Chase caught her chin and kissed her. His mouth devoured hers, demanding and full of need. He

continued to imprison her mouth with his, while his hands hooked behind her legs and pulled her to the edge of the table.

As his tongue brushed and swirled with hers, his fingers slipped between her legs and mimicked his

tongue's motions. The tiny bud, still sensitive from his earlier attention, convulsed under his touch. Her legs fell helplessly open.

She fondled him in return, running her palm over him.

Both of them groaned into each other's mouth so their reaction seemed to be one, their arousal unified.

He continued to circle the calloused pad of his thumb around her, while a finger slipped inside her, then another, stretching her, filling her.

Vaguely, she wondered how the width of his erection would ever fit, if his fingers could make her feel so full.

"Baby, you are so warm," he murmured against her mouth.

She felt more than warm. She felt on fire.

He seemed to be burning up too, his erection searing hot in her hand. She ran her fingertips over the tip

to spread his moisture over the heated flesh, but the wetness only seemed to ignite him further.

"Abby, you're killing me. I have to be inside you," he muttered roughly against her ear, the huskiness of

his voice tickling her skin.

"Yes." She released him to grab his narrow hips and move him between her splayed legs.

"Wait," he said and pulled away from her.

Abby suppressed a frustrated groan.

Or maybe she didn't, because Chase smiled and said indulgently, "Just one second."

He leaned over and fumbled with his tuxedo pants, and promptly returned with a couple silver packets.

Condoms, she realized. Then another realization hit her. "You had those at the fundraiser?"

He smiled sheepishly. "It was like my choice in boxers- be prepared, just in case."

He tore one of the packages open with his teeth, and slid the condom on with practiced ease that Abby

didn't really want to think about And she didn't have much time to, because he returned to the vee of her thighs and all rational thought was lost She felt the head of his penis against her, and she shifted, anxious to have him fill her.

He was eager too, reaching down to guide himself into her. She gasped as he pressed slowly forward, spreading her, stretching her. "Are you okay?" he asked, studying her with his icy blue eyes that seemed to penetrate her as deeply as his erection.

She nodded.

"Good," he groaned and held her hips and began to move within her.

Clutching him around the neck, she buried her face into his shoulder and concentrated on the sensation

of him inside her. She could feel each pulse of his erection, each tiny ripple. And he felt so right inside

her, like a piece of herself that had been missing. "God, baby, you're driving me crazy," he groaned, nipping the bare skin of her shoulder. "I don't know if I can be gentle."

She bit his shoulder in response. "Then don't," she breathed against his neck. And whether it was the bite or her words, Abby didn't know, but Chase lost his tightly reined control. Holding her hips, Chase began to thrust into her, each entry more insistent than the last. She anchored her legs around his waist and arced against him, accepting his powerful thrusts, loving his wild strength. She fell back against the table, the angle allowing him to penetrate her deeper, fuller. And with each fierce stroke, she felt the tightness low in her belly She clutched him and shouted. Distantly, she heard Chase's own roar and then they collapsed onto the tabletop. Abby panted up at the ceiling, concentrating on the tingles of bliss flowing through her limbs and his wonderful weight on her body. She felt giddy-far, far more so than the previous effects of tine champagne. She wanted to sing, to shout, to laugh joyously. She'd made love with Chase and it was amazing, stupendous, perfect. He looked up at her, resting his chin on her chest. "How are you?" Abby grinned stupidly. "I've never been better." Chase shared her smile, but then sobered. "Despite the fact that an unintelligent oaf with primal urges just took you on his kitchen table?"

She stroked his cheek. "I don't recall there being any unintelligent oafs involved, but when it comes to your primal urges, you can take those out on me anywhere." To her dismay, his easy smile faded. "I'd be careful. I might very well hold you to that." Her heart fluttered. "I certainly hope so." She moved her hand to trace the shape of his lower lip with her index finger. "Abby-" A sharp scratch on the back door caused both of them to jump. The scratch was followed by a high, pitiful whine. "Chester," Chase said with a measure of relief. "Oh no, we forgot about him," Abby said. Chase gently withdrew from her and offered her an apologetic smile. "I guess we couldn't lie on the table all night anyway." He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, lingeringly. Her hands twined into the silkiness of his hair.

Chester whined again.

"Go let him in," Abby murmured against his lips. She hated to give up his kiss, but she couldn't enjoy herself knowing poor Chester was stuck outside in the dark.

He placed another quick kiss on her lips, then padded to the door, dropping the condom in the

wastebasket as he passed.

Abby leaned up on her elbows and watched him. He swung open the door, let Chester in, and scruffed the dog's ears. He herded the dog into the living room, so he wouldn't cut his paws on the broken glass still shattered on the floor.

Then he came back to her, all the while acting like he wasn't bare-naked. He had no reason to be self-conscious. His body was absolutely gorgeous, long and lean, covered in muscles and golden skin.

"Do you wander around the kitchen naked often?"

He considered her question. "Not too often. And never with a lovely woman lounging on the table, watching me."

Abby laughed, although she could feel the heat in her cheeks. Despite her wanton appearance, she wasn't nearly as comfortable with her own nakedness. Sitting up, she straightened her dress. Chase stopped her hands with his, holding them in their large, calloused warmth. "What are you doing?" "Trying to make myself presentable." "To who? Me?" He cast a look down at himself. "I think you were better suited to me before." "Yes, well... I can't very well walk across the street with my dress up around my waist."

"Who said you were walking across the street? You're spending the night with me." "I-" She was? Did their affair include sleeping over? In some ways, that seemed more intimate to Abby than what they had just done. Maybe because she hadn't often slept in a bed with a man. Nelson was always very defensive of his own space. And given the awkwardness of their sex life, she hadn't been too disappointed when he left afterward.

