Chapter Forty-Six

“Hey,” Darcy whispered. Natalie’s skin was hot under the palm of her hand.

Natalie shifted onto her side to face Darcy. “Hey yourself. That was...” She swallowed.

Darcy studied her face in the dim light of the room. Was she upset? Oh shit. “Hey, I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?”

Natalie shook her head, a laugh bubbling up and escaping her mouth. “No. That was perfect. I’m sorry. I didn’t think I would feel...”

Darcy kissed Natalie’s shoulder. “It’s okay.”

Natalie’s expression shifted. Gone was the emotion, replaced by her cocky grin. As sexy as that smile was, Darcy wished Natalie hadn’t buried her emotions so quickly. But this thing between them, whatever it was, felt too fragile to say something. Even if she promised not to hurt her again, Darcy wasn’t sure Natalie would believe her.

The problem was the past hung all around them. Darcy understood why Natalie closed herself off but it didn’t stop her from wanting that sweet, gentle woman she knew was under the cocky smile and the sarcasm.

Natalie propped herself on one elbow and placed a featherlight kiss on Darcy’s cheek. She shifted to place another on her shoulder. Another below her hair on her neck and then again between her shoulder blades. Each kiss no more than the touch of a butterfly landing on her skin. Darcy smiled, her skin tingling with anticipation as she waited to discover where Natalie would kiss her next. Her spine, the dip of her waist, the dimples at the base of her back. Each time her skin felt aflame for an instant, the anticipation of each touch making her heart pound.

Natalie’s breath tickled and she pressed kiss and after kiss on Darcy’s back. “I’ve always had a thing for your back.”

Darcy lifted her head and tried to twist to look at Natalie. “What?”

Natalie smiled shyly. “When we were in college, it was the only part of you I could look at without you catching me.” She blushed. “I spent an embarrassing amount of time mapping your muscles in my mind.” She dipped her head and trailed kisses along Darcy’s side, coming tantalizingly close to her nipples.

Darcy turned onto her side. “Really?”

Natalie gave her a crooked smile. “I didn’t want to get caught staring at you.” She shrugged, her bashfulness reaching right into Darcy’s chest and squeezing her heart.

There was the person Darcy fell in love with. Natalie’s sweetness wasn’t gone, Darcy hadn’t destroyed it.

Natalie bent to kiss Darcy and let her teeth scrape along Darcy’s lower lip.

“Fuck,” Darcy exhaled.

Natalie took her raspy curse as an invitation to kiss her harder. Darcy moaned at the feel of Natalie’s tongue along her lower lip.

She threaded her fingers into Natalie’s hair, not wanting Natalie to stop kissing her. Or she thought she wanted the kisses to go on forever until Natalie dragged her tongue across Darcy’s nipple.

“Oh my god, Natalie,” Darcy gasped as Natalie’s tongue swirled around her nipple, each lick making Darcy arch her back higher.

Darcy opened her eyes and saw Natalie staring at her, her mouth open, pink tongue drawing delicious circles on her skin. Natalie’s eyes were full of mischief.

After a few minutes, Darcy thought she was going to come without Natalie taking off her underwear.

“Nat, holy shit. Your mouth!”

Natalie lifted her head, letting the tip of her tongue draw lazy circles around the stiff peak of Darcy’s nipple. “You like that?”

God, she was sexy when she was like this. Fuck.

“Don’t stop,” Darcy begged. Natalie dragged her fingers across Darcy’s stomach, stopping at the band of her underwear.

Darcy’s hips lifted off the bed. “Carpenter, would you fucking touch me already?”

Natalie’s tongue never left Darcy’s chest, even as her fingers tugged her underwear off and flung them across the room. She paused until she caught Darcy’s eye. Darcy nodded her consent.

Natalie’s fingers slid up Darcy’s thigh until they reached her soaking-wet center. “Jesus, Darce.” Natalie ran her fingers the length of Darcy’s slit so gently that Darcy considered committing murder. The teasing was actually going to kill her. Either that or the combination of Natalie’s fingers sliding over her clit and her mouth on her nipple. But if she died, this would be the way to go.

Natalie was very precise with her fingers so when Darcy gasped “Right there, don’t stop,” Natalie did exactly as she was told until Darcy screamed her name so loudly she slapped a hand over her own mouth in embarrassment.

Natalie lifted her head and bit down on her lip. “Everything okay, LaCroix?”

Darcy laughed, unable to banter. Unable to do anything but laugh and lie on the bed feeling like her bones were jelly.

“Fuck, you’re good at that.”

Natalie grinned, the slightest hint of a blush creeping up her cheeks. She looked so proud of herself. The cute, confident smile was back and Darcy knew she was in trouble.

“Did it kill you to compliment me?”

Darcy shook her head. “I will compliment you as much as you want if you do that thing with your tongue again.”

Natalie grinned and bent her head down but Darcy placed her hands on Natalie’s cheeks to stop her. “Not now. I cannot take any more right now. Unless you want me to die from sex, I need a break from that incredible tongue of yours.”

Natalie grinned and kissed Darcy, soft and slow. “Okay, but just so you know, I’m happy to do this all night.” Her eyes glinted in the dim light.

Fuck. Darcy didn’t know what it was about this woman that gave her the power to utterly wreck her, but she sure as hell wanted to find out.