Trading Secrets Read Online Free Page A

beautiful,” she murmured and then couldn’t resist brushing her lips over the flat, masculine nipples.
    “And you’re soft and vibrant and very, very hot, aren’t you, honey?”
    She ignored the faint hard edge of his words. He was aroused, and that was excuse enough for the roughness she thought she detected. Men weren’t at their verbal best when their bodies and instincts were focusing on sex. With gentle invitation in her eyes she lifted her face for his kiss.
    His mouth came down on hers abruptly as if he could barely wait for her, and Sabrina tried to break the contact long enough to urge him not to rush matters. After all, they had all night. Five whole days, in fact. Hours and hours in which to get to know each other physically and mentally. And it had been so long for her that Sabrina knew she needed time tonight. Old habits and manners died hard. Her body had a long way to go before it would be fully aroused. The promise of that potential arousal was thick in the air around her, though, and she made no protest when Matt lifted her suddenly and carried her toward the bed.
    He set her down on it and stood staring at her moonlit body. Only the triangle of satin and lace at the joining of her thighs remained in the way of clothing. Matt flattened his hand intimately on her stomach and then pushed his fingers under the scrap of underwear. His touch was rougher than Sabrina expected as he stripped the panties down her legs. He straightened again and as his hooded gaze swept her Sabrina felt a disturbing chill.
    “What is it, Matt?” She suddenly felt very vulnerable.
    “Nothing.” He unfastened the belt at his waist. Then he sat down on the bed and tugged off the low-cut boots he was wearing. They hit the floor with a thud. He rose and unzipped the slacks, stepping out of them and his briefs.
    Sabrina watched him walk three paces to the chair and lay the clothing neatly over the back with military precision. When he turned to her, she shifted uneasily at the sight of his fiercely aroused nakedness. Then the leather sheath strapped to his calf caught her eye.
    “What’s that?” she demanded, sitting up and unconsciously wriggling so that she was partially covered by the sheet. Her sense of vulnerability sharpened abruptly.
    “What does it look like?” he asked mildly. He planted his foot on top of the bed and bent over to release the clasp of the sheath with a flick of his fingers.
    “A knife.” Sabrina stared at the object in his hand. What kind of bizarre situation had she gotten herself into? she wondered on an incipient note of hysteria.
    “ Ummm .” Noncommittally he slid into bed beside her and she saw him put the sheath down on the floor.
    “Do you, uh, always keep it within reach? Even at times like this?” It was a relief to have the weapon out of sight. The casual way he handled it caused her to relax a little.
    “Especially at times like this.” He reached for her, drawing her urgently into his arms, and Sabrina forgot about the knife as she realized how hard and taut his body was.
    Her nails dug into his sleek shoulder as she tried awkwardly to push the heavy weight of his thighs a short distance away from hers. Perhaps he didn’t understand, she thought. Maybe it had been a long time since he’d been with a woman. Whatever the reason for his urgency, she needed to explain that she herself wasn’t quite ready.
    “Matt, please, let’s not rush,” she begged throatily. Her eyes shimmered with anticipation even as her body began to resist the pressure of his. “I … I need a little time. It’s been so long since … Never mind. Let’s slow down. I want everything to be perfect tonight. My birthday, remember?”
    “Perfect?” he bent his head to find the curve of her throat. “I feel fine, honey. Just fine. Believe me, as far as I’m concerned, everything’s perfect.”
    “It’s just that I don’t want, that is, I’m not quite ready,” she tried to say, only to have the