My Heart is Open

I shook my head.

"Can I call you?"

I smiled. There was a strange feeling welling up inside me. Not just excitement or attraction, though I knew I was very attracted to this man. It felt like this was something new, something big. That something had happened to me today, all because I'd decided to recommend a novel to him.

"I hope you do call me, Christian."

His smile widened and he nodded. We walked out of Wings and across the parking lot to where we'd parked next to each other. All day, we'd driven our own vehicles around, neither of us wanting to leave the other without their car. We paused in between his Trooper and my Mazda, and we looked at each other.

"I had a really great time today, Maggie."

"Me too. I hope you like the book."

"I'm sure I will. We seem to have the same taste in movies and books."

Yet another thing we'd learned about each other today. "That's true."

We stared a bit longer, the air between charged with something I couldn't name. Then he stepped forward and brushed my hair back over my shoulder. I glanced down at his hands and sucked in a surprised breath when he cupped my face in them.

"You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now." His voice was low and the tenor of it sent a frisson of sensation up my spine.

"Do you?" I sounded as breathless as I felt. I didn't care.

He nodded, his dark brown gaze never leaving mine. He must have seen the consent in my eyes because he leaned closer, his lips touching mine for the first time. It was a soft kiss at first, our breath mingling as we just tested how our mouths felt against each other. Then he tightened his hold on me and kissed me again, harder this time.

I parted my lips on a sigh and lifted my hands to his shoulders. He angled his mouth to take the kiss deeper and I went with him, sinking into it until I felt nothing but the kiss right down to my toes. I slid my fingers around his neck until I felt the soft hair at the back of his head. He made some noise against my mouth and nibbled on my bottom lip. I gasped and lifted onto my toes to kiss him back.

I don't know how long we stayed there, kissing each other. At some point, he turned and pressed me back against the Trooper. I kept my hands on him, alternating between clutching his hair and bracing myself on his shoulders.

He was the one to break the kiss, leaving me staring up in a daze. He moved his hands to the car on either side of my head, where he held himself away from my body. His head hung down and we both tried to catch our breath.

"I think I have an idea now," I whispered.

He lifted his head to meet my gaze. "You do? For what?"

I grinned and touched his cheek. "When you said I had no idea how badly you wanted to kiss me. I think I do now."

He laughed and gave me another kiss. I think he meant for it to be a light peck but it wasn't. We spent another ten or fifteen minutes or days there, making out against his car before finally getting a hold of ourselves.

Christian held my car door open for me as I got in and I waved as I pulled away from him. I drove home with my head in a fog that night, not altogether certain that I hadn't just dreamt it all. I went to sleep later, dreaming of romance novels and museums.

The next day, work passed by in a blur. Christian called me around four and we talked for maybe an hour before deciding where to go for dinner. After we met for dinner, we spent another night talking and laughing and enjoying each other's company, including another blissful hour beside his car, making out like teenagers. Later, after I'd arrived home, he called me and we talked on the phone until three in the morning. I didn't even care about yawning all through work the next day.

My life had changed.

****

After that, we were all but inseparable. He called me every day, sometimes several times, or I'd call him. For our next date, we went to a movie and he picked me up at my apartment. The movie was a little more scary than either of us had expected and we spent much of the time in each other's arms. We went to Wings a few more times for more hockey and football games. We wandered through book stores, and went for late night meals after staying up late talking.

One day, not a special date on anyone's calendar, we went out for lunch, followed by a movie, a leisurely stroll through a park, and a wonderful dinner at a local Italian restaurant. After dinner, we went back to his place. I'd been to his place once or twice, just as he'd been to mine, but never so late at night.

I stood in his spacious kitchen and looked around as he pulled out the selections of tea and hot chocolate that he had.

"What do you feel like?" He faced me, holding a box of tea in one hand.

"I don't know. Something sweet, I guess."

He smiled. "Hot chocolate with marshmallows it is."

I grinned and nodded. He walked over to the sink to start filling the kettle and I watched him, enjoying the way he moved around. After he set the kettle on the stovetop, he looked over at me and caught me staring.

