his lips coaxed hers wider, and she complied without hesitation. he flicked his tongue along her mouth, teasing her, making her want more. her fists tightened in his hair, and she let out a low growl of desire that she'd never made before. grant made her hungry. needy.

her body heated beneath her clothes until she was sure she'd combust. no way was she letting him go. she needed this, needed this pleasure.

isabelle tugged his shirt free of his jeans and slid her hands underneath, over his back. the muscles along his spine were tight, and a fine layer of sweat dampened his skin. so much power was packed into his long, lean body, and she wanted to feel every inch of it.

grant's tongue thrust into her mouth to play with hers, and he let out a deep growl of his own. his hands roamed over her back, questing lower until his long fingers cupped her butt. the feel of his hands on her bottom made her breathing spiral out of control and her stomach quiver.

she knew she was rushing things, and that there was some reason why she shouldn't, but just didn't care. she'd deal with the consequences later, because she wasn't going to be able to wait much longer to feel grant slide inside her. not if she wanted to stay sane.

it had been way too long since she'd been with a man, and she needed this-needed to be more than a teacher and a mom and a target. she needed to be a woman, desired and wanted by a man made to give pleasure.

isabelle wedged her hands between their bodies and fumbled for the button on his jeans, letting him know exactly what she wanted.

grant groaned, low and hungry, then pulled his mouth away from hers and covered her hands.

she took a deep breath, forcing herself to be blunt. "i want you."

he gave her a slow, bone-melting smile. "i love hearing that, honey. i want you, too."

she started shaking. she couldn't help it. she'd fantasized about him saying that on more occasions than she cared to count. none of them came close to the real thing. "that's good. we're in agreement."

"but we're friends. i can't stand the thought of fucking that up. not with you."

"i'd never let that happen."

"are you sure? it happens to people all the time. things turn awkward or ugly even though no one wants that."

"are you saying it's not worth the risk?"

he took her hands and pressed them to the pillow on either side of her head. he held them there while he looked down into her eyes. "what i'm saying is that we don't have to do this. but if we do, i won't let you push me away later. i don't have enough friends in my life to let one as special as you go."

he thought she was special, and that knowledge swelled up inside her, filling her with warmth. "i could never push you away."

belatedly, she realized she sounded like some kind of schoolgirl with a crush. she felt her cheeks flame and started blabbering. "i mean, i know you're a free man and can do what you want. i swear i won't get clingy or needy or anything. you don't have to worr-"

he grazed her mouth with a finger to stop her. "i just want you to be sure. that's all."

"oh, i'm sure," she told him. she felt like she'd been waiting for this for years.

chapter eighteen

grant could barely keep his hands from ripping the clothes from isabelle's body. he told himself to slow down, but it didn't work. he'd never wanted a woman like he wanted isabelle, and it scared him almost as much as it thrilled him.

using a large chunk of reserve willpower, grant kept his pace slow, giving her time to change her mind, though he wasn't sure he'd survive it if she did. his dick had been hard and aching for her since the moment her lips touched his thumb, and there was nothing he could to do convince it to settle down. normally, he had more control, but apparently not where isabelle was concerned.

she was stretched out under him, her long body fitting perfectly under his.

she looped her hands around his neck and pulled him down hard. her mouth crashed against his in a ferocious kiss full of blatant need. her tongue demanded entry into his mouth, and grant's body heated another notch as he let her in.

isabelle clung to him. her grip around his neck was unbreakable, and one thigh rubbed against the outside of his leg. she was panting as she kissed him, giving him desperate little noises of need that thrilled him like nothing else ever had.

there was no question that she wanted him, and that was enough to allow grant to let go and give her what she wanted. no more reservation. no more holding back. isabelle was his.

he straddled her hips, being careful to keep his weight from hurting her. "how's your back?" he asked.

she frowned for a second as if she didn't understand what he was talking about, which was good enough to convince him it wasn't really bothering her. "it's good."

"if it hurts, tell me."

"so you can stop? i don't think so. i'd rather suffer."

grant gave her a wicked smile. "i wouldn't stop, but i would roll you over and take you that way. i'd make sure you enjoyed it."

her green eyes darkened, and grant made a mental note to put that on his list of things to do to her.

her quick hands had already found their way under his shirt and roamed over his bare skin. when they slid over his chest, she closed her eyes and groaned. "take it off," she ordered him.

always willing to please a lady, grant stripped out of his shirt.

isabelle sucked in a breath and went totally still. "wow. i didn't think men like you actually existed outside of hollywood."

