“Brilliant in many ways. In fact, I owe him. Huge.” Isaac gently turned and pulled her into his arms. “He’s the one who browbeat me into going to the Power Match meet and greet after my information was inadvertently used. He’s the reason we met.”
Rachel settled into the circle of his arms, nuzzling his chest. “No offense, but I have to question his ‘brilliance.’ The app wasn’t exactly a success in matching us, you know.”
Again, laughter rumbled through his chest. “No, it wasn’t. Truth?”
“Truth.”
“Apparently I’m such a pain in the ass that the program had trouble finding matches for me within the test pool.”
“And here I thought I was special.”
She stilled as Isaac rested his lips against the crown of her head, gave her a soft kiss and said, “You are.”
Whatever happened between them tomorrow, she’d deal with it then. Now, in the quiet of their hotel suite, Rachel had seen beyond the outer shell Isaac had created and had met the part of him that he’d kept hidden from the world. She had stood beside him, hand in hand, and looked into his personal abyss, one brimming with more than a decade of remorse and immeasurable guilt. An abyss that had been so dark, but now, she thought, held a glimmer of something akin to hope. Something that might lead him toward self-forgiveness. If she could be part of that for him, part of the healing he so desperately needed, she would be content.
No. Not just content.
She would be happy.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THEBATHROOMDOORopened and steam billowed out like a drumroll in advance of the woman who followed. She smiled, her face softening at the sight of him. “Hey, handsome.”
He cleared his throat. “Hey.”
Moving with languid grace, Rachel crossed the room, wet hair wrapped in a towel, another towel around her body. Barely.
Isaac couldn’t help but think that the Europeans had the right of it, using smaller towels. Particularly given the way the edges separated to reveal an expanse of thigh right up to her bare hip.
“You need breakfast.”
He looked up rather stupidly. “Huh?”
“You’re eyeing me like I’m on the menu.”
“If you’re not, I’m filing a complaint with hotel management and going back to bed.”
“Hotels like this—I’m sure they’d hate to have such an influential customer leave dissatisfied.” She leaned forward, the movement pulling the towel edges farther apart. “Particularly when the solution is such an easy one.”
Isaac leaned up and claimed her mouth. She tasted like hope overlaid faintly with toothpaste. She smelled like mint and rosemary. Beneath his hands, she felt like a combination of absolution and carnal sin.
He was good with that.
He wanted—needed—both. From her. Only from her.
He pulled her to the bed and laid her down with care, worshipping every inch of skin he could reach. There would be time to slow down later, to worship her body as it deserved to be worshipped. Right now? Isaac needed her. Needed to be inside her. Needed to be lost in her. And from the sounds she made and the way she moved her hips, the way she pulled him to her, it was clear she felt the same.
Sliding up her body, he entered her with a tenderness that was new between them.
Rachel moved beneath him, meeting his thrustsby lifting her hips, taking him deeper than he’d thought possible, holding his face in her hands and watching him for every cue, every tell, every nuance. He saw the reactions in her face as he watched her for the same.
Without warning, he rolled over, taking her with him. This put her on top, empowered her to set the pace, to control the culmination. He still worked her body with care, finding her clitoris and exposing it so he could gently thrum it and push her experience higher.
Hands on her hips, he encouraged her to slide up and down the length of his cock.
She took advantage of the moment. Letting her head fall back, the tips of her hair brushed over his thighs in an erotic sweep.
Isaac groaned, gripping her hips with more strength, bending his knees a bit and encouraging her to ride him with more fervor.