Carnal Innocence

her off her feet.
    “Tucker….”
    “It was good enough for Rhett Butler.” He kissed her into silence before starting up the steps. He might not have had Ashley to worry about, but by God, tonight she wasn’t going to think of Luis. Or anyone else.
    “You’re wet,” she told him, then rested her head on his shoulder.
    “I’ll give you a chance to get me out of my clothes.”
    She laughed. How easy it was, she thought. If you let it be. “You’re so good to me.”
    “I can be better.” He stopped in the doorway to indulge in another long, lingering kiss.
    “I can’t wait to see how.”
    “This time you’ll have to wait.”
    Shadows and candlelight danced over the walls. Heat trapped throughout the day settled into the room like an old friend, smugly overriding the wind that whipped the old lace curtains. There was the smell ofcandle wax, of lavender sachet, of the rain that dampened the screens and rapped fitfully against the tin roof.
    With his mouth teasing hers, he laid her on the bed. His fingertips traced lightly over her face, followed by his lips, coaxing the tension away. Then there was only the sound of the rain, of her sigh, of the grumble of thunder as the storm moved east. Her arms rose up to welcome him.
    He lingered there, mouth pressed to mouth, the scrape of teeth, the sultry mating of tongues, until she was sunk deep in the peace and pleasure he offered.
    There was no choice now but to feel. He was subtly, slowly, nudging her emotions to the surface. They were battering at her, making her pulse tremble, her muscles go limp, her heart stutter. A quick flash of panic had her turning her head away. He contented himself with the column of her throat. And his hands, as skillful as any musician’s, began to move over her.
    He soothed even as he enticed. He could feel the war between need and doubt being waged through her. He could see the same conflict in her face. Keeping his own desire at bay he patiently, even compassionately, seduced. Long, stirring kisses; lazy, languid caresses. As her body melted against his, as his name tumbled from her lips, he realized he wasn’t blocking his desire at all. This was exactly what he wanted.
    Their eyes met, held, as he undressed her. Naked. Vulnerable. They both understood the two words were interchangeable, and that this single act took what was happening beyond that frantic, half-dressed coupling on the couch.
    With unsteady hands she pulled off his damp shirt, let her fingertips trail over his chest, down to his belly. She felt the warm glow of triumph when his muscles quivered under that hesitant touch. After one sharp breath she unsnapped his jeans, sitting up so that she could peel them over his hips and away.
    Then they were kneeling in the center of the bed, the mattress groaning as it sagged, the heat pouring back as the wind died and the rain slowed to a patter. Her hands linked around his waist. His dived into her hair.Surprise, and a flicker of fear, flashed into her eyes as he dragged her head back. The look darkened to passion as he crushed her lips with his.
    This was the beast that prowled beneath his veneer of lazy affability. She could all but feel it roar through him, snapping at its leash, threatening to devour both of them in one savage gulp.
    Her fingers dug into his hips, then went limp as he molded her to him. He was telling her something, but his harsh whisper was lost in the beat of her blood.
    Yes, this was what he wanted. Everything he wanted. To feel her go pliant with pleasure. To taste the hot need on her mouth. To hear that soft, helpless sound she made deep in her throat as she lost herself in him. To know that she thought of nothing and no one but him.
    “Caroline.” He steadied himself by pressing his lips to her shoulder, letting his teeth run over that scented curve. “There’s something I need to do.”
    “Yes.” She reached for him, but he caught her wrists.
    “No, not that. Not yet.” With his eyes on her, he pressed her back so that his body covered hers. He nipped at her lips, tormenting rather than satisfying. “What I need to do now …” He caught her chin lightly between his teeth then gently but purposefully captured her hands. “Is drive you crazy.”
    “Tucker—”
    “If I let you run those hands over me just now, this’ll all be over much too quickly.” He slid down, circling her breasts with slow, open-mouthed kisses. “There’s an old southern tradition.” He rolled his