"i'm glad you like what you see."

he let her touch him for another few moments until the feel of her slender fingers on his skin made him shake. if she didn't stop, he was going to come before he'd even had a chance to get her naked.

just the thought was enough to push him closer to the edge, and he had to take several deep breaths to ease away from the point of no return. he captured her hands and pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses against her palms.

isabelle shivered and her eyes slid shut. "you like that?" he asked, knowing the answer already.

"like your mouth on me."

oh, yeah. that was good. he planned on getting his mouth on a lot more of her. right now. "my turn," he told her as he started to undo the row of buttons down the front of her shirt.

he peeled back the shirt slowly, teasing her as much as he was himself. he could see her dark nipples through the thin fabric of her bra as they puckered and tightened for him. like her hips, her breasts fit her slender frame perfectly, giving her graceful female curves that made his mouth water.

he made quick work of her bra and found smooth, hot skin beneath.

grant traced a finger from her throat, down the center of her body, and back again. isabelle squirmed beneath him, and a pretty pink flush bloomed over her chest.

"stop teasing and touch me," she said in a breathless voice.

"i am touching you, honey."

"you know what i mean."

of course he did, but he also knew how much better for her it would be if he made her really want it. like he did.

"like this?" he drew his finger along the underside of her breast, closing in on but not quite reaching her nipple.

isabelle twisted, but grant's weight kept her pinned in place. "payback is hell, grant."

his smiled widened. "i can hardly wait."

rather than touch her like she wanted, he leaned down and pressed his torso to hers, letting his chest hair tickle her skin. she groaned and arched her back to complete the contact.

the feel of her tight little nipples against his chest should not have affected him quite so violently, but it did. he was mostly naked. with isabelle. touching her. he gritted his teeth to stave off his impending orgasm and took several deep, sucking breaths.

what the hell was wrong with him? he could normally tease a woman for hours without getting so worked up. something about isabelle was different, and if he didn't want to embarrass himself, he was going to have to change his usual tactics.

her mouth was on level with his throat, and she flicked her tongue out over his skin in a hot, wet caress. her hands slid over his back as if soaking up the heat of his skin.

if she wanted heat, he'd give her an inferno.

grant pushed up off of her enough to maneuver his body down so he could finally kiss her breasts. he licked and nipped his way down her neck and over her collarbone, leaving a trail of damp skin in his wake. her lungs were working overtime, and that was all the proof grant needed that she was right there with him.

he closed his mouth over the tip of her breast and felt her nipple harden further against his tongue. isabelle let out a soft whoosh of air and grabbed a double fistful of his hair. he suckled gently, keeping his teeth away until she was ready for that kind of intense sensation.

and at this rate, she would be soon.

he'd never been with a woman who got so hot so fast. it was enough to make a man's head swell, as well as his dick. his heart was pounding, shoving blood through his veins, but it did little to cool him down. he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to last as turned on as he was, but he was going to find out.

grant switched his attention to her other breast and looped his thumbs in the waistband of her pants. he needed to get his hands on her luscious ass.

the pants and stretchy panties went down without a fight. grant followed suit, kissing his way down over her ribs and stomach. he looked up to see if she was still with him but was distracted by her still-wet, distended nipples. he'd done that to her-made her body show him just how much she liked his mouth. and he wanted to do it again. lower this time.

he made quick work of stripping her legs bare the rest of the way and urged her thighs to open for him. she gave in, melting beneath his touch, and when he kissed his way up along the inside of her thigh, she quivered and dug her fingers into his hair.

grant let her guide him and kept careful track of the things that made her suck in her breath or let it out in a blissful moan. he knew he'd never get enough of her, never get tired of having her spread out before him like an offering, making her feel good.

sweet, lovely isabelle was all his.

her body tensed, drawing tighter as grant used his mouth, tongue, and fingers to pleasure her. the woman taste of her, the smell of her arousal made him ache with the need for release, but he wasn't ready to give in to the urge just yet.

but isabelle had other ideas. she tugged at his hair, trying to pull him up to cover her body.

grant grudgingly gave in and lay down beside her where he could kiss her. he loved her mouth, all soft and supple against his. a man could live for years on fantasies about her mouth alone.

her fingers found his waistband, and she tugged in an effort to free the button of his jeans. when it didn't work, she resorted to rubbing his erection through his jeans.

pleasure rocketed up his spine, and he let out a hiss of surprise. it must have just been too long since he'd gotten laid or something. it was the only reason he could think of that it felt so good this time. better than it should have.