People Will Talk by Carol Rose Page A

than
anything he'd ever tasted. He held her, his hands in her hair, her
fragrance surrounding him. Her face seemed a pale blur in the
twilight that filled the room. The contours of her eyes, nose and
cheekbones formed a hazy beauty that he knew would haunt him
forever.
    Her hands rested on his arms, the slender
fingers splayed on his bare flesh. He felt as if he were on fire
and wondered that he didn't burn her where she touched him. A swift
pulse fluttered in her throat where his thumb pressed. Bret bent to
kiss her there, sliding his hands over her shoulders to find the
row of small buttons on her shirt.
    An almost expectant silence filled the room,
only broken by their shuddered breathing and the hush of fabric
leaving skin. He tugged at her shirt, drawing it open to reveal her
skin. In sunlight, she took his breath away, but in the scattered
light of this sheltered room, he felt as if his heart had been
pierced by her beauty.
    Taking advantage of his pause, Nora drew her
hands across his shoulders, exploring his chest with eager fingers.
She bent forward, pressing her lips against his bare skin, tasting
him with quick flutters. Bret clutched the bed to keep from
throwing her back and having his way with her.
    As she trailed kisses along his shoulder, he
worked at unhooking her bra. His years of practice in the activity
might have been more helpful had he been less
distracted.
    As it was, he felt as unskilled as a
sixteen-year-old boy heading for second base. Her hair floated
forward, falling against his shoulder in a soft drift. He found
himself overwhelmed with tenderness. He couldn't imagine a more
precious moment. With Nora huddled in his arms, eagerly exploring
his body, offering hers so enthusiastically, a sudden rush of
emotion flooded him.
    Holding her close, a sensation flickered inside
him that he couldn't identify. He wanted to love her, to keep her
safe from Richard and the gossips. He wanted to see her fly. She
deserved so much more.
    With her scent surrounding him, her eager hands
caressing him, Bret hungered for all of Nora-her sweet welcoming
body and her fierce, bright spirit, all wrapped around
him.
    Nora felt her bra come free in his hands. She
shivered partly with the coolness of the room and partly from
anticipation. His hands were warm on her back, his calloused palms
gliding over her as if she were the first woman he'd
held.
    He bent to her breast, his mouth damp and
hungry. A spasm of sheer pleasure shot through her and she clutched
at him for support. Nora squirmed with each stroke of his tongue.
Craving, hot and fierce, sprang every nerve to attention. His touch
set off sparks.
    Bret straightened, leaving the bed to strip off
his jeans. A shaft of light illuminated his nakedness, the lean
line of his body, the muscled shape of his legs and buttocks. She
itched to touch him everywhere, trace every enticing
contour.
    Fumbling with the snap of her own jeans, she
skimmed them off and waited, naked in the cool night
air.
    He joined her on the bed, his body warm against
hers, the thrust of his arousal smooth and hard against her
leg.
    "You're so beautiful," he murmured, the stroke
of his hand slow along the curve of her hip.
    Her wayward hands couldn't stop touching him,
the powerful slope of his back, his tight behind and strong thighs.
In places, he felt smooth and warm like a rock in the sun; in other
places, rough with body hair.
    Touching Bret was like entering a foreign
country where everything was new and magic.
    Touch melted into touch. Nora pressed against
the length of him, hard against soft, marveling at the glorious
differences. She moaned as he fondled her breasts, stroking and
molding her flesh until a deep, aching longing settled low in her
body.
    He leaned over to kiss her, deeply, hungrily,
his hands stroking over her belly and thighs. Rising, he moved
between her knees and paused, staring down at her. He trailed a
hand down her inner thigh, his touch whisper soft, almost
reverent.
    Nora