Uncovering Annabelle Read online

  She skimmed her hand over his thigh. Up and down. The muscles flexed beneath her hand. She loved the feel of him. Annabelle could only imagine how incredible it would be when he wasn’t wearing any clothes.

  “We might not make it to my place if you keep that up,” Mike growled. He captured her hand with his and then pushed it firmly against the front of his pants. His erection was obvious and hard.

  “Oh, my.” Annabelle was enthralled by her effect on him. She’d never realized that a man’s arousal could excite her so much. It certainly never had before.

  Mike raised her hand to his lips and kissed in the center of her palm before returning it to the seat next to him. “I want to get us home in one piece, honey, so you have to keep your hands to yourself until we get there.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “Once we get there, you can do anything your heart desires.”

  The possibilities fueled her imagination, and by the time she could find her voice to speak again, Mike was turning off the main road and onto a tree-lined driveway. They were about ten minutes outside of town and the area was wooded and secluded.

  Annabelle peered out of her window with interest and couldn’t stop the gasp of wonder that followed when his home came into view. It wasn’t overly large, but it was absolutely breathtaking. At least what she could see from the porch light and truck headlights.

  Mike parked in the driveway, shut off the engine, and sat back in his seat. “So what do you think?”

  “It’s beautiful.” Mike seemed to relax when she praised his home, and until that moment, she’d had no idea that he was tense too. Oddly enough, that fact helped her to relax.

  “Wait for me.” Mike got out and came around to open her door. He took her hand as he helped her out. Tucking it in the crook of his arm, he led her to the front porch.

  Annabelle stopped at the bottom of the steps, wishing it was daytime so she could see every detail of Mike’s two-story home. The wide front steps led up to a covered porch, which wrapped around the home on both sides.

  “The porch goes around to the back, too.” Mike ushered her up the stairs. “And there’s a porch swing in the back.”

  “Can we try it?” She loved the idea of a porch swing. It would be a wonderful place to curl up and enjoy an afternoon. Maybe read a book or simply relax.

  “Not the first time, maybe later.” Mike let go of her long enough to unlock the door and usher her inside. It took her a moment to understand Mike’s comment about the swing. Her first reaction wasn’t prudish like she would have thought. She tried to imagine just what they could do in that swing. The possibilities were intriguing.

  Mike turned on the light and Annabelle peered around with unfeigned interest. She had to admit she was curious. She wanted to know everything about Mike.

  “Welcome home.”

  Before she had time to think about the implications of Mike’s words, he’d bent down and swept her into his arms. Taken off balance by his actions, she grabbed his shoulders to keep from falling. No man had ever held her in his arms, at least not since she was a child, and this was vastly different.

  A tender expression in his dark eyes, Mike leaned down and kissed her. It started out as a simple kiss, a meeting of lips, slightly tentative and searching. Then his tongue swept into her mouth and it became a claiming. He was staking out his territory and didn’t care if she knew it.

  She not only loved it, she reveled in it. His impatience was arousing.

  Annabelle slipped her hands around his neck and dug her fingers into his hair, holding him to her. She stroked her tongue over his. His husky groan sent her pulse racing. The heat being generated by their kiss was off the charts. Mike tasted better than chocolate and twice as sinful. She couldn’t get enough of him.

  Mike was climbing a set of stairs, but she was too caught up in their kiss to care. She could see the house later. For now, all that mattered was Mike. She tugged his hair in protest when he started to pull back from their kiss. He gave a half laugh, half groan and gave her one last hard kiss on the lips before lowering her feet to the floor.

  Annabelle was more than a little unsteady. She swayed slightly, but Mike kept his arm around her, giving her an anchor in the sensual storm. Once she was steady and could stand on her own, he went down on one knee in front of her. He lifted her right foot and slipped off her shoe. Annabelle grabbed his shoulders for balance. He then performed the same service for the other foot.

