Page 29 of Glorious Sinner

My face heated when I thought about what we did in his office last night—not just my face, my whole body. I couldn’t believe I’d actually done that in front of Tomas. That he’d done the same in front of me.

Yes, I’d seen guys get themselves off before. I worked in a strip club, it happened, but that wasn’t hot or sexy, and they weren’t Tomas. The last thing I remember was being lifted off the desk. I must have fallen asleep in his arms when he carried me upstairs.

God, I’d passed out on him.

The bedroom door opened and my head shot up. Tomas walked in, wearing those black PJ bottoms, his chest bare, hair mussed. And he was carrying a tray.

“You’re awake,” he said, voice still rough from sleep.

I tucked my hair behind my ear, finding it hard to meet his steady gaze. I took my clothes off for a living, in front of a room full of people. I didn’t get shy. It was different with Tomas, though. I felt like I was baring more than my body when I was with him, so much more, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with it.

He sat on the side of the bed, putting the tray down on the other side of me. “Thought you might be hungry,” he said, and reached out, touching my hair, gently rubbing it between his fingers. “You passed out last night.”

“Sorry, I, ah, I haven’t been sleeping very well the last few nights,” I said. A shiver raced through me when Tomas curled the fingers of his other hand around my wrist and stroked the skin there with his thumb like he often did.

“Why are you sorry?” he said, some of the heat leaving his eyes.

As much as I wanted to pretend nothing had changed, it had. I wasn’t some nervous teenager, and Tomas wasn’t some guy who took me to prom. He was a powerful man, one used to getting what he wanted, and I had no doubt that included women. I forced myself to hold his stare. “Look, about last night. I, ah…I wanted to be with you, to have sex with you, but…”

“Steph…”

“But I don’t think I can…not yet.” My belly squirmed and that pissed me the hell off. So much for not acting like a nervous teenager.

His thumb didn’t stop moving against my wrist, and his expression didn’t change. “I brought you up here because I wanted you beside me, not for any other reason.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

His searching gaze moved over my face. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’ll never lie to you. Yes, I want you, but there’s no time limit on it, no rule book. We go at your pace.” His gaze lingered on my lips for several seconds then lifted back up. “Do you want that, too, Stephanie? Do you want me?”

There was no point lying. I didn’t want to lie to him either. He deserved my honesty. “Yes, I want you.”

He cupped the side of my face and leaned in, brushing his lips over mine. “You have no idea how fucking happy that makes me.”

Tomas had a shower while I ate the breakfast he’d made me. I ate most of it, my appetite back in full swing this morning. I was putting the tray aside when the bathroom door opened and he walked out, hair damp, wearing only a towel. He said nothing, just moved around the room getting ready. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, the play of his muscles, the beautiful ink on his skin…

The towel dropped.

His back was to me, and dear God, was he gorgeous. I mean, this wasn’t news to me, but I’d never seen him completely naked. Long legs, solid thighs, muscled ass and back. He was like a sculpture, a painting.

I watched, riveted, as he pulled on boxer briefs then black trousers.

He turned around and, yep, the front was as beautiful as the back, which I also already knew. His abs tightened and I all but licked my lips as my gaze traveled up, taking in all that golden inked skin. I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to taste every inch, to trace those tattoos with my tongue. I carried on up, his throat, his chin, his lips…

My eyes clashed with his and they were smoldering.

“You keep looking at me like that and I’ll be forced to get back in that bed for a repeat of last night,” he said without a hint of a smile, just raw need staring back.

It should have scared me, intimidated me, because honestly I felt out of my depth with this man in every single way. Instead my body came alive. “You’re just…you’re so beautiful.”

His nostrils flared and he strode toward me, pulling me to my feet when I was in reach. Then he kissed me, hard and hot and deep, his tongue tangling with mine until my legs were shaking and my head was spinning.

When he tore his mouth from mine, we were both panting. I blinked up at him, trying to clear my head.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for so fucking long.” He slid the pad of his thumb across my kiss-swollen bottom lip. “You okay with that?”

I nodded, still feeling dazed. “Yes.”

His lips curled up. “You taste like heaven.”