Free Message From Viola Mari by Sabrina Devonshire Page B

recalled the statues I’d seen in Prague—the stone men wielding swords or wearing crowns were all gifted with perfectly contoured pectoral muscles, rippled abdominal muscles, and calves that pulled the skin taut, nearly bursting with muscle. Justin’s a gorgeous statue that’s come to life. His hair gleamed metallic in the same afternoon sun that shadowed parts of his trunk and thighs, further emphasizing his musculature. If it was just lust, I wouldn’t see him that way . As if not a single feature about him could be improved. I don’t just want him because he’s gorgeous—I want him because something about him tugs at my heart as well as all my erogenous zones.
    I ached to make love to him, over and over again. Wetness pooled between my thighs as I imagined him thrusting deeper and deeper inside of me, and my cheeks warmed at the thought of holding him in my arms all night. I wanted to awaken in the morning to the aroma of his masculinity, to the safety of his firm, strong arms--to trace my fingertips up and over every feature of his face.
    “Don’t you just look like Rodin today?” I dropped my bag in the sand beside him and peeled off my sweat suit.
    He blinked a few times, as if awakening from a trance. Ignited by the afternoon sun, his long blond eyelashes glowed around his warm green eyes, making them appear even larger. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you coming.” He stood and approached me, standing so close his breath tickled my cheek.
    We faced each other, staring at one another for a long time. He clasped my forearms. “I’m really sorry I hurt you the other day.”
    “I know. I’m ready to let it go.” My gaze tumbled into the mesmerizing abyss of his green eyes.
    “I don’t want anyone distracting me from you again.” He slid one of his hands up my arm and tickled my collarbone before it rested on the side of my face. His touch sent shivers of excitement up my spine. He traced my lips with a fingertip.
    “I don’t know if I can go through with this. That’s why I reacted like I did.” The tears that burst from my eyes surprised me. “Now is not a good time for me to be in a relationship.”
    Justin wiped tears from the corner of my eyes with his thumbs before placing his hands on my shoulders and looking deeply into my eyes. “I understand you better than you think. I don’t usually lie awake half the night thinking about someone like I have with you. This scares me, actually.” He pulled me into his arms and I laid my head on the tickly warm refuge of his hairy chest. He brushed his hand over the back of my head. “I think the question we have to ask ourselves is whether we trust each other enough to let go and let what we have just take us?”
    “Oh, Justin, I don’t know. I’ve got so much going on at work. I’m going to have to spend a lot of hours in the lab the next several months, sometimes even on weekends.”
    “The next time I take you home, there won’t be any interruptions. Don’t you want to find out what that will be like?” He pushed me back so he could meet my eyes—his penetrating gaze revealed his plan. Peel off my clothes and carry me off to the bedroom, or even a chair or sofa if it was closer, so we could satiate this raging desire to feast ourselves on each other’s bodies. “As far as your work goes, whatever schedule you keep won’t bother me.”
    I gazed at him, amazed at the depth of feeling I saw in his sparking green eyes. “Are you sure about this? I’m unpredictable, obsessed with my work…the list goes on and on.”
    “Well I have to admit I’ve asked myself is this really what I need, but still…As much as I’ve fought it, I can’t say no to what I’m feeling.”
    “And what are you feeling?” I offered a smile and a flirtatious bat of the eyelashes.
    A broad smile dimpled his cheek. “Like I could swim the English Channel or run a whole marathon without getting the least bit tired--like I no longer need coffee or