  Still on one knee, Mike wrapped his arms around her waist, buried his face against her stomach and just held her. The tenderness of the gesture touched Annabelle. Her breathing was uneven and tears came to her eyes, even as she blinked furiously to fight them back.

  As much as she was afraid to admit it to herself, this evening was about more than just sex. She had deep feelings for Mike and had for quite some time. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be here. She wasn’t the type of woman who could separate her emotions from her sexuality. Maybe it would be wiser and safer for her heart if she could.

  It was a magical moment she knew she would never forget. Her decision to become his lover was right and, whatever the outcome, she would never regret it.

  His kissed her and she felt his breath, hot and moist through the thin fabric of her dress. “Remember, if I do anything you don’t like, just tell me to stop and I will.” He gave her waist a light squeeze and flowed to his feet, their quiet interlude over. “Tell me what you want and I’ll fulfill any fantasy I can.”

  Annabelle physically reacted to his promise. Her breasts grew heavy and ached for his touch. Her stomach quivered and her panties were damp. She wanted Mike. Of that, there was no doubt. She now realized she wanted all of him—heart, mind and body. But she’d take what she could get for as long as she could get it.

  This night, their love affair, would change her forever. She knew that whatever else happened in her life, she would compare every other man she ever met to Mike Sloan. She feared they would all come up lacking.

  Mike walked to the nightstand and turned on the bedside lamp. The soft light illuminated her. Annabelle flinched as if a spotlight had hit her. It was so bright after the darkness. “Do we have to have the light on?” She bit her lip nervously. Like most women, she was insecure about her body. She wished she hadn’t eaten that chocolate earlier today. It had probably gone straight to her hips.

  “Not if you don’t want to, but I really, really want to look at you.” His heated gaze traveled the length of her body from the top of her hair to the tips of her bare toes. Annabelle suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

  “I want to see every lush inch of your naked body,” he continued, his words like a physical caress, sweeping aside all her concerns. “I want to see you, touch you, taste you.”

  “Oh, yes,” Annabelle sighed. The visions his words brought to her mind sent her heart racing. She wanted all that too. Light on or off, she no longer cared as long as he did all the things he promised.

  • • •

  Mike couldn’t take his eyes off Annabelle. He finally had her where he wanted—in his home and in his bedroom. After months of getting to know her, to get her used to being around him, she’d finally agreed to go out with him. He hadn’t anticipated her agreeing to get naked with him so quickly, but he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

  The sexual attraction between them snapped and sizzled whenever they were in the same room. The yearnings she brought out in him were extreme. On the one hand, he wanted to treat her gently and carefully make love to her all night long, pleasuring and pleasing her. On the other hand, he wanted to toss her on the bed and fuck her every way possible until they were both exhausted sweaty heaps on the bed.

  Then he wanted to do it all over again.

  He wanted everything she would give him and more.

  “Let’s just get this dress off you.” Mike carefully plucked her glasses off her face and placed them safely on the nightstand. Then he turned her around until her back was to him. He gripped the t
ies of her dress and pulled slowly. It was like unwrapping a long-awaited present. He wanted to take his time and savor the experience.

  The bow gave way and the dress loosened around her.

  Annabelle hunched forward and Mike drew his hand back. He had to go slow and not push her too hard, too fast. She was eager but still skittish.

  “I didn’t think about getting out of this dress when I put it on tonight. It’s got to come off over my head.”

  “No problem.” Before she had time to worry herself too much about what was about to happen, he reached down, grasped the skirt of the dress and pulled it up and over the top of her head. She raised her arms to help him, and in less than a second it was off. He tossed it aside and admired the long, graceful line of her spine. Several short wisps of hair had escaped her bun and skimmed her nape.

  He reached around Annabelle and cupped her breasts through her sensible cotton bra. Annabelle was quite a handful, and he had large hands. He molded the soft mounds and gently teased her pert nipples between his thumbs and forefingers.

