He went to rise, but she wrapped her handaround his wrist to keep him in place. She knew she was wading intodangerous territory, knew this man could break her heart, but shecouldn’t stand the idea of being separated from him right now.“Stay with me.” She fought to keep the blush out of her cheeks. “Ican’t be alone, not tonight.”
He went rigid against her; she feared hemight get up and walk away from her. Instead, he brushed back herhair, lifted the covers and slid into the bed beside her. Paigesquirmed over when his solid leg brushed against hers. The intimatefeel of his powerful thigh, and the bristly hair on his legs causeda small shiver to run through her. What had she done by invitinghim into her bed?
She didn’t know the answer to that question,but as the heat from his body enveloped her, she knew she wouldn’thave changed her mind. “Do you mind?” he asked her and held openhis arms to her.
An unexpected lump formed in her throat.Unable to speak, she nestled closer to him. He surrounded her inhis arms. The feel of his body cloaked her; his bare chest pressedagainst her skin. The fresh scent of the spicy soap he’d usedtickled her nostrils. Her fingers curled into the unyielding fleshof his chest, she tried to hold herself away from him, but shefound herself instinctively pressing closer against him as yearningspread through her belly.
A deep ache pulsed to life inside her. Shehadn’t wanted to be alone anymore tonight, but when his handssplayed out on her back, she knew that’s not why she’d asked him tostay. Her breasts, pressed against his chest, tingled as hernipples hardened. His breath tickled against her ear and neck as itblew back her hair.
Her fingers uncurled from his flesh to slideover the smooth skin pulled taut over the muscles of his chest. Ianstiffened against her, afraid to move, barely breathing as herhands skimmed over his body. Everywhere she touched, his skinrippled. His dick jumped in eager anticipation when her fingersslid over the elastic band of his boxers.
“It’s going to be very difficult for me togo to sleep, if you keep touching me like that,” he murmuredagainst her ear. Her hands went still against his lower abdomen;her fingers played over the rigid muscle beneath her touch. Sleepwas the furthest thing from her mind right now, not with his heatenshrouding her. “Not when all I crave is to be buried deep insideyou.”
A shudder ran through her at his words; herheart rate escalated to the point where she knew he could hear it.He had to be able to sense that all she wanted was the exact samething. The crispy hair on his shin tickled her foot when her toescurled against him. Heat spread into her belly, a tightening beganbetween her thighs; her mouth went dry at the thought of him movingover her, inside of her. Memories of what had transpired betweenthem before flooded her mind, but she knew he wouldn’t be satisfiedwith a hand job, not tonight, and neither would she.
“Ian,” she whimpered, unsure of what she’dmeant to say.
His mouth slid over her cheek beforebrushing the corner of her lips. She tasted like liquid heat andapples, smelled like the crisp lemon scent of the shampoo the motelhad provided. His hand slid into her silken hair, brushing it backfrom her round face before he traced over the smattering offreckles on her nose. Her turquoise eyes glimmered in the changinglight as they searched his.
“This won’t end with kissing, and touching,so before you say or do anything more, realize that. I’ll lay hereand hold you all night, but if you keep touching me like that…” Hetook hold of her hand on his stomach and guided it down to hisboxers. He wrapped her fingers around his throbbing cock. It jumpedin her grasp; her breath froze as her eyes flew up to his. “And beaware, it won’t be only tonight. I’ll be taking you over and overagain because I know it won’t be enough to only be inside of youonce. You’ll bemine.” It came out a low growl.
Oh God, she didn’t think she’d ever heardsuch a wonderful prospect in her life. It felt like her heart mightexplode out of her chest like some kind of crazy cartoon characteron speed.
“I’llneverlet you go,” hecontinued. “There’s a chance you could walk away from me now, andI’d somehow be able to withstand your loss. We haven’t had sex andwe haven’t exchanged blood. I know what you are to me, but I may beable to set you free. You deserve to be able to make your ownchoices about your life, but this act will push us beyondthat.”
