The Cinderella Deal - Jennifer Crusie [64]
“Kiss her,” Chickie insisted.
Daisy lifted her face and Linc bent to her, his body pressing hers, his hands warm on her back, and she felt her breath go, felt herself shake as his lips brushed softly against hers, and then she moved into his kiss and felt such heat and love shudder through her that she clutched at him, forgetting the Crawfords, forgetting everything but him, because he was so big and close and hot and because he was Linc, and Linc was all she had ever really wanted anyway.
When he broke the kiss, she put her head on his chest and hung on to him, so glad to have him finally in her arms that she almost wept with relief. She heard Chickie say something inane in the background, and then she felt Linc move his arm to catch the open door and shut it behind them, and then they were alone.
He put his hand under her chin and pulled her head up, and said, “Do you want a divorce?” His face was harsh and bleak. “Do you want Art Francis?”
“No.” Daisy shook her head and clung to him, clenching her teeth because she wanted him so much. “I thought I did, but I was wrong. I told him so tonight. I want you. I’ve wanted you for so long. Will you please make love to me tonight? I can’t stand living with you and not making love with you.”
Something broke in his face, and he pulled her to him and kissed her so hard, she moaned a little against his mouth. Then his tongue invaded her, and she let go completely, letting her nails rake down his arms as she arched her body into his. He kissed her over and over again, not the polished kisses she’d expected from him, but rough, awkward, fumbling, hard kisses that left her mindless with love and lust. Her knees went weak and she tugged him down with her to sprawl on top of her on the hall carpet. His hands were hard on her waist, and she pulled one up to her breast and pressed it there while he pulled her hips close to his with the other, grinding his hardness into her until she wanted to scream. “I want you now,” she told him, “now,” and then she felt him yank on the zipper to her dress while she fumbled with his shirt buttons. His shirt finally came open, and she bit his chest, running her palms up his body while he groaned into her hair and yanked again at her stuck zipper.
She twisted against him, needing to be naked against him. “Rip it,” she told him through her teeth. “Rip it off.” He slid his fingers into the neck of her dress, and she felt his fist against her breasts, felt his fingers slide into her cleavage, and she shuddered with bone-deep pleasure. Then he yanked hard on the old velvet and it split all the way down to her thighs, and the rush of cool air on her naked body was wonderful. Then his mouth was on her breast, and his hand stroked down her stomach and between her legs, sliding into her effortlessly because she needed him so much, and she screamed her relief as she clutched him to her and came.
Then he was kissing her again, and she bit his lip and said, “Inside me,” and tried to find the zipper to his pants with shaking hands. He rolled away from her, capturing both her hands in his. “Upstairs,” he said, and his voice was thick and hoarse. He stood and yanked her to her feet, and she let her arms fall so that her sleeves slipped off her arms, and her dress fell heavily around her hips, and she stood naked to the waist under the mistletoe.
Linc closed his eyes, and Daisy moved close against him, resting her cheek on his chest, letting her hands slide down his back so she could pull his hips to hers. He was so hard, and he felt so good against her. He pulled her dress and underwear down over her hips, his hands stroking hot down her waist until the weight of the velvet dropped everything to the floor. Then he picked her up and carried her up the stairs while she kissed and bit his neck and dug her fingernails into his arm, wanting him so much, she was mindless with it.