  He wanted to learn how she liked to be touched, what turned her on. Annabelle moaned and thrust her breasts deeper into his palms. Her nipples puckered to sharp points beneath the cotton. Mike took a chance and lightly increased the pressure. Annabelle gasped and let her head fall back against his chest. Her neck was too much of an enticement to ignore. He licked her skin and savored the salty flavor before nibbling his way up to her ear.

  The woman was pure temptation. There was no guessing with Annabelle. Her responses were real and spontaneous. She didn’t try to hide any of her reactions to his touch. It was a huge turn-on.

  He glided his tongue over the curve of her ear, tracing the delicate whorl. Annabelle was a moaner and her cries got louder when he swirled his tongue inside her ear.

  His cock was hard as steel and throbbing for release. He tried to ease some of the hunger by rubbing it against her sweet little ass. That only made it worse. The friction from their clothing pushed him closer to the edge. It would feel so damn good when they were finally skin to skin.

  Annabelle’s hips started to undulate. He pulled her even closer and ground his erection between the cleft of her panty-clad behind. He kept his right hand on her breast, but allowed his left one to slide down her belly. Her skin was soft and pale, a contrast to his rougher and tanned skin. A reminder he was bigger and stronger than she was. And she was his.

  His reaction was primitive as hell, but he didn’t care. When Annabelle pushed back against him, he tortured himself by sliding himself up and down her bottom. He was going to burst out of his pants if he didn’t get them off soon.

  Her neck beckoned him again and he nipped a path down her shoulder.

  But it wasn’t enough. He needed more. He slipped his fingers past the waistband of her underwear until his fingertips brushed against soft hair. He didn’t stop. He combed his fingers through the tight curls on her mound in search of her clitoris. He slid his index finger back and forth, lightly teasing the tiny nub of nerves. “Open your legs and let me in.”

  Annabelle didn’t hesitate. She widened her stance, and he immediately slid his middle finger straight inside her. She gasped his name as tension gripped her entire body. Then she began to move against his hand. She was wet and ready, her arousal coating his fingers. It took all of his willpower not to come there and then.

  He gritted his teeth so hard it was surprising they didn’t crack. His jaw ached under the strain, but he was determined. Annabelle had to come first. Once he took off his pants, there would be no more foreplay. He wanted her hot and ready for him.

  He pushed her closer to orgasm by paying attention to her sweet moans and the reactions of her body and discovering what she liked. He continued to play with her breasts even as he kept thrusting his finger in and out of her slick, tight channel. God, he wanted it to be his cock. “Let go and come for me, sweetheart,” he commanded.

  Mike lightly bit the side of her neck. She tensed, her entire body vibrating. She moaned and let her orgasm take her. Her inner muscles rippled over his finger as he prolonged her pleasure. She was so damn wet and more than ready to take him.

  When her legs buckled, he caught her. “You’re so sexy.” With some reluctance Mike slid his fingers out of her panties and hugged her from behind. That had been intense and neither one of them was naked. He was still fully dressed and Annabelle was in her underwear. What would it be like when he was buried balls deep inside her?

  He took a deep breath, loving the feel of her pressed so securely against him. His balls were snug against his body, a sign that time was running out.

  Annabelle’s whole body began to tremble and she buried her face in her hands. Mike was instantly alarmed. He lifted her into his arms and sat down on the side of the bed with her cradled close.

  “It’s all right,” he muttered as he rocked her back and forth and kissed the top of her head. “Did I hurt you?” He waited for some sign, but Annabelle said nothing. She continued to shake.

  His patience shot and more than a little worried, he gently pried her hands away from her face. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she was laughing as well. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  “I didn’t know. I just didn’t know,” she muttered over and over.

  Relief hit him like a sledgehammer. She wasn’t upset by what they’d done. Annabelle had never had an orgasm before, or at least not one so intense. This he could deal with. “There’s more where that one came from,” he promised. Mike grinned at the stunned expression on her face and just nodded when she looked uncertain.