I blushed but didn't look away. Christian grinned and walked over to stand in front of me. He leaned closer and I leaned back until I felt the counter press against my backside.

"You know, I've been wanting to get you alone in my house since the moment I met you."

I blinked, surprised by the confession. If nothing else, in the past couple of weeks, I'd learned that Christian had no problem telling me what was on his mind. Not that I was completely innocent on that front.

It was one of the most surprising, amazing and wonderful things about being with him. I'd never before been able to share so much with a man. Maybe I should be freaked out that we'd become so close in such a short amount of time. Maybe we shouldn't be rushing. The thing was, I didn't feel rushed. This all only felt... right.

Christian's hands on my waist pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked up into his dark brown eyes. He lifted one hand to brush some hair back from my face and he cupped my cheek in his warm palm.

"I've been having such a great time with you whenever we've gone out, don't get me wrong." He gave me a wink and a smile before planting a kiss on my lips.

I sighed against his mouth and parted my lips but he pulled back.

"But it's impossible to do all the things I want to do to you when we're out in public."

My face heated but I couldn't look away from his eyes. I swallowed and licked my bottom lip. "What kind of things?"

His smile grew wider and he dropped one hand to slide it around my back. He lifted the bottom of my shirt and I jumped at the first contact of his fingers on my skin.

"Like this." His words were a whisper against my cheek.

His hand moved, stroking the small of my back. I sighed again, enjoying the feel of his touch. It had been so long since I'd let a man touch me like this and having this man touch me was very intoxicating.

"Or this." When he spoke again, his other hand moved down the side of my face to my neck. He ran the tips of his fingers down the column of my throat, raising goosebumps on my skin. I couldn't suppress a shiver. His warm breath came out on a chuckle, teasing my already heightened senses.

"And especially... this."

He pushed his hands down and inside my pants to cup my bottom. He clenched his fingers, pressing into my flesh and I lifted up on my toes. Christian kept his mouth on my neck, his words and deep, steady breathing stirring my blood.

He tightened his grasp a bit more and that's when I felt his arousal against my belly. I groaned and leaned forward to press my face to his neck, interrupting his kisses.

"What is it, angel?"

A breathless laugh escaped me and I tipped my head back to look into Christian's face. "Angel? How'd you come up with that?"

He shrugged and pressed his lips to mine, teasing the corners of my mouth with his tongue before drawing back again. "I'll tell you later."

I opened my mouth to protest but he silenced me with a thorough kiss. Followed by another, and another, each one gathering heat and intensity until I hung in his grasp like a rag doll. He lifted his head and I met his gaze, somewhat relieved to see that he wasn't entirely unaffected by what he was doing to me. His breathing was rapid and his eyes were dark. He licked his lips and made some noise that I'd never heard him make before. It sent a shock wave through me, leaving me trembling in his arms.

"Come with me," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

I nodded, unable to speak. He dropped his hand to close his fingers around mine. We walked out of the kitchen only to stop just out in the hall when the kettle started to whistle. I jumped in surprise and Christian laughed before squeezing my hand. He hurried back to the kitchen and I shook my head, amazed that we'd forgotten all about the purpose for being in there.

Christian reappeared in a moment and I held my hand out for him to take. He did, and hauled me close instead of leading me away from the kitchen. I gasped as his arms went around my waist.

"God, you're beautiful," he said and kissed me.

I reached up and held on to his shoulders as he took possession of my mouth. His fingers clenched in my shirt and he tugged until I was bent along the curve of his body. I could stand here forever, in his arms, kissing him. But Christian had other ideas.

He drew back far enough to check his footsteps and then he all but dragged me up the stairs to his bedroom. We stopped five steps up and he pushed me against the wall, covering my mouth with his. His kiss was hungry, almost desperate, and my heart pounded behind my ribs. I wondered if he was planning to take me right there, halfway up the staircase.

He half-turned me, still nibbling and licking at my lips, and urged me to climb the stairs. I laughed and twisted in his grasp. He protested with a groan but I patted his hands.

"I need to see where I'm going," I told him.

