exciting with the mutual abandonment of all inhibitions. It left Jake feeling flooded with pleasure, and the gradually ebbing waves of it lulled him into a deep untroubled sleep.

      Laura woke to morning light. They’d forgotten to draw the curtains last night, too consumed with each other to think of anything beyond the sensational intimacy they’d shared. She rolled over to look at the man who had taken her to heights of pleasure she had never even imagined, let alone known.

      He was still asleep. Despite the brilliant dark eyes being shut, his face was still strongly handsome and his body… She sighed over how perfectly manly it was, just the right amount of muscularity and everything ideally proportioned. Absolutely gorgeous. Sex appeal in spades. What a fantastic night she’d had with him! No regrets, that was for sure! Whatever happened next between them, this was one experience she would never forget.

      Careful not to wake him, she slid off the bed and padded quietly to the bathroom, wanting to freshen up and look good when he did open his eyes. She grabbed her handbag off the desk in passing, glad that it contained a small hairbrush and lipstick. With no change of clothes to wear, it was a relief to find bathrobes provided for guests. She could lounge around in one of them until it was near time to leave the hotel.

      Having showered and groomed herself as best she could, Laura returned to the bedroom to find Jake still asleep. Quite happy for a little time on her own, she settled on the window-seat, her back against the side wall, feet up on the cushion, arms hugging her knees, instinctively wanting to hug in all the lovely feelings generated by last night with Jake.

      It wasn’t just the sex, although that had been unbelievably awesome. Even now her heart swelled with the sheer joy of learning how marvellous it could be with the right man. Nothing could have felt more right to her, which made her wonder if it was wrong to stand back from a serious relationship with Jake. So far she liked everything he had shown of himself, and definitely wanted to know a lot more. Maybe they could have something great together.

      The view of the botanical gardens caught her eye. A stroll through them would be a pleasant way of continuing the day—time to chat about their interests and look for more common ground between them. She would like to see the house he was renovating, too, the kind of home he was making for himself. The environment people chose to live in could speak volumes about them. Sharing the private life of Jake Freedman was an exciting prospect and Laura was hugging that to herself, too, when his voice broke into her hopeful reverie.

      ‘Happy with the view this morning?’

      She laughed, bubbling over with high spirits and looking at him with sparkling pleasure. ‘It’s lovely! The sun is shining and it’s going to be a beautiful day.’

      He grinned at her as he rolled out of bed, saying cheerfully, ‘So let’s make a start on it. Call room service and order breakfast for both of us while I freshen up in the bathroom.’

      ‘What would you like?’

      ‘You choose. I have great faith in your food judgement.’

      He left her grinning, enjoying the back view of him as he headed off to the bathroom. Only when this vision was cut off did she swing her legs off the window-seat and set about ordering their breakfast, choosing what she wanted herself and hoping Jake would be pleased with everything.

      He came out of the bathroom, wearing the other bathrobe and checking his watch. ‘It’s eight o’clock now. How long before room service arrives?’

      ‘About another twenty minutes.’

      The dark eyes twinkled sexily. ‘Only time for a good-morning kiss then. And no disrobing.’

      ‘We have the rest of the day,’ she suggested happily as he drew her into his embrace.

      He frowned. ‘No. No we don’t. There’s work I have to get done on the house before the plumber comes tomorrow.’

      ‘Can I help you?’ she asked impulsively, wanting to be with him.

      He