  He wasn’t prepared when she threw herself at him and they both tumbled back onto the bed. Annabelle peppered his face with kisses. “Thank you. Thank you. That was absolutely amazing.”

  He scooted them up higher on the bed, pulled her on top of him and savored the look of pure enjoyment in her eyes. He’d always prided himself on being a good lover, a generous one, but with Annabelle looking at him like he hung the moon, he felt like the king of the universe.

  It was also a huge turn-on, and his dick twitched beneath his pants as it felt her softness above him.

  The moment she felt his erection push into her stomach, she stilled and looked at him quizzically. “You didn’t . . .” She trailed off, not able to finish her sentence. His Annabelle was still a little shy when it came to sex.

  “No, but I will,” he assured her. “That was only the beginning.” Mike reached behind her and unhooked her bra. When it came free he quickly tugged it down her arms and threw it to the floor, exposing her breasts to his view for the first time. They were full and firm, her nipples large and dusty rose in color. Her skin was soft and supple under his hands as he shaped and kneaded the plush mounds.

  He watched her face as he teased her nipples, enjoying her uninhibited display of delight. Her head was thrown back and her chest heaved up and down as her breathing grew more rapid. She was so responsive, as if she had been fashioned specifically for his enjoyment.

  He could spend all night just looking at her. On second thought, he would rather taste her.

  He pulled her higher until her breasts were level with his mouth. She made a small sound of pleasure when he used his tongue to outline her nipples without touching them, like licking around the edge of an ice cream cone without sucking on the top. He went back and forth from one to the other, round and round.

  Annabelle squirmed over him, but still he did nothing but tease her. Mike knew what she wanted, but he wanted her to ask for it. To demand it as her due. He could feel the wetness from her orgasm through her panties as she rubbed against him. Her breath was as ragged as his.

  “Suck on them,” she ordered, insistently tugging his mouth where she wanted it.

  Mike obeyed instantly, drawing her nipple into his mouth and sucking hard. Annabelle groaned and ground her pelvis against his stomach, her movements becoming more frantic as he continued to suckle. He couldn’t believe that she was this close to
coming again. Damn, she was hot.

  Mike grasped her hips and positioned her so that she was covering his arousal. And although it was almost too painful to bear, it was also one of the most pleasurable things he’d ever experienced.

  Her heat surrounded his erection even through the layers of her panties and his pants. Gripping her tighter, he worked her up and down his erection as he continued to suck on her breasts, alternating back and forth between them.

  He was one second from coming in his pants for the first time since his early teens when he felt her orgasm begin within her. She simply gave herself up to the pleasure. His Annabelle was a moaner, and she came long and loud. When it was over, she collapsed on top of him.

  Mike pulled her down to his side and hugged her. He had to have her. If he didn’t get inside her in the next minute, he would either go insane or come in his pants. At this point, it was still a toss-up.

  When he started to ease himself off the bed, Annabelle tugged him back. He gave her a quick kiss. “Let me get my clothes off.”

  Annabelle blinked several times, appearing confused. “You’re still dressed.” She looked down at herself. “And I’m . . . Well, I’m not quite undressed all the way either.”

  Mike ran his hand over the top of her head. She looked adorable and sexy and totally bewildered. “You will be,” he promised. He rose from the bed and started to unbutton his shirt.

  Chapter Six

  Annabelle sprawled on the bed and watched with unabashed interest as Mike unbuttoned his shirt. As the material gaped open, she was rewarded with the sight of his tanned, muscular chest. He tugged the tails of his shirt away from the waistband of his pants, each movement economical and controlled. He peeled it down his arms and tossed it onto a chair in the corner.

  Her mouth went dry. She knew he was well built, but without clothes he appeared massive. His biceps were huge, his pecs hard and defined and his abs delineated muscles. He was a perfect specimen of masculinity, and he wanted her.