Free Write to Me by Nona Raines Page A

doorway, suddenly struck by all the lies he’d told. He’d meant to come clean somehow, some way. Now was the perfect opportunity. But if he fessed up, he’d lose her. Lose this chance to be with her. So he made the bargain all liars make.
    God, let me get by this once, and I swear I’ll never do it again.
    He prayed for Gloria never to find out the lie that brought them together. From here on, it would be the truth and nothing but.
    But what kind of relationship could be built on a foundation of lies?
    Gloria must have felt his hesitation and took the lead. “Come.” She led him through the doorway, her hand in his.
    Inside the bedroom, he caressed, kissed, fondled her as her fumbled with her buttons. She’d unfastened half the buttons of his shirt when he stopped her hand. “Wait.”
    Bryan gently urged her onto the bed. Her sweater hung open down the front, revealing her lacy black bra and generous breasts. Her chest, throat, and face were flushed with desire. Her lips were full and red, her eyes hazy.
    He was hard as rock, his cock aching to feel her heat. Blood pounded in his ears, nearly deafening him. But it was more than lust he felt. Gratitude welled in his chest and filled his throat. He was the luckiest bastard on the planet to have this woman in his room. In his life.
    And the least deserving.
    He shoved that guilty thought aside. No time for self-reproach. He needed to make love to Gloria.
    He never thought of sex as making love before. In fact, he’d scoffed at the term, found it ridiculous and sappy. But now, as he sank to his knees before Gloria, no other expression fit.
    He lifted her left leg and slipped off her sandal. Her toes, sparkling with crimson polish, curled when he placed his lips to the arch of her foot. She giggled but didn’t pull away. Ah, she liked that. What else did she like?
    Slowly, he kissed his way up her bare leg. He reached the back of her knee, and she sighed. He lingered there, then trailed his lips to the inner joint of her thigh. He flicked his tongue against the edge of her panties, making her gasp. The lacy black panties matched her bra.
    What a temptation to tear them off her. But another urge was stronger. The urge to make them both wait. Savor the experience. Make it last.
    He stood and leaned over her. Gloria gazed up at him with heavy-lidded eyes. His heart thudded, and his cock butted against his fly, demanding release. Down, guy. Slow your roll.
    Bryan lowered himself to the bed and lifted Gloria’s hand, kissing each of her knuckles. He took his time discovering all her most sensitive places. The crook of her elbow, the hollow of her throat.
    When he placed his lips to the center of her cleavage, he caught a whiff of her perfume, the scent activated by her body heat. His thoughts rushed to the day they first met and the Shakespeare sonnet. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Gloria personified the beauty of summer. She was as lush as a field of wildflowers, as vibrant as a cloudless sky, as warm as a sunny day, as fragrant as lavender.
    ****
    Gloria sighed deeply as Bryan’s warm lips teased her breasts. Tears pricked the back of her eyes. Never had she felt so adored…well, not since—
    She swiftly pushed the thought away. No thinking of Emilio. No comparing the way he made love to Bryan’s technique. It wasn’t fair to either man.
    Bryan was here, in the flesh. And as much as she loved his tenderness and appreciation, she wanted more. She grasped his head and pulled him up for a kiss.
    His lips were as soft as rose petals. He brushed them teasingly against hers, but when she opened her mouth to invite deeper intimacy, he took full advantage. His kiss was leisurely but supremely confident. His mouth took complete control of hers.
    His tongue licked at hers, then caressed the hidden recesses of her mouth, leaving nothing unexplored. Gloria stole a breath when she could, needles of fire racing to her lips and breasts, to the juncture of her thighs. She