Her eyes flew back to his. She slipped herhand inside the open front of his underwear. In her grasp his dickjumped again. It was so hard, yet the skin was silky beneath herpalm. Her hand slid up his shaft leisurely, and then slowly sliddown again. The massive size of it caused her to lick her lips inanticipation. Slipping away, her hands cupped the fullness of hisheavy balls.
“Paige,” he hissed out when she began tofondle them. “I’m not kidding. These are completely differentforces; this is an unbreakable bond.”
She bet there was plenty she still didn’tknow about this massive man filling her hand, but he was hers forthe taking, and he wanted her over and over again. More than that,he loved her, and as she continued to stroke him she realized sheloved him too. It didn’t matter they hadn’t known each other forlong; he’d become more important to her than anyone else she’dknown these last four years. He cared more for her than anyone elsehad.
She felt powerful as her hand slid over himagain, and he arched into her touch. He was vulnerable right now,exposed in a way she instinctively knew he never had been before,and so was she.
“Paige…”
“For a man with your reputation, you’re surebeing awfully hard to seduce.”
He moved so fast she barely registeredmotion before she was on her back and pinned beneath the enticingflesh of his body. “You were warned,” he growled before seizinghold of her mouth with a passion that stole her breath.
Paige’s heart leapt into her throat. For aminute panic pulsed through her, what had she unleashed? She’dsigned her death certificate, but as his tongue swept into hermouth, she forgot all about her fright. Forgot all about herhesitance and didn’t think about what she was doing, what she hadset into motion as he kissed her in deep, thrusting waves thatcaused her bones to melt.
His tongue tasted every recess of her mouth.Just when she believed he would have enough, that he would relentand allow her mind to stop spinning, he kissed her deeper. Shestruggled to catch her breath; her only thought was feeling more ofhim, being with him as her hands ran over the bare flesh of hisbroad back.
He became her entire world as his thighsettled in between her legs and he pushed them apart. The heavyweight of him settling between her thighs made her gasp, but whenshe felt the press of his throbbing cock rubbing against herthrough their clothing, she almost screamed aloud. She would have,if he still wasn’t kissing her senseless.
Ian slid his hands down her sides andclasped hold of the edge of her loose shirt. Pushing it up, hisfingers brushed over her silken flesh. Breaking the kiss, hebriefly met her dazed eyes before tugging the shirt over her head.His eyes fell upon her pale skin and irresistible, apple-sizedbreasts. His fingers trailed over the lean muscles of her stomachbefore he bowed his head to take one of her nipples into his mouth.He began to suck on it as his tongue swirled around the pert bud. Alow moan escaped her as her body arched up beneath him. Her handstugged at his hair and a small cry escaped her.
He told himself he should stop, he’d toldher what this would mean, but she didn’t understand the fullramifications of their actions. He understood it though, he knewwhat she was to him, knew once he was inside of her there would beno turning back, not for him. But he couldn’t stop, there wouldnever be any stopping again, not until he possessed her.
Releasing her hardened nipple, he turned hisattention to her other breast and nipped at it before gentlysucking on it to ease any discomfort he may have caused her. Shesquirmed beneath him; her excited moans and frantic movements drovehim onward. He’d slept with more women than he could remember, butnot one of them had ever made him feel as aroused as she did. Allof them faded from his mind as he continued to taste her.
Shifting his weight, he grabbed hold of thewaistband of her sweats and tugged them downward. Her legs drew inso he could pull them over her feet before tossing them aside. Hepulled his boxers off next and settled himself between her legsagain. His fingers slid unhurriedly up her thighs, teasing herflesh before he dipped his hand in between her legs. A groanescaped him when he found her already wet with desire. Pleasure andpossession rippled through him as he slid his finger deep inside ofher.
She lifted up beneath him, her body seekingout the fingers working their magic on her. She wanted so badly toget closer, and yet the pleasure he aroused so demandingly withinher was almost too much for her to bear. His fingers slid in andout of her, driving her ceaselessly onward. Then his thumb began torub over her clit. A loud cry escaped her as his fingers caused herto completely fall apart.
She’d barely come back to earth before hishand fell away and she felt the press of something far largeragainst her center. Dazed, her eyes settled on him