As she felt his hands sliding upwards over her ribs, she instinctively looked down at herself. The sight of her own naked breasts, jiggling slightly with the trembling of her body and the rapid rate of her breathing, startled her. Her nipples were jutting forward, taut and throbbing with the need for his attention, and even looking at them herself seemed to make them ache even more.
Suddenly his hands curved up and over her breasts, and a shuddering sigh escaped her. He massaged her tender flesh, sending waves of sensual pleasure rolling through her. Then he teased her nipples gently between his fingers and thumbs, and the pleasure intensified.
Her head fell back against his shoulder and she closed her eyes. It felt so perfect standing there, feeling the skin of her back pressed against his solid chest while his hands created marvelous sensations, spiraling out from her breasts.
The he lifted one hand to sweep her hair to the side, baring her neck so that he cou
Very early the following morning Lara brought Helen downstairs to give her a drink of milk. She’d always woken up at the crack of dawn, and nothing seemed to be changing about that since they’d arrived in Baguio.As she walked outside onto the terrace she saw that Chris was swimming. She sat at the table with Helen on her lap as Chris powered through the water beside them. She never tired of watching him—he was a natural swimmer, and he seemed to glide at super-speed through the water with the effortless strength of a dolphin.It was a beautiful morning—still so early that the sea was a shimmering silver-blue and the sky was tinged pale apricot from the recent sunrise. Lara felt good—genuinely happy that Chris had brought her with him.He finished his lengths and lifted his head, noticing her for the first time. She lifted her hand to wave at him as he swam over to the steps—just as she had done so many times in the past.
Chris strode through the hotel on his way up to see Lara. He did not want her to stumble across them inadvertently, possibly creating an awkward situation. It was his intention to be present the first time they encountered each other, so that a potentially tricky moment would be under his control.He walked through their suite quietly, in case Helen was asleep, and found Lara standing on the balcony looking down at the terrace below. Something about her body language pricked his attention immediately. Her shoulders were drawn in and she was shaking.Suddenly he realized she was weeping.“Lara?” He spoke her name quietly, but she spun round at once, her face an open book of remorse.“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “Oh, Chris—I’m sorry for what I did that night.”The pure emotion in her voice cut into him disconcertingly—but he told himself it didn’t matter what she said, how she tried to def
She sighed with delight and leant into his embrace, opening her lips as he finally kissed her on the mouth. Her pulse rate leapt up as his tongue slid inside, setting off a cascade of feelings surging through her body.Suddenly she was burning with desire of him. She was hot and desperate to feel his body moving against hers, to feel his hands on her bare skin.She grappled with his clothing urgently, pulling and tugging—and he was undressing her at the same time. Then all at once they were both standing naked, devouring each other with their eyes.“You look so good,” she murmured, startled by how husky her voice sounded. For a second, she didn’t move, just stood there letting her eyes roam freely over his magnificent body. He was fully aroused and ready for her, and his erection drew her gaze like a magnet. Her breathing was becoming ragged just from looking at him—but she wanted the moment to last.His eyes were on her too,
Chris fell into step with Victor as they walked through into the dining room, but his eyes were on Lara. She was clearly relieved that seeing Tina and Victor again had gone so well—and Chris shared that relief.He wasn't in the habit of worrying about what other people thought, but he realized he'd been ill at ease, waiting for this meeting to take place.Perhaps it was because up until this afternoon Lara had never truly apologized for what had happened. He'd only known that she regretted the outcome—rather than the fact that she had interfered in the first place. But now he believed that she was genuinely sorry. And he'd been impressed by the open honesty she had shown Tina and Victor.As he looked at her a strange sensation passed through him. He frowned, momentarily disconcerted as he couldn't identify what he was feeling. Then he realized what it was-pride. He was proud of how she had taken responsibility and given such a heartfelt apology to Ti
Lara did not miss the threat in Chris's words. But rather than make her nervous they sent a wave of anger rolling through her.“This isn't about trust,” she accused him. “This is about what kind of wife you want—someone who is quiet and biddable, someone who never expresses her own opinion.” She paused for breath, still glaring up at him. “In fact you don't want a wife at all. You want another employee—someone who'll happily jump to do your bidding and never challenge you in any way!”Chris was staring down at her, his dark eyes glinting dangerously. She could see a vein throbbing at his temple and a muscle pulsing in his jaw.“Whatever accusations you make—whatever defense you plead,” he said coldly, “understand that I will not tolerate your continued interference in my affairs private or business.”“Don't try to intimidate me,” Lara said, placing her hands on her h
Chris watched his Aunt Dacia's face as the helicopter approached the island. He'd met her properly for the first time in his life that morning.It was a strange feeling, finally bringing her back to the island where she'd grown up with his mother. He'd been amazed and pleased that she had agreed to come with him so readily. After the way she'd refused to have anything to do with him—even slamming the door in his face once or twice, before he'd given up on direct personal contact he'd been prepared for a lengthy process of persuasion.She didn't speak as they walked along the ridge from the helipad, but as he glanced sideways at her he could see her eyes were shining brightly, and he knew coming back to the island was an emotional experience for her.“I can't believe I'm really here,” Dacia said eventually, as they followed Danny's assistant into the house.“Does it seem very different?” Chris asked, as he held the door for hi
Back when they'd first been together, he'd used to think of her as the perfect antidote to his fast-paced, pressurized lifestyle. She had been exactly what he was looking for in a lover—calm, beautiful and receptive to his wishes. Like an oasis of serenity amidst the cut and thrust of his life.But Lara had changed. She'd once been his perfect lover—but she was very far from being his perfect wife. She'd gone against his wishes. And she'd stood up to him, calling him a control freak.His life had been so well ordered and organized, with everything under his control and nothing unexpected.That was how he liked it.Did that make him a control freak? Suddenly he wasn't sure.All he knew was that Lara and Helen had exploded into his world and nothing was the same. Nothing was predictable.He was used to demanding immediate obedience from everyone in his life—but Lara wasn't an employee. She was his wife. Did he really want the
It was completely unnerving. She knew what he thought of her—he'd made it painfully clear. But the way he was looking at her now made her long to give in to the fantasy that they could be happy together. That one day he might come to love her—the way she loved him.Suddenly she felt her eyes burning with tears. She dropped her gaze, flustered by the unexpected surge of confusing emotions within her. She should not let herself pine for something that could never be. She was just setting herself up for a lifetime of disappointment and heartache.“I'm sorry.” The words were jerked awkwardly from Chris's lips as he gazed into Lara's misery-stricken face. The haunted look in her eyes reminded him agonizingly of the previous night—when staring into her future as his wife had filled her with despair. “This isn't what you wanted.”Suddenly he couldn't bear the thought that being with him was making her miserable—she deserv