Uncovering Annabelle Read online

  He bent over and undid his shoes. Taking his time when she wanted him to hurry, he removed them and kicked them under the bed.

  Then he reached for the buckle of his belt.

  He wasn’t the least bit self-conscious as he undid the belt, slid it from the loops of his pants and tossed it to the floor. She wished she had half his confidence.

  She swallowed hard when he undid the button of his slacks and then slowly unzipped them. The material clung to his hips for a brief moment before falling down his legs to pool at his feet. He kicked them aside.

  His legs were as hard and muscular as the rest of him. There was something sexy about a man who made his living through physical labor. His boxer briefs cupped his erection, outlining every thick inch of him.

  Mike stuck his thumbs behind the waistband and shoved the material down and off. While he was bent over, he removed his socks. When he straightened, he was totally naked. He stood before her, allowing her an unrestricted view.

  Annabelle had seen a naked man before. She wasn’t a virgin. But her previous lover had looked nothing like Mike. He was all rugged male, from his hair, which he kept tied back with a leather thong, to his large feet. His shoulders were broad, his stomach flat and muscled, and his thighs rock-hard. A light sprinkling of brown hair covered his chest, and her fingers itched to touch it. He was impressive. Almost intimidating. He was a healthy male animal in his prime. His penis jutted out in front of him, giving no doubt as to his readiness.

  Annabelle suddenly found it difficult to swallow. This was all for her. He was standing there for her perusal to allow her the time to get used to him, to accept him. She reached out and he came toward her. He took her hand in his and kissed it before lowering himself to sit beside her.

  It was then she became aware of her own vulnerability. She’d been so caught up in looking at Mike, she’d forgotten she was all but naked. Instinctively, her hands covered her breasts. She was glad for the presence of her underwear. As little protection as they provided from his heated gaze, it was something.

  “Hey, don’t hide from me.” Mike reached out and coaxed her hands away from her breasts. He leaned forward and playfully kissed the tip of both. “They’re so lovely.” He sat upright and ran his forefinger over her cheek. “As are you.”

  When she didn’t cover herself again, he ran his fingertips over the waistband of her panties. She nibbled on her bottom lip and prayed for courage. This would be so much easier if the lights were off. On the other hand, if the room was dark she wouldn’t be able to see him. And Mike was definitely well worth seeing. It was a dilemma.

  His hands were calloused and hard from years of work. The slight abrasion was highly arousing. The contrast between the roughness of his skin and the tenderness he displayed gave her the courage not to object when he slid the cotton panties down her thighs and off. She briefly closed her eyes, but quickly opened them again. She wanted to see his reaction. Part of her felt terribly exposed. Another part was fiercely proud that he wanted her as much as he obviously did.

  Mike stretched out beside her on the bed. He propped himself up on one arm and gathered her close with the other. When his dark head dipped toward her all thought fled. There was only Mike, and the magic of his touch.

  His lips sought hers in a searing kiss. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth, teasing her, enticing her. This felt right and there was no hesitation on her part. She met him thrust for thrust, wanting to offer him the same pleasure he was giving her. She sucked on his tongue, and his breathing grew harsher, his kiss all-consuming.

  Annabelle swept her hands over his shoulders, loving the play of his muscles beneath her fingers, savoring his strength. She reached behind him and did what she’d been dying to do for months. She tugged at the narrow strip of leather that confined his hair until it came away in her hand. She tossed it aside and then threaded her fingers through the silky strands. It was soft and incredibly sexy.

  Mike groaned at her touch and left her mouth, but he didn’t stop kissing her. He trailed hot, openmouthed kisses down her neck, stopping to nip at the base where neck and shoulder met. It stung a little, but drove her wild as well. She clasped his head to her as he licked the sting away.

  Every nerve ending in her body was alive and electric. His every touch made her quiver. She’d already had two orgasms and was close to having another.