He grumbled but guided me the rest of the way upstairs. Where he promptly pushed me against the wall and continued where he'd left off a few steps lower. His kiss was ruthless, his tongue delving in to my mouth to taste me. I clung to his arms and wriggled against his body, wanting to feel something more.

I gasped when he blazed a trail of kisses across my cheek and along the underside of my chin. He paused, swirling his tongue in lazy, hot circles on my throat. Every pass of his tongue made me shudder and I let my head fall back against the wall with a thump. I exposed my neck and buried my hands in his hair to hold him there.

"Oh God, yes. Right there, please..." I wasn't sure exactly what I was asking for but Christian didn't stop what he was doing.

He licked my skin and dragged his chin, rough with two-day old stubble, up and down my neck. I groaned and sighed and held on as each pass of his tongue stirred me more and more. As he kissed my neck, he slipped his hands between us to lift my shirt. He grasped my waist and thrust with his hips. I moaned and clenched my fingers in his hair.

That's when he clamped his lips to an extra-sensitive spot on the right side of my neck and sucked. Then his hand pushed higher under my shirt until he cupped one breast in his palm. He broke his hold on my neck and groaned, dropping his forehead to my shoulder.

"What is it?" I almost couldn't get the words out.

Christian lifted his head, his gaze foggy with desire. I smiled and cupped his cheek in my palm. He closed his eyes and let out an unsteady breath. Turning his head, he took hold of my hand and kissed my palm. His lips felt so soft and warm, it was my turn to let out a breath.

Then his lips moved down from my palm. He held my arm against his mouth as he licked and nibbled the inside of my wrist. I let out a gasp as sensation rocketed through me. Winding heat gathered behind my belly button and I pushed my front against his, lifting on my toes. Christian stopped his attentions to my wrist, a spot I'd had no idea was so sensitive.

"You like that?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

"Open your eyes, angel."

I didn't even realize I'd closed them. With a weak smile, I blinked and looked at Christian.

"I don't think I've ever wanted a woman as much as I want you right now." His confession startled me.

"I want you, too."

He nodded as if he'd known that was the case all along. A breathless laugh escaped me. He grinned before leaning forward and kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and held on as he claimed my mouth.

Without knowing I was doing it at first, I started to bunch up his shirt in my hands. I pulled until it came loose from the back of his pants and I was able to touch his skin. He jumped, breaking the kiss. I stared into his dark eyes and put my hands flat on his lower back, flexing my fingers to let him feel me.

While he gazed back at me, I moved one hand around his waist to his stomach. I felt his muscles jump beneath my touch and bit my bottom lip, pleased with his reaction. I pulled his shirt from the front of his pants and pulled the bottom button open. I fingered the second button for a second before sliding it through the buttonhole. His eyes narrowed as I moved on to the third, pausing just as I had with the one before.

As I lingered over each button, he slipped his hands under my shirt again. I sucked in a breath and kept toying with his buttons, letting him feel the brush of my knuckles against his stomach. The closer I got to the top button on his shirt, the higher he slid his hands on my body. I reached his neck just as he covered each of my breasts with his hands.

With a deep breath, I spread his shirt open and pushed it back over his shoulders. He jerked the shirt off while keeping one hand on my body. I helped him before I reached down to yank my own shirt off. The shirt fell from my fingers as Christian lowered his head and started to kiss my chest. He licked along the edge of my bra and kept his hands moving up and down my sides.

"Christian, please."

He lifted his head with a smile. He pushed a hand inside my bra and gave one perky nipple a light pinch. "Please, what?"

I wanted to scream at him. I was moments away from sinking to the floor and begging him to take me, anywhere and in any way he chose. We hadn't even taken all our clothes off and yet I could feel every part of him along every inch of my body. Our chests rose with the same breaths and our hands trembled at the same touch.

Sudden tears pricked the backs of my eyelids and I squeezed my eyes shut, afraid of the welling of emotion. I was overwhelmed with sensation and my feelings for this man. How was it possible, in such a short amount of time, to feel this way?

"Maggie, my angel." His whispered words were spoken against my cheek. His hands rose to cup my face and he kissed my cheeks, lips and closed eyes. "I'll do whatever you want. I'm yours, Maggie."

