Spellbound

Original Edition: Twelve

The pasta Archer cooked was tasty, and I could have gone for another serving if it weren't for my one-tracked mind. I couldn't stop thinking about what he had implied in the kitchen.

I'd be happy to demonstrate after dinner.

Was I ready to take that next step after only knowing him for a couple days? No doubt, I was attracted to him. The way my heart raced and the throbbing between my legs when he was close were proof enough. We had and undeniable chemistry between us. So why should I hold back? I'm a grown woman with needs too, for fuck's sake.

Sometime near the end of my inner monologue, I took the last bite of chicken Florentine, and my wine glass was empty. I crossed my legs under the table and jiggled my foot, hoping he didn't notice my nervous habit. I folded and unfolded my napkin as he finished and said, "That was delicious. Thank you. I haven't had a homecooked meal that good in a long time. It wasn't exactly easy to find food like that on a college campus. And my mother isn't exactly Betty Crocker."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I miss cooking and having a nice dinner. For the first time since Hazel died, I feel a sense of normality." Archer stood and began to gather the dishes from the table.

I jumped up and put my hands over his. "Stop. You cooked all of this; let me at least clean up." He opened his mouth to argue, but I put my index finger over his lips. "It'll only take a minute. Just sit down." I pointed at the same place I sat while he cooked.

With a side glance at me, he obeyed, and I could feel his eyes on me as I loaded the dishes into the dishwasher and put the bigger pots and pans into the sink to soak. Washing my hands with the lemon soap Aunt Hazel had loved, I dried them on a towel and tossed it on the counter. I turned to face him and slapped my palms together. "See? All finished!"

"One might think that you are looking forward to what comes next." He stood and crossed the kitchen to me. "Are you?"

My breath hitched, and I thought about acting coy for about two seconds. I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked up at him from under my lashes. "Yeah...I am."

"Me too." Archer cupped one side of my face in his palm and tilted my chin up. "I've wanted to do this ever since I laid eyes on you." He brushed his lips over mine, sending my stomach into giddy somersaults. His second pass over my mouth was bolder; he captured my bottom lip and the warm tip of his tongue glided over it.

I laced my fingers into his hair and pulled him closer, giving into my desire to taste him. He stepped forward, and I moved back until the curve of my spine met the edge of the counter. My insides melted as his hands curled around my waist and hoisted me on the top. Guiding my knees apart, he created a space for his hips between them.

He never stopped kissing me, my chest heaving up and down as the passion between us grew wild and hungry. I felt like I was about to run out of oxygen.

It was the most incredible feeling I'd ever had.

He pulled back just as I started to feel lightheaded, and I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him closer. "Where are you going?" I teased, pushing his hair off his forehead.

"Obviously nowhere," he said with a chuckle and placed his hands on my knees. "Not that I would want to be anywhere else." His hands slid up my thighs and under the hem of my dress. "Except for maybe here." He brushed a knuckle over the damp center of my panties, and my hips lifted from the countertop, applying more pressure to where I ached for him the most.

Archer moved in slow strokes against me as his other hand tangled my hair, raising my face to his. His plum gaze never left mine as he slid the lace at the juncture of my legs to the side and dipped the tips of his fingers into my wet center.

"You feel like heaven," he whispered, brushing against the bundle of nerves that had me biting my lip to stifle a moan.

"Please," I breathed, fighting the urge to throw my head back. "Please don't stop."

Something about the way he touched me was unearthly...like his body was made to pleasure mine. If he stopped now, I was certain I would explode. I tightened around his fingers, pushing forward with more force than I intended, embedding his fingers deeper within me. The moan I'd tried to suppress escaped my lips, and he tugged on my hair in response.

His thumb worked in time with the rest of his skillful fingers, sliding over the most sensitive part of me, the part that hadn't been touched by another in far too long. I gripped the front of his shirt as my body tensed and the euphoric release I was chasing was just within my reach.

Archer ran his lips over my jaw and when they arrived at my ear he whispered, "Come for me, Gemma."

With a strangled whimper, I let go...of the last shred of my control, the fear, the stress, the constant pressure to be perfect. I let go and just allowed Archer to treat me like I was the only thing that existed. The ecstasy his touch sent through my body was nothing like I'd ever felt before, and I was happy to lose myself in it.

When I finally stopped shaking, I leaned against him, resting my head against his chest. "Oh my God," I murmured, my voice muffled by the soft fabric of his shirt.

"That may have been the sexiest thing I've ever seen," he said, removing his fingers and righting the lace.

I lifted my head and the smile on my face sobered as he placed his glistening fingers in his mouth. His eyes remained on mine as he sucked them clean, and a new rush of desire swept through me. Like he could read my mind, Archer said, "I promise the next time I'll use my tongue."