“What happens if we make each other miserable? We fight and curse? We’re like oil and water. We’re not like Jenna and Larry or Connor andNadine.”
“No, we’re not. We’re like two cats hissing and spitting, clawing and scratching, but if we fight, we’ll make it up with love.” He gulped, unable to keep a silly grin from his face. He’d just mentioned the one word he’d never wanted to associate with anywoman.
Love wasn’t an emotion he yearned for, but rather one he feared. It was dangerous, suffocating, and made him feel like a trappedanimal.
“Are we capable of love?” Her brow wrinkled, as she, too, had her doubts. “Or is itsex?”
He let his gaze run down her beautiful body. “If it were only sex, why are we talking aboutlove?”
“We don’t know what it is without the sex.” She grasped his hand and held it, her fingers twined withhis.
“It doesn’t have to be either or.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Shall we learn it together? Learn how to makelove?”
“I’ve been making love since the very first time.” Her eyes narrowed with a mischievous and naughty glint. “But I’ll take great sexanytime.”
With a hearty purr, she launched herself at him, claiming his mouth and kissing him like a possessedwoman.
“I want this to last, this lovemaking,” he muttered, gasping and shying away from her touch. “Want to feel you against me, skin to skin, closer than any two people canget.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” She touched him, shooting tingles throughout hisbody.
He stifled a long moan as lust and love rushed through his veins, cascading into his heart. “Tonight’s about you, my wildcat. When I’m done with you, which will be never, you’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have myheart.”
She moved her hand to his hard abdomen and up his chest while smoothing his hair with her other one. Gazing into his eyes, she said, “You’ve always had mine, but even now, I’m afraid to admit it. Will having your hearthurt?”
“If I hurt you, I hurt me. I think we’ve established thatalready.”
She nodded, biting her lip. “It’s like we’re stuck together. I can’t live without you, but I can’t see us not hurting eachother.”
“Then we’re just going to have to make it hurt so good.” He nipped her lower lip and rolled her hair around his hand, pulling her back so that her eyes dilated with hotpassion.
“Oh, yeah.” She sighed and grasped his face. “Hurt me so bad, Grady. Hurt me until I scream yourname.”
* * *
Dark,unspoken passion drilled into Linx, turning her blood into rivers of fire. She whimpered when Grady drew her lips tohis.
He kissed her thoroughly and with more heart than she’d ever tasted, and this time, instead of fighting him, scratching, biting, and challenging him, she let him make love to her, slowly and patiently building the embers of her need into a mighty, all-consumingclimax.
She hadn’t expected him to take her over the edge so easily, not so close to the hot and cold internal combustion of the firstone.
“I love you.” She surprised herself with the words that had been percolating at the edge of her heart. It didn’t even matter if he didn’t say them back to her—not now when she felt his love sointensely.
His eyes dilated, softening into an expression of adoration and hardening at the same time with wicked lust. “Oh, baby, love is just the start. I’m staking my claim now andforever.”
Heck, a Grady in love was a clear and present danger, a minefield, but one she’d gladly step into, time and time again. Was she nuts? But oh, she couldn’t help it, not when everything she’d secretly wanted was offered to her in such a delectable and hunkypackage.
She floated down through the afterglow of loving with the burr of his deep voice purring her name, “Linx, Linx, my sweet girl, myheart.”
* * *
Grady closed his eyes,hugging and spooning his woman as her breathing quieted down, easing from the heights of pleasure he’d brought herto.
He was proud of himself, and yet, he braced himself for her push and shove. Would she regret the pleasure and her loss of control? Would she back off, afraid to let that glimmer into her heart stayopen?
She’d uttered those words, and he wanted to believe she’d meant them. But at the same time, she’d hurt him—sometimes deliberately—sought her revenge for him hurtingher.
Could she go back to that as easily as a woman putting on abra?
