Every sound she made, the soft moans and sweet whimpers fueled the desire just below the surface. As I brought herupright again, our lips were almost touching. Her breathing was irregular and she slipped her arm over my shoulder, tangling her long fingers in my hair.
There were no words that needed to be said. Not for this.
I captured her mouth, holding our lips close together, doing nothing more than enjoying having her in my arms.
She darted her tongue inside as if tasting me for the first time. Even the way she was arching her back was subtle, almost sweet and I was reminded of just how truly vulnerable she was. At least at this moment, I had no fear that our time together would be interrupted.
Tomorrow was a different story.
Tomorrow I’d begin waging a war on crime.
My way.
But for tonight, I’d meant what I’d told her. We would be creating new and better memories so that no matter the outcome of how I handled Mr. Jones, she’d never fear rain again.
CHAPTER 23
Valentina
The kiss was even more powerful than any before.
Was that even possible?
On a rainy night when I’d lost almost everything I owned and had faced the possibility of losing the single man who’d been in my corner, kissing while dancing in the rain seemed like the perfect activity to take my mind off the horror that had become my life.
Plus, he had a way of creating romance even though his actions were possessive and rough in nature. He was holding me so tightly against him my breathing was shallow, yet the crush of his weight against mine was exactly what I needed.
I’d fallen into a blackness that I knew well and loathed. He’d managed to pull me from the depths of sorrow and self-pity with a single act.
I kept my fingers tangled in his hair as he spun me around. The taste of the whiskey he’d consumed was delicious and the scent of his aftershave, woodsy and toasted with spice was decadent. He spun me around in a circle, avoiding catching us in the rain away from the awning. But the pitter-patter of drops echoed in my ears.
He held me as if he had no intention of letting me go, sweeping his tongue back and forth. Always so dominating. Always so protective.
There was nothing wrong with allowing all the nasty details of the last few days and those coming soon to fade away. If only for one night.
When he fisted my hair, breaking the kiss and nipping my earlobe, I shuddered in his hold. “Do you still trust me?”
The tickle of his heated breath kept me floating. “Uh-huh.”
“That’s good to hear.” He backed away, yanking off his shirt.
“What are you doing?”
He acted as if he wasn’t going to answer me, stripping off his shorts and boxers after kicking his shoes to the side. The only light was coming from inside, allowing for nothing more than a glimmer onto the deck. But it was just enough to enjoy the sight of his naked body. The dim light made the ink on his arms appear even more dangerous and seductive.
I hadn’t lied to him when I’d said I’d been drawn to him because of the goodness I’d experienced and had felt welling up from deep within him. However, he was right in that many people had two sides.
Seeing the other one, the one willing to go to great lengths to keep me safe at any cost, that ran into a burning building to save a puppy yet had become physically violent with four men determined to hurt me was an extraordinary aphrodisiac.
Hudson was the kind of man with the ability to make you believe in the goodness of people all while wrecking the concept of right and wrong. Good and evil.
As I’d experienced with him before, I suddenly forgot to breathe.
He took my silence as approval and before I knew what he’d done, he’d ripped off my clothes piece by piece. Then he whisked me into his arms, pulling me against the heat of his body and as usual, I swooned, my mouth suddenly dry.
I tilted my head, preparing or maybe hoping for another sensual kiss. What I wasn’t expecting was for him to pull me from under the protection of the awning and into the rain.
A laugh bubbled to the surface. “You’re crazy.”