  Mike worked his way down to her breasts, licking and nipping at them until she was panting hard. Her legs moved in a restless dance on the sheets, and he threw one muscled thigh across them to pin her to the bed while he continued to play with her breasts.

  “I can’t take much more,” she gasped.

  “You can. And you will.” Annabelle wasn’t sure he was right but was more than willing to try. Everything he did to her was new and exciting, her body responding in a way she’d never believed possible.

  He shifted so he was kneeling between her legs with her thighs draped over his. His eyes were dark with arousal and a muscle in his jaw clenched. He gripped both of her thighs and slowly spread her legs to make more room for him.

  When she started to protest, he leaned over and placed a finger over her lips. “Let me do this for you.” He rubbed his fingers across her lips until she opened them. He slipped his finger inside her mouth. “Suck.” It was a one-word command that she obeyed.

  She sucked and licked his finger. This was something she wanted to try later with his penis, and from the look in his eyes, he would be more than happy to let her. Without warning, he withdrew his finger and held it in front of her. It was large and damp.

  “Open your legs wide for me.” His voice was mesmerizing and it didn’t even cross her mind not to do as he asked. He rewarded her by sliding the same finger that had been inside her mouth over her clit and straight inside her slick channel.

  It was shocking and erotic all at once. He kept his finger still, and Annabelle bucked her hips, trying to encourage him to move. Instead, he withdrew his finger totally. She moaned in protest.

  “Trust me,” he whispered. He slid his finger over the lips of her sex. He parted her with his other hand so that he had a better view of her. “You’re so pink and lush and hot.” He flicked his finger over her clitoris. Annabelle gasped and twisted her hips. His words and his actions were bringing her to the brink again.

  “I want more.” She thrashed her head back and forth on the pillow and her hips pumped wildly into the air. She was so close to coming again it bordered on painful.

  Mike slid his finger inside her, withdrew and plunged it in again. The rhythm was steady and intoxicating. Annabelle instinctively tried to close her legs when his finger entered her. He quickly pulled away. “Keep your legs open. It will be better that way. I promise.”

  Annabelle thrust her legs as far apart as she could. Anything to get him to finish. For a woman who’d never had an orgasm outside a dream before, she was quickly becoming addicted.

  He kept up a steady pace. Her orgasm slammed into her without warning, and she gave herself over to the powerful release. Her legs instinctively closed over Mike’s hand, wanting to prolong the pleasure. He didn’t disappoint. He kept up the steady pressure until she was spent. When the release was over, she sank back into the mattress in a sated stupor. Her entire body felt boneless.

  Mike pulled away from her and lunged toward the bedside table. He yanked open the drawer, thrust his hand inside, and pulled out several condoms. It took only a second for him to rip one of the packets open and sheath himself. Then he moved back between her legs.

  He grasped her thighs, angled her toward his waiting erection and pushed forward. The broad head of his shaft powered past her body’s natural resistance. She was tight, the delicate muscles within already swollen from her earlier orgasms, and he was so big and overwhelming. She squirmed in an attempt to get comfortable.

  “Relax, honey. Just relax.” The muscles of his arms were rock solid and his hands were clenched. She could tell he was trying very hard not t
o move. The cords of his neck stood out and his jaw was taut. “Jesus, you’re tight.”

  Annabelle took a deep breath and then another. They were meant to fit together. Her channel rippled around the invading hardness, softening and accepting him. The longer he was inside her, the better it got. She was amazed at his self-restraint. The fact that he would exercise such self-control so he wouldn’t hurt her made her want him even more.

  “You feel so big and hot inside me.” She wanted him to know how much she wanted him but didn’t know what to say. Instead, she wrapped her legs around his waist and grabbed his butt.

  It was all the encouragement he seemed to need. His control snapped and his hips slammed forward, burying him to the hilt. They both moaned at the intimate joining. “I can’t wait any longer.” That was the only warning she got before he pulled back and drove deep once again. His hips pumped in and out, getting faster and harder with each thrust. His breathing grew harsh and a bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

  It was somewhat of a shock when his shaft touched a sensitive place inside her, igniting her desire to a fevered pitch. Every time he thrust forward she tilted her hips to meet him. She ground her pelvis against his, loving the friction from his pelvis against her clit.