I choked back a sob and nodded. I threw my arms around him and hung in his grasp as he reached down to lift me into his arms. He carried me into the room beside us and laid me down on the bed. I didn't notice anything about the room. All my attention was focused on the man before me. He stood back and kept his eyes on my face as he undid the button at the waist of his pants. He pushed them down his hips and stepped out of them. I let my gaze wander over his body and smiled.

He climbed onto the bed beside me and pulled me into his arms. His lips met mine while he ran his hands down my ribs to my hips. It took some maneuvering, especially since we couldn't seem to stop kissing each other, but he managed to relieve me of my pants as well. Then he grasped my waist and pulled me over his body as he rolled to his back. I sat up, surprised at the sudden change in position. But I liked it.

I ran my hands over his shoulders and down his chest. He shivered when I brushed my fingers over his nipples. I stopped and held my hands there, running my thumbs in alternating circles around them. I watched his face, pleased when his mouth fell open and he let out a moan.

"Hmm. Seems you like that."

He laughed. "What gave it away?"

I leaned over and sucked his bottom lip between my teeth. When I let his lip go, his hands were around my waist and sliding up to the back of my bra, the last scrap of clothing remaining between us. His fingers fumbled at the clasp and I giggled when he cursed the mechanism.

"Let me." I reached back and released it.

He wasted no time in yanking the bra off of my body. Then his hands were on my breasts, cupping and squeezing. I sighed and let my head roll back as he played with me. His hands didn't stay on my chest. He stroked me, running light fingers over my collarbone and up my neck. He ran his fingers through my hair and pulled me over him as he slid his palms down my back to my bottom. There, he took hold of me and lifted my body until the damp space between my legs ran along the length of his arousal.

We moaned together that time and stopped moving. I lifted my head at his gentle urging and kissed him back, my lips parting for his tongue. Our hands moved between our bodies at the same time, his to cup me and slide fingers along my sex, mine to circle his erection.

"I need to be inside you, Maggie," he whispered against my lips.

I nodded and opened my eyes to meet his chocolate-brown gaze. He moved his hands to my waist as I fitted the head of him against me. He lifted and I rose over him. Together, we moved then, lips barely touching, eyes never leaving each other's faces. I sank down, taking him inside of me and feeling as though something deep in and inexorable had just happened.

There was a moment of weightlessness, a feeling that this was just where we both should be. Then he moved in me and I rocked my body over his. We were lost like that, for long moments, moving together in a slow, aching rhythm. It felt like everything else we'd done together; comfortable, easy, right.

I sat up over him and looked down through narrowed eyes. He ran his hands all over me, touching and teasing me. He sank his hands into my hair and pulled me down for a kiss that I kept brief before rising again. He made a noise of protest and I laughed, tossing my hair over my shoulder.

"You said I could do what I wanted," I reminded him as I raked my nails in a light pattern across his broad chest.

He closed his eyes tight and nodded. "I remember." He rested his hands on my waist and let me do what I would.

I felt strong and beautiful, all because he made me feel this way. I watched his face as I touched his neck, shoulders and nipples. I listened to his breathing as I rolled my hips in a different pattern. And I was brought to the brink of ecstasy when he closed his fingers on my nipples.

Fiery sensation zinged to my core, spiraling into that already tight coil of need behind my belly button. I moved faster, rocking hard against his body.

"Maggie," he gasped and I felt his fingers dig hard into my hips.

I tipped forward at his urging and we both kept moving. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. His lips moved from mine to my cheek, to my ear and back again. I whispered his name over and over again, as he did the same. Then he froze for a single moment, his hold becoming even tighter. I pushed down hard on him and when he met my body with his, the coil in my belly released, washing over and through me with unrelenting heat.

I wasn't even aware of crying out, feeling nothing but his body moving in me, and the hot rush inside me of his own release. I turned my face to his, kissing and trying to catch my breath all at once. And still, our bodies moved together, drawing out every last bit of feeling.

A short while later, Christian touched my cheek and I smiled. I'd come to rest on top of him, sprawled on him like a blanket, with my head on his chest. He held me there, tucked under his chin as we basked in the afterglow.