down his muscular arms. She loved the feel of his strength, the raw power that exuded from him.
Not taking even a second to contemplate her actions, not wanting to back away from the conscious decision she’d made, she swung her leg over his lap, and straddled his legs.
She stared into his eyes as she pushed her hands underneath his T-shirt and began to shove it upward. She gained confidence when she saw his answering desire. As she pulled the shirt over his head and it fell free, Simon pulled her against him, his lips sliding hotly over hers.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss, meeting his tongue in playful abandon. Her own shirt began to work itself higher as Simon’s hands slid underneath to cup her bare breasts.
Her body sang at his touch. Desire hummed through her veins. How she loved this man. She wanted to show him, to tell him, to make him see the depth of her feelings in a way she never could before.
To her surprise, he stood, hauling her with him, holding her tightly against his chest. Cradling her in his strong arms, he walked toward his bedroom. He kicked open the door and shouldered his way in. He laid
her down on the bed then backed far enough away from the edge to slip out of his jeans.
Toni rested on her elbow, taking in every inch of his gorgeous body as he rid himself of his clothing. She sucked in her breath when he pulled his briefs down and bared his straining erection.
Like a predator, he crawled onto the bed, need glittering in his eyes. He straddled her body and grinned wickedly down at her. He tugged at her shirt until it slipped over her head. Then with a flick of his fingers, her jeans came unbuttoned, and he began pulling them down her legs, leaving her only in her panties.
He bent and kissed the skin between her navel and the silky underwear. Goose bumps dotted her abdomen, and she shivered as his tongue moved upward and circled the shallow indention.
He hooked his thumbs in the thin band at her hips and slowly pulled downward. Soon she was completely naked. No matter how many times she’d fantasized about such a moment, her dreams had nothing on reality.
He hovered over her, and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down to her naked body. Heated flesh met hers, his hardness an erotic contrast to her softness. His hand twisted in her curly hair as he explored her mouth with his.
Need tightened every muscle in her body as he inserted his leg between her thighs. Their limbs tangled together, rubbing, then he nudged her legs further apart with his knee.
Every touch, every kiss, every caress was exquisitely gentle, as if she was the most precious thing in the world. Tears swam in her eyes, and her chest tightened so unbearably she found it hard to breathe.
She’d dreamed of him, of this moment for so long. Of loving him, touching him, showing him how good they could be together.
Her breath caught in her throat as he slid inside her. The brief moment of discomfort was so fleeting it barely registered on her radar. They fit perfectly, like they were made for each other.
He rose over her, holding her tightly as their sweat-slickened bodies moved in unison. His hands cupped her buttocks, then slid down to spread her thighs further. The tension in her belly grew until she knew she was on the edge of something truly wonderful.
His lips lowered to her neck, sucking, nipping at the tender flesh. She wrapped her arms around him as her orgasm rippled through her abdomen. She twisted and shuddered, and she gripped him even tighter.
“That’s it, baby,” he murmured against her ear.
He tensed above her and moaned low in his throat. She wrapped her legs around him as he surged more deeply into her. He expelled his breath in one long hiss before he relaxed and slowly sank down over her.
She sighed and snuggled deeper into his arms. He felt so good. Wrapped around her like he owned every inch of her.
“I love you,” she whispered.
He shifted so that his weight settled to the side, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against his chest.
“Starla,” he mumbled.
Toni stiffened.
“I’m so glad you came back to me,” he whispered.
Every hope, every dream came crashing around her. Humiliation replaced her earlier euphoria. She closed her eyes against the tears swimming in her vision. God, what a fool she was. What was she going to do when he realized she wasn’t Starla? Could their friendship survive such an awful mistake?
She wiggled slightly until she was enough away to see he was sound asleep. She had to get out before she completely lost it. Carefully, she
withdrew, sliding out of his embrace, praying he wouldn’t wake up and see her naked in his bed. She tensed as he stirred, but he merely swung his arm over his head and resumed his even breathing.
She collected her clothes and ran for the door, bolting down the hall into the living room. Tears flooded her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. What was she going to do?
She yanked her pants on then pulled the shirt over her head. She wanted to scream, wanted to hurt someone as badly as she hurt right now.
She closed her eyes. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
She wilted on the couch, burying her face in her hands. What had been the most beautiful experience of her life now flopped in the final throes of a brutal death. And worse, she’d have to face Simon when he woke up and realized what a horrible mistake he’d made.
She sat there all night, dreading the morning when Simon would awaken to what they had done. She couldn’t sleep, couldn’t focus on anything but the moment he’d called her Starla.
Long after the first light of dawn peeked through the French doors leading to the deck, Toni heard the sound of Simon’s door. She tensed as his footsteps shuffled along the carpeted hallway.
Anxiety settled in and began eating away at her insides.
He walked into the living room wearing shorts and a T-shirt, his hair rumpled and his face haggard. He looked like hell. Much like she felt.
“Hey,” he said softly.
She swallowed, her mouth gone dry.
He padded over and sat down beside her, squeezing her knee with his hand.
“I just wanted to say thanks,” he said.
She stared at him. Was he out of his mind? He was thanking her?
“I really appreciate you being there last night. You’re a great friend.”
Realization began to dawn, and her heart tripped and sped up. He didn’t remember. It had to be the explanation. How else could he casually walk in as if nothing happened?
As much as the idea of him not even remembering making love to her stung, she was vastly relieved she’d been saved the humiliation of the whole messy ordeal.
She closed her eyes briefly, sadness mixing with the overwhelming relief. She had gone back to being the little sister, the best friend, anyone but the desirable woman she wanted him to see…
With a sigh, Toni gave up on sleep. The memory of that night burned too brightly in her mind. She crawled out of bed and headed for the shower. The guys would be getting off soon. As she usually did, she prepared breakfast for them and left it out for them to eat. After some dry toast, she locked up and left.
The morning was busy and passed in a blur. She took a quick lunch break and ate half a sandwich and some water. When she went back up front, Mrs. Hauffrey was waiting with her two poodles.
“Antonia, darling, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Hauffrey. How are Fritz and Fifi?”
“Oh they’re lovely. Just here for a check-up.” Her gaze sharpened, her mammoth earrings dangling fiercely as she leaned forward. “Now darling, you know I’m not one to pry, but I saw you come out of the clinic yesterday and couldn’t help but be concerned. Is everything all right?” Her eyes were wide, innocence etched on her heavily made up features. She even managed a look of concern.
Toni sighed.
Not one to pry, my ass