“Say that again, please,” she whispered. He dared to step in closer against her, her breasts grazing against his chest.
“I wantyou. Complications, secrets, and all. I don't care whatever type of trouble you're in. It doesn't scare me off one bit.”
“I don't want to ruin your life.”
“Enough. I've told you how I feel. Stop being scared on my behalf, because I don't give a damn and I know what I want. So tell me true, Cassia. Forget what you think I need. Doyouwant this? Did that kiss mean something?”
“But are you sure?”
Saints, he was going to lose his mind.
“Haven’tyoubeen listening?” he said firmly. “How much surer could any man be?”
He watched a smile break slowly across her face, like the sun peaking out from behind clouds. Watched her blink away water in her eyes and breathe half a laugh. Aevrin couldn’t help it. He smiled back, tight lipped, his heart swelling. Thank the heavens.
“So, are you going to kiss me now, or what?” Cassia asked.
With a grin he bent his head down to hers. Slowly, softly, Aevrin pressed his mouth to hers. His lips were gentle, exploring the contours of her own. He could taste the curve of her smile. His blood pumped hard as Cassia leaned her weight against him and parted her mouth. So this was how it felt, he thought, to kiss a girl he would have given up everything in his life to kiss. To hold a girl in his arms whose face had taken over every one of his daydreams.
It felt real damn good. He deepened the kiss, their tongues meeting as he did his best to show her just how certain he was.
His hands dropped away from her face and ran down her back, found the small of her waist and pulled her in even tighter against him. Cassia threw her hands around his neck. One of her hands cupped the back of his head, holding his face against hers. What he felt for her was more than lust, but with their bodies pressed tight, sharp, desperate arousal flooded his body.
She made a small noise of hunger in her throat. With a throb of need Aevrin stumbled against her. He pushed her upagainst the rough wall of the old house, their bodies grinding together. Helplessly he pressed his hips forward, stiff bulge aching in his trousers. Cassia’s back arched. One of her hands stayed tangled in his hair; the other was on his chest, sliding down.
He’d only meant to kiss her. He broke his mouth away for a moment, his body pinning hers against the wall. Cassia panted, her hands still on him.
“Should I stop?” he asked roughly. He was achingly hard already, the stiffness in his trousers jutting against her stomach. Lust made his head foggy. He clung hard to reason like it was a saddlehorn, trying not to drown in Cassia. Just minutes ago he’d thought he might have no chance. Minutes beforethathe’d been worried about being a gentleman.
Lust was a powerful drug. And Cassia was, well, more potent than flame on a dry pasture. She was beautiful inside and out. And his body wanted hers in a way that was new to him and completely overpowering.
She didn’t answer with words. She rose up on her tiptoes, her body grinding against his, and offered him her lips again. With a groan Aevrin captured her mouth with his. His hands gripped her wide hips, digging into the thin fabric of her russet dress. He slid his rough palms back between her and the stone wall and grabbed her ass; dragged his fingers back up over the curve of her hips, up to the natural narrowing of her waistline.
His right hand slowly dared to cup one of her generous breasts. Cassia moaned into his mouth. Emboldened, Aevrin slid a hand under her cardigan to knead the swell of her breast. Pushing his hips forward against her body, he exhaled sharply. A dull burst of pleasure lanced through him at the friction. He squeezed the soft flesh of her breast more firmly and felt his mind flood with pleasure.
“Aevrin,” Cassia mumbled. She broke the kiss off and tilted her head up and back, lengthening her neck before him. With a groan he pressed his mouth just below her ear, then lower. Ran his lips down to her collar, bending to reach. Bared his teeth and grazed them over her soft skin; the heat pooling off her. The sweet scent of her flooded his nose and stoked his arousal.
“Is this really happening?” Cassia whispered. “I feel like I’m dreaming.”
“I need your hands,” he told her, his voice low. She was all there was. His cock ached so bad it hurt.
“Don’t stop kissing me,” she said, grabbing his chin with one hand and bringing her lips back to his. He obeyed her, gladly.
Cassia’s hands found his belt buckle and opened it. And then the lacing of his trousers. She was right. It had to be a dream; real life didn’t get this good, or come at you this fast. Aevrin stifled a groan of desperation as she eased her hand into the tight opening of his trousers and ran her fingers over his stiffness.
“Cassia,” he groaned. What was she, some kind of miracle?
He knew he was probably supposed to restrain himself, suggest they take it slow. But his want for Cassia was too loud to let any other thoughts in. And he needed to be touching her, too.
He wrapped his hands around her waist and tossed her up, grabbing her around her thighs. Cassia yelped, then quickly wrapped her legs around his waist with a giggle, dress hiking awkwardly up. Feeling like he was drunk, Aevrin stumbled over to the old, sturdy sideboard, Cassia clinging tightly to him, and sat her on top of it, at his hip height. He pushed the skirt of her dress high over her hips, his hands skimming over the soft flesh of her thighs. Cassia hooked her ankles behind him, her hands back around his neck as their mouths met; as she took his lower lip between hers.
He pushed her jacket off her shoulders. She let go of him to shrug it off. Then Aevrin was pulling at the top of her dress, trying to peel it down to bare her collar and her chest to him. As he strained at the fabric Cassia hurriedly twisted an arm behind her back and fiddled with the button closure at the back of her neck. The top of the dress slumped as Aevrin tugged it down over her brassiere. Then Cassia’s mouth was back on his. He couldn’t look at what he was doing, but he eased a breast up from the stiff fabric still fastened tight around her ribcage, fascinated by the shape of her.
He’d never done this before. But he didn’t have it in him to be tentative. And he already knew exactly what he wanted.
Cassia’s hands were back at his waist, his unbuckled belt and trousers, and…
Aevrin pushed his pants down hurriedly, desperate for her touch and willing to work for it. He hesitated, then tugged a little at his underpants and waited for her reaction. She was watching him with heavy, lustful eyes, her hair all tousled from his hands. One breast pinched up over the brassier to reveal a hard nipple, her thighs bare beneath the ruched skirt.
