The brutal reminder dampened her excitement a little, till she accepted that honesty was better than deception, especially self-deception. This had nothing to do with love. It was all about sex.

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t special. Already she felt more of a woman than she had in years. A beautiful, desirable woman, a woman another man might want to get to know and love and possibly marry some time in the future. Being with Mike was going to be a changing experience in her life.

She was smiling up at him. Not a saucy smile. Or a sexy smile. A warm, soft, glowing smile.

Mike wasn’t used to women smiling like that at him in bed. Not before he had sex with them. He wasn’t sure what it meant.

He climbed onto the bed and kissed her again, obliterating the smile, bringing his mind and his body back to what he did understand. She wanted him to do it to her. Right now. No more foreplay. No fancy moves. Just straight into it.

Well, that was fine by him, he thought as his mouth turned savage on hers and his right knee wedged between hers, levering her thighs open. He could do that.

One hand twisted in her hair, holding her mouth captive under his whilst his other hand guided his straining erection into her.

Was it her moan he heard? Or his own?

Her flesh enclosed his like a soft leather glove. Restricting. Delicious. Exciting.

Too exciting.

Once buried in her to the hilt, Mike forced himself to lie still, lifting his mouth from hers and levering himself up onto his elbows.

She looked up at him dazedly, her beautiful blue eyes dilated with desire.

How seductive she looked, with her glorious red hair spread out around her flushed face; her lips wet and shining, and provocatively apart.

‘Put your arms up above your head,’ he told her.

She blinked once, then did it, the action raising her lush breasts, bringing her long, hard nipples closer to his mouth. But he didn’t kiss them. Or lick them. Even though he knew she would have liked it. He didn’t want to give her too much too soon. Or himself, either. He wanted to savour her. Like a wonderful meal. This was just the first course. The entrée. There would be many more courses to come. To hurry would have been a crime.

If only she hadn’t moved her hips, and her bottom, her restless need compelling him to move, at first with creditable control, but then more urgently as hot blood rushed through his body, bringing him swiftly to that point of no return.