Read IllicitImpulse for Free Online Page B

wasn’t working? She could still have a
damn good time.
    As if to prove her point, Tal took her hand and gently
pulled her closer. He pressed two fingers to the sweet spot just behind her
chin and tilted her head back until she faced him. Then he pushed his lower lip
out in a little boy’s pout. “You sure?”
    Grace laughed. “You’re so damn silly.”
    Still pouting, he started to trace tiny circles on the
underside of her chin. “Are you mad because I’m so silly?”
    She tried to return his petulant expression but couldn’t
keep a straight face long enough to do it. “I’m not mad.” She longed to run her
own fingers over the hollow of his throat, the sensitive flesh visible through
the open collar of his shirt. Things were looking up already.
    “That’s good.” His voice made her want to press her lips to
his skin and see what other enticing sounds he’d make. “I would hate for Gracie
to be mad at me.”
    Grace gave Tal a playful shove and he released her,
laughing. “I’ll get mad if you call me Gracie again,” she said. Bereft
of his touch, her skin instantly went up in goose bumps.
    Still chuckling, Tal went back toward the front door to turn
off the lights. “So why are you all dressed up?”
    Grace rubbed her palms over her arms. Maybe this dress
hadn’t been such a good idea. She had another one with sleeves that was just as
nice. “No reason.”
    Wait. It’s cold. I’m suddenly cold. She grinned in
anticipation. Game on.
    Tal made his way back to her like a tiger, moving through
the tangle of stark shadows cast by the streetlights. “Did you take one of your
pills?”
    The icy tendrils that had begun to take hold of her
retreated just as quickly at the sound of Tal’s voice. Grace met him halfway
across the room, warmth slowly unfolding inside her with every step until her
fingertips stroked the front of his shirt. “I took one right before I came
over,” she said.
    “Do you think that’s fair?” The sound of his voice made her
restless again as his arms closed around her. She craned her neck just a bit,
nuzzling the warm skin under his chin. “You have kind of a head start on me.”
    Grace’s fingers walked over the fabric of his shirt, nimbly
undoing the buttons. Beneath her ministrations, his broad chest expanded on a
deep breath, and her nipples shrank to taut, hard points within the constraints
of her bra. She craved the hard heat of his body, the taste of him. She ground
her hips against him, savoring the surge of desire that swelled within her as
she pressed her body to the hardening ridge of flesh in his pants. “I think
you’re catching up.”
    She teased the corner of his mouth with the tip of her
tongue and he covered her lips with his own. She opened eagerly for his kiss,
whimpering with delight as he claimed her. He tasted of fine wine, the sort of
thing he’d drink while the ladies of Richmond’s art scene eyed him, wanting
what Grace enjoyed now. When he released her, she let her hands roam down his
chest, exploring the expanse of muscle, the flat stomach beneath his thin
cotton undershirt.
    He stroked her bare arms again, his rough fingertips leaving
a trail of fire on her skin. “What if I was hoping to get to the bed this
time?”
    The need to devour him rose up inside her, making her
shiver, but she relished each tantalizing taste of him, clean and wild. Her
struggle to control her amplified urges only aroused her further. “There’s
plenty of time for the bed,” she purred.
    Her tongue caressed the contours of his abs through the soft
fabric as she slowly knelt before him, barely noticing the hard floor beneath
her. While she unfastened his belt, Tal’s fingers played in her hair, and the
heat within her intensified. Her hands deftly unzipped and lowered his pants
until they pooled in front of her. Then she reached into his boxer shorts—plain
white, suitable for the dressy clothes he wore—and wrapped her fingers around
his erection.
    She heard