Effortless by Lynn Montagano

that bound us together seemed muted. My heart fluttered.
    Tonight had been disastrous on all fronts. If I could, I’d press a giant reset button.
    Alastair paced the room, raking both hands through his hair. His strides were full of purpose, measured and strong. When he stopped, he stared right through me. In an instant, he was in front of me, hands firmly on my hips. “I love you. I shouldn’t have forced you to go to Brent’s tonight. I shouldn’t have put you through that.” He cupped my jaw. “I’ve lived my life a certain way for so long. There are certain expectations that come with being in my position. That’s not an excuse, I know. Having you here…I’m…all I want is for you to feel safe and loved and happy.”
    His smile lit my soul on fire. That was my smile, the one he saved only for me. I relaxed in his embrace, finally feeling the stress and tension of the night sliding away.
    “We’re both adjusting as best we can, Holden. I promise not to fly off the handle if you promise not to be so closed off.”
    “Sounds fair enough.”
    “Good.” I looked up into his big green eyes and smiled. “Now where are those cheeseburgers?”
    The room filled with the sound of his throaty laugh. “You have a one track mind. We’ll eat in a little while.” He tugged at the belt holding my robe together. A rush of cool air tickled at my bare skin when it fell open. “We’ve had too many interruptions this week.”
    Goosebumps scattered across my arms and shoulders when he slid the robe down to my elbows.
    “All I could think about every day we were apart was you.” The damp warmth of his lips glided down my neck. “Come with me.”
    Without much effort, he pulled me toward an oversized chair and sat. I straddled him, combing my fingers through his disheveled hair.
    “I want to start tonight over. Can we do that?” he asked, nuzzling his nose along the curve of my breasts.
    “I’d like to.”
    “There is no one else for me but you. The outside noise is just that. Noise.”
    I swallowed down a hot, salty lump. “Did you ever love her?”
    “No.” He brushed his thumb over my lips.
    “And do I—”
    Fisting his hand through my hair, he pressed his mouth to mine. I parted my lips, sighing into his kiss. The quiet stillness of the suite was amplified by Alastair’s soft moans, kick starting my pulse with a vengeance. I pulled his hair, eliciting the low growl that drove me crazy. Like a woman possessed, I grabbed at the waistband of his pants, unbuttoning them and tugging down the zipper. I stood up long enough to yank his pants and boxer briefs off, tossing them to the floor with little fanfare. Staring at him, I let my eyes move slowly along his body. There had never been a more beautiful man created.
Perfection
. Sitting like a king on his throne, he pulled me onto his lap, pressing his fingers into the flesh of my lower back, holding me in place. I shifted, unable to move.
    “Lia.” The quiet, lust-fueled way he said my name matched the heated glow in his eyes. “Let me.” He removed the robe, leaving a trail of kisses in its wake.
    Slipping further and further into his magnetic sphere, I submitted to him, losing myself with every caress. Unaware of anything but his mouth on my skin, I shivered when my back touched something cold. Looking to my left in a foggy, lust-filled haze I barely registered that he now had me plastered against the picture window.
    A steady ache grew at my core when he ran his tongue along his lower lip. Blood pounded in my ears, seeming to echo through the room.
    Using both hands, and starting at my shoulders, he traced along the contours of my body with slow, deliberate strokes. His fingers moved around the curves of my breasts, pausing to brush against the nipples before gliding down my stomach. I shuddered and clenched my thighs together as he knelt down, caressing my hips and pressing a light kiss just below my bellybutton. Every touch was more gentle than the last,