  The broad head of his shaft continued to stroke her with each withdrawal and thrust in the most delicious way. Her hips moved in rhythm with his, both of them straining to reach orgasm. She dug her fingers into his sides and hung on as he rode her hard. She reached for that familiar explosive feeling once again.

  Mike’s grip on her waist tightened. She unlocked her legs from his waist and dropped her feet to the mattress. She used the new leverage to drive her lower body up to meet his thrusts.

  He groaned and stilled with his shaft buried deep. He swore and his big body jerked and heaved as he came. The power of his orgasm triggered hers. Her inner muscles clamped down hard on his penis. She moaned as his shaft seemed to grow larger inside her. Or maybe she was simply squeezing him. It didn’t matter. Nothing did but the explosions of pleasure rocking her.

  Mike swore again and ground his pelvis against hers. He gave one final groan before he collapsed. Annabelle lay there totally exhausted and replete. And more content than she’d ever been in her entire life. Her body was sprawled, open and naked, and she just didn’t care. Every now and then a tremor would snake through her.

  Her limbs were heavy and so were her eyes, so she closed them and actually dozed. She didn’t know how much time had passed before she woke and found the energy to turn her head and look at Mike.

  Facedown on the pillow next to her, he didn’t move. His eyes were closed and his features relaxed. His hair tangled around his face and his skin shone with a light sheen of sweat. Annabelle became aware of just how hot and sticky she was herself. She’d do something about it, just as soon as she could gather enough energy to move.

  As if he felt her gaze, Mike turned his head until he was looking straight at her. “That was amazing.” He reached up and pushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen from her bun. “I can’t believe your hair is still up.”

  He sounded amused by that fact, but she was in too good a mood to mind his teasing. With some effort, he levered himself off the bed and padded into the bathroom that was part of the master suite. She heard water running, and a moment later he returned to the bed, the used condom disposed of.

  She didn’t notice the washcloth in his hand until he nudged her thighs open and started to wash her. The cloth was wet and cool. The sensation was surprisingly comforting yet sensual. His whole concentration was on the task he was performing. He traced the lips of her sex and dipped in around the opening. When the cloth grazed her sensitive clitoris, Annabelle’s hips quivered even as she groaned in embarrassment. Seemingly satisfied with what he’d done, Mike removed the cloth from between her legs and set it on the bedside table.

  “Let’s get you more comfortable.” Mike grasped her hands and pulled her into a sitting position. He reached behind her head and began to pull the pins from her hair. The long locks fell over her back and chest. It was a relief to release the pressure on her scalp.

  He combed his fingers through the long length of hair. “It goes all the way to your waist.” He brought a lock of her hair to his face and ran it over his lips. “I want to feel your hair all over my body.”

  She nodded her agreement. She wanted to drape him in her hair and tease him with it. There was a temptress inside of her who longed to get out. She yawned in spite of herself. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was tired.

  “Later. Sleep now,” Mike murmured to her as he tugged back the covers and tucked her beneath the cotton sheet. He turned off the bedside lamp, slipped into bed beside her, and drew her into his arms.

  Annabelle was more relaxed than she’d ever been in her life. The last thought in her head as she drifted off to sleep was that there was still so much she wanted to try.

  • • •

  Annabelle was having the most wonderful dream. Her lover was lying behind her with his arms wrapped around her. His nimble fingers played with her breasts while his lips nibbled on her neck. She sighed and arched into his embrace, thrusting her breasts into his large, capable hands.

  “God, you feel so good.”

  The sound of a male voice growling in her ear woke her. This was no dream. She was wrapped tight in Mike’s arms and he was no phantom. Her dream lover had become her real lover.

  She gave herself over to the sensations he aroused in her. After tonight, there was no longer any doubt in her mind she was a sensual woman. Her one lackluster sexual relationship in college had not been because of any defect in her, as she had always feared. The men she’d dated only briefly, the ones whose kisses left her cold and uninspired, hadn’t been a sign she was lacking in some fundamental way. It was all about chemistry.

  Mike had made sure that she would never doubt her desirability again.

  Armed with a new sense of power and determination, she slipped from his grasp and turned to face him. It was her turn to play.

  The look in his eyes was tender and loving. He smoothed her hair back from her face and down over her back. His hand followed a lock of her hair all the way to her behind, caressing, testing and teasing.

  “Stop that.” The command came out sharper than she intended and he stilled instantly.

  Mike flicked on the lamp and caught her chin in his hand. “Did I hurt you? Are you sore?”

  Heat climbed up Annabelle’s face and she knew she was blushing. Not exactly the sex goddess image she wanted to portray. “No, I’m not sore.” Annabelle bit her lip, unable to stop herself from being totally honest. “Well, I am sore, but it’s not too bad.”

  “We don’t have to do anything else.” Mike brushed a soft kiss over her lips. “Just stay with me.” He dropped gentle kisses on her nose and cheeks.

  “I want to stay.” Annabelle wanted to make demands of her own but wasn’t sure exactly how to express them.

  Mike seemed to sense her hesitation. “What is it, honey? You can tell me anything.”

  “I want my turn,” she blurted, before she chickened out.

  “Your turn for what?” Mike seemed more perplexed than anything. She obviously hadn’t explained herself very well.

  Annabelle took a deep breath and tried again. “Before. When we . . .”

  “When we made love,” Mike added encouragingly when she faltered.

  “Yes. You got to do things for me. I want my turn. I want to do things for you.” Annabelle finished in a rush and held her breath while she waited for his reaction.

  “You want to do things to me?” Mike looked intrigued by her statement. She started breathing again.

  “Yes.”

  Mike flopped back onto the bed and tucked his hands under his head. “I’m all yours.”

  “Really?” She couldn’t believe it was this easy.

  “You can do whatever you want.” His smile was relaxed. “As long as you remembe
r that I’ll get my turn again later.”

  Annabelle sat up in bed, thoughts of everything she wanted to do making her bold. She didn’t care that she was naked and the bedside lamp felt like a spotlight.

  Mike seemed totally relaxed and at ease. The corners of his mouth curved up in a slight grin. His hair was rumpled and his chin was covered in a slight shadow of a beard.

  And he was all hers. At least for tonight. She hardly knew where to begin. She licked her lips in anticipation and was rewarded by the flare of desire in Mike’s eyes.

  She eased the covers back until he was totally uncovered. It said something about how comfortable she was with Mike that she was more concerned with the fact that he was naked than with her own nudity. It felt natural and right to be sitting here next to him covered in nothing but her hair.

  She leaned forward and dragged her tongue over his bottom lip. He growled and tried to deepen the kiss, but she pulled away. “If I let you kiss me, I’ll never have my turn.”

  “I’m at your disposal, honey.” Mike was fully aroused, his erection pressed hard against his stomach. The head was darker than the rest. Veins ran through the shaft, making it pulse with life. She couldn’t wait to taste him.

  Annabelle nibbled her way down his neck and across his chest. She threaded her fingers through the crisp hair on his chest before rubbing her cheek against it. She loved the feel of it against her skin. Determined not to rush and miss anything, she used her tongue to play with nipples that were flat and brown. When he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck to encourage her, she grew bolder, and used her teeth to carefully bite him.

  “Annabelle.” He sounded both tortured and aroused.

  She abandoned his chest and moved lower, kissing and licking a hot trail down his rock-hard stomach. His abs flexed and stiffened at her touch. Sitting back on her heels, she caught his gaze. She deliberately gathered a length of her hair in one of her hands and trailed the ends over his stomach, down his legs and across his thighs. She avoided his penis, which was fully aroused and swollen, wanting to draw out the anticipation for both of them.