When I kissed her again, it was slower, deeper. My hand traced down her side to her hip, then back up to cup her breast through the lace of her bra. She arched into my touch, a soft moan escaping her lips.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered, meaning it more than I’d ever meant anything.
Her hands explored my back, my shoulders, everywhere she could reach. “You’re not so bad yourself, cowboy.”
The nickname made me smile against her skin as I traced kisses down her neck to her collarbone. When I reached the swell of her breast, I paused, looking up to meet her eyes, seeking permission. The heat in her gaze was all the answer I needed.
Reaching beneath her, I unhooked her bra, sliding the straps down her arms. The first sight of her breasts, perfect and flushed with desire, nearly undid me. I lowered my head, taking one nipple into my mouth, swirling my tongue around the sensitive peak while my thumb circled the other.
The sounds she made, soft gasps and breathless moans, drove me wild. Her hands were in my hair, holding me to her as if afraid I might stop. As if I could ever want to be anywhere else.
“Gunner,” she breathed, her body arching beneath mine.
I loved hearing my name on her lips like that, halfway between a plea and a prayer. I switched my attention to her other breast, giving it the same thorough appreciation while my hand slid down her stomach to the waistband of her pants.
When my fingers undid the button and slipped beneath the fabric, finding her wet and ready for me, we both groaned. Herhips lifted instinctively, seeking more contact as I touched her with deliberate, gentle strokes.
“Is this okay?” I asked, needing to hear her say it.
“Yes,” she gasped, nails scoring half-moons into my shoulders, anchoring me to her. “Don’t stop.”
I eased her pants down her legs, underwear following, until she lay before me, skin painted gold in the lamplight. I couldn’t look away, didn’t want to as I memorized the dip of her waist, the curve of her hip, the constellation of freckles across her ribs.
“You’re staring,” she whispered, a flicker of something uncertain crossing her face.
“Can’t help it.” The confession left me raw, more vulnerable than her nakedness. “Never seen anything so beautiful.”
The blush that spread across her cheeks and down her neck was almost as beautiful as her smile. She reached for me, pulling me back down to her, her mouth finding mine in a kiss that communicated everything words couldn’t.
Her hands went to my jeans, pushing them down along with my boxers until there was nothing between us. The first sensation of skin against skin was electric, drawing a deep groan from my chest.
I reached for my jeans, fumbling in the pocket for the condoms I’d grabbed from home, just in case. Her eyes followed my movements, darkening with anticipation as I tore open the packet.
“Let me,” she said, taking it from my hands.
The feeling of her fingers rolling it onto me was almost too much. I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing, determined to make this last.
When I opened them again, she was watching me with such tenderness it made my chest ache. I positioned myself between her thighs, the tip of me just brushing against her entrance.
“You sure?” I asked one more time, needing to know this was what she wanted.
Her answer was to wrap her legs around my waist, drawing me closer. “I’ve never been surer. Of anything.”
I pushed forward, entering her slowly, giving her time to adjust. The sensation was overwhelming. Tight, wet heat surrounding me, her soft gasps in my ear, her nails digging into my back. When I was fully seated inside her, I paused, resting my forehead against hers.
“Okay?” I whispered.
She nodded, her hands framing my face. “More than okay.”
I began to move, slow at first, savoring each thrust, watching her face for signs of what she liked. When I shifted slightly, hitting a spot that made her cry out, I kept that angle, driving into her with increasing intensity.
How had I ignored this beautiful woman? Fought with her. Fought against letting myself even think about her. She was everything. She made me want to do better. Her beauty, her intelligence, her humor. She was…perfection.
Her legs tightened around me, urging me on, her hips rising to meet each thrust. The sounds she made, my name mixed with breathless pleas, drove me to the edge of control. This was more than just sex. I’d had plenty of that. This was something else entirely, like I was coming home to a place I never knew I was missing.
“Cassidy,” I groaned, feeling my release building. “Sweetheart, I’m close.”
“Me too,” she gasped, her body tensing beneath mine. “Don’t stop.”