Chase captured her hand and tugged her off the table. "Come on, you're sleeping over."

This was a night of firsts. And so far she was really, really enjoying them. She had no doubt spending the

night in Chase's arms was going to be the best of them. Well, okay, at least a close second to hisincredible lovemaking. On rubbery legs and with her heart thumping violently in her chest, Abby followed. In the dark hallway, it wasalmost possible to overlook Chase's nudity. But once he turned on his bedside lamp and the soft light filled the room, his bronzed skin seemed to glow.

She tried to cast a look around her, but over and over again her eyes were drawn to that warm, golden skin. Despite what they'd just done, staring seemed rude. Although she did long to examine every detail of his magnificent body. "This is nice," she managed, although she'd given up looking around and studied the carpet. "What got you uncomfortable?" She shot him a quick glance. "I'm not really uncomfortable, but I am finding it hard not to stare." Against the carpet, she saw his shadow shrug. "So stare. I don't mind. I fully intend to strip you naked and spend the whole night learning every inch of your body."

Abby's head snapped up. "We're not going to sleep?"

"Are you tired?"

Her limbs were weighted and heavy, but it was a wonderful, sated feeling that actually had little to do with fatigue and all to do with satisfaction. "No, I'm not tired."

He walked over to her. Each step caused the lean muscles under his skin to roll with the sleek grace of a tiger. Even his eyes held a feral spark.

He ran his hands over her sides to catch her around the waist. The slide of the silky material between her skin and his hands was pleasant, but it wasn't nearly as exciting as Chase's calloused hands rasping against her bare flesh.

He kissed her shoulder with gentle, sucking kisses that caused shivers to dance along her spine.

"I know what would make you more comfortable," he murmured against her skin.

"What?" Her breath hitched as his tongue flicked out to taste the indentation of her collarbone.

"If we even the playing ground." He tugged the skirt of her dress up. "Raise your arms."

Abby did, with less reservation than she thought possible.

He peeled the dress up over her head, leaving her in only a lacy, red strapless bra that matched the panties. Wherever those were now.

She slowly lowered her arms and watched Chase's expression.

He consumed her with his eyes, the blueness of them shifting to a liquid silver like pools of mercury under a clear blue sky.

"Abby," he said with awe, before capturing her lips with ail the greedy hunger reflected in his gaze.

She melted against him, for the first time really feeling all of his hard steely body against hers.

She touched him with all the sureness she hadn't had downstairs, tracing each groove of his muscled back, each bulge of his shoulders and arms.

His hands also touched her, shaping the dip of her spine and the roundness of her bottom.

After much exploration, they broke their kiss. They stared at each other, both breathing hard, both a bit dazed.

"I," Chase controlled his breathing, "realized I was remiss downstairs."

"You were?" Abby couldn't imagine how so.

He nodded and ran his hands up her back to the clasps of her bra.

Abby stiffened, as the tightness of the elastic, holding the garment in place, loosened and slid away. Even though she was aroused beyond reasonable thought, she fought the urge to cover herself. She'd always been self-conscious about her breasts. They were too large and not perky like the women in fashion magazines that her sister, Marty, modeled for. Her areolas were large and her nipples, when distended, looked like rose-colored bullets. In her opinion, they were definitely designed to be utilitarian rather than sexy.

But instead of covering herself, she closed her eyes. She waited to hear Chase's sound of disgust or worse, the obligatory sort of praise Nelson used to offer. Instead the room was silent, except for the nervous drumming of her heart in her ears. Finally, the quietness was too much. She opened her eyes.

Chase stood slightly away from her, his lips parted, his chest rising and falling in quick, shallow breaths. His eyes, like swirls of molten silver and sapphire, were locked on her. Gently, reverently, he cupped a hand under one of her breasts, the roundness and weight of it filling his palm. "Perfect," he whispered, leaning forward to catch her puckered nipple between his lips. Abby jerked and closed her eyes again, as a riot of sensation shot through her. His fingers found the nipple of her other breast and she braced her hands on his shoulders, afraid her knees might give out. She had no idea that attention to her breasts could create such forceful need in her. It was overwhelming and thrilling and driving her stark raving mad.

"Chase," she said, her voice serrated with longing.

He continued his assault, rolling both nipples, one between his teeth and tongue, the other between his thumb and forefinger.

Her head fell back and she fought the urge to rub herself against his solid body.

"Chase," she tried again, more desperate than before.

But he continued his onslaught, tweaking, squeezing, sucking.

Shivers rolled down her spine and moisture collected between her thighs. She teetered on the precipice,

but she didn't want to go over alone. She wanted Chase with her, plummeting through ecstasy with her. "Chase," she cried, this time gathering enough sense to sink her fingers into his hair and tug him away from her. He looked up, those pale silver blue eyes half shielded by thick, black lashes. "I can make you come this way." Abby's heart pounded. "Yes, you can," she agreed. "But I want you to come too."

He grinned, the action slow and sexy. "Mmmm, that does sound nice." He caught her hand and led her to the bed. At the edge, he kissed her and pressed her down, following her.

Once they were spread out across his quilt, his hot, hard body touching every inch of hers, he said, "This is my plan. First, I'm-" He flicked his tongue over her pebbled nip pie, and she arched against him. "I'm going to make you come and then alter a lot of kissing and touching and exploring, we will both come. That's the plan." His lips found her nipple, drawing on the distended peak.

Abby arched again as electricity exploded through her.

"That," she gasped, helpless to argue with such a talented and determined man, "sounds like a good plan." She felt Chase's pleased smile against her breast.

Abby would just have to make a plan of her own, when and if her brain ever floated back down from paradise.