fireplace and plopped down indignantly.
She was hardly seated when she heard Challon push back his chair and stand up. “Actually, I prefer it that way, sweetheart,” Rand said mischievously. “It saves so much time.”
Before she had time to look over her shoulder, he was across the room and on the couch beside her. He gathered her swiftly up in his arms and transferred her into his lap. “Now, pay up,” he ordered. “I’ve been waiting all evening for my just reward.”
“Just reward?” Sheena said indignantly. “You have—” The rest of her protest was smothered beneath his lips. For fully thirty seconds she withstood temptation and kept her body stiff and unresponsive. Then as Challon deepened the kiss, she gave a low moan and melted against him as she always did. It was a feverish and breathless fifteen minutes before he reluctantly stopped kissing her. They were both flushed and shaken, and Sheena could hear Rand’s heart beating furiously beneath her ear. She did not recall when she had unbuttoned his green-and-black-plaid shirt, but it was an uncontested fact that her face was pressed to the wiry mat of tawny hair on his chest. She moved her cheek in sensuous enjoyment, liking the feel of the roughness against the smoothness of her cheek. He alwayssmelled deliciously of clean soap and that warm earthy odor that was distinctly his own.
“Be still,” Rand growled, pressing her head firmly to his chest. “These damn teasing petting sessions are driving me up the wall. Do you know that I didn’t sleep until nearly dawn last night?”
Sheena refused to admit to him that she had been in a similar state when they had parted the night before. She had burned with an aching hunger that had caused her to toss restlessly for hours.
“I’m certainly not forcing you to make love to me,” she said tartly, making a motion to slip off his lap.
“Just be still,” he ordered. “I’m well aware our present status quo is my own choice, but it doesn’t make it any easier when I have to let you go. Just give me a minute to cool down.”
She lay quietly in his arms, intimidated for the moment by the hunger in his voice.
She was fully aware that he was entirely correct in his statement. She had admitted to herself some time ago that Challon could have taken her anytime in the last week, and she wouldn’t have uttered a single protest. She smiled ruefully as she realized what a gross understatement that was. There had been moments in this last week when she had been not only eager but frantic for him to carry on with his lovemaking to its final conclusion. Sometimes she had been in a positive fury of frustration and had unconsciously tried to tempt him into breaking that tightly leashed control, but to no avail. Challon’s steely determination had never wavered, even in the face of that physical chemistry that was like an electric force field surrounding them.
The past week had been the strangest one that Sheena had ever known. Balanced on the fine edge of desire, the days had still possessed a warm, tranquil contentment. Challon had possessed every moment of her waking day with a sweeping arrogance that she found curiously comforting. There were no troublesome decisions to make because he made them for her,and she had no option but to flow in Challon’s turbulent wake. There were long walks every morning that she found highly enjoyable, hours of companionable conversation and equally companionable silences. In the afternoons they usually lunched with Laura Bradford and then played chess until time to change for dinner.
In the evenings Laura conveniently disappeared to her room after dinner, and then Challon had initiated Sheena into the intricacies of poker. Claiming that the game lacked zest with the gambling element removed, Challon had instituted forfeits into the game that were as heady as they were enjoyable. This inevitably led to their lingering in each other’s arms until they could bear no more
She was hardly seated when she heard Challon push back his chair and stand up. “Actually, I prefer it that way, sweetheart,” Rand said mischievously. “It saves so much time.”
Before she had time to look over her shoulder, he was across the room and on the couch beside her. He gathered her swiftly up in his arms and transferred her into his lap. “Now, pay up,” he ordered. “I’ve been waiting all evening for my just reward.”
“Just reward?” Sheena said indignantly. “You have—” The rest of her protest was smothered beneath his lips. For fully thirty seconds she withstood temptation and kept her body stiff and unresponsive. Then as Challon deepened the kiss, she gave a low moan and melted against him as she always did. It was a feverish and breathless fifteen minutes before he reluctantly stopped kissing her. They were both flushed and shaken, and Sheena could hear Rand’s heart beating furiously beneath her ear. She did not recall when she had unbuttoned his green-and-black-plaid shirt, but it was an uncontested fact that her face was pressed to the wiry mat of tawny hair on his chest. She moved her cheek in sensuous enjoyment, liking the feel of the roughness against the smoothness of her cheek. He alwayssmelled deliciously of clean soap and that warm earthy odor that was distinctly his own.
“Be still,” Rand growled, pressing her head firmly to his chest. “These damn teasing petting sessions are driving me up the wall. Do you know that I didn’t sleep until nearly dawn last night?”
Sheena refused to admit to him that she had been in a similar state when they had parted the night before. She had burned with an aching hunger that had caused her to toss restlessly for hours.
“I’m certainly not forcing you to make love to me,” she said tartly, making a motion to slip off his lap.
“Just be still,” he ordered. “I’m well aware our present status quo is my own choice, but it doesn’t make it any easier when I have to let you go. Just give me a minute to cool down.”
She lay quietly in his arms, intimidated for the moment by the hunger in his voice.
She was fully aware that he was entirely correct in his statement. She had admitted to herself some time ago that Challon could have taken her anytime in the last week, and she wouldn’t have uttered a single protest. She smiled ruefully as she realized what a gross understatement that was. There had been moments in this last week when she had been not only eager but frantic for him to carry on with his lovemaking to its final conclusion. Sometimes she had been in a positive fury of frustration and had unconsciously tried to tempt him into breaking that tightly leashed control, but to no avail. Challon’s steely determination had never wavered, even in the face of that physical chemistry that was like an electric force field surrounding them.
The past week had been the strangest one that Sheena had ever known. Balanced on the fine edge of desire, the days had still possessed a warm, tranquil contentment. Challon had possessed every moment of her waking day with a sweeping arrogance that she found curiously comforting. There were no troublesome decisions to make because he made them for her,and she had no option but to flow in Challon’s turbulent wake. There were long walks every morning that she found highly enjoyable, hours of companionable conversation and equally companionable silences. In the afternoons they usually lunched with Laura Bradford and then played chess until time to change for dinner.
In the evenings Laura conveniently disappeared to her room after dinner, and then Challon had initiated Sheena into the intricacies of poker. Claiming that the game lacked zest with the gambling element removed, Challon had instituted forfeits into the game that were as heady as they were enjoyable. This inevitably led to their lingering in each other’s arms until they could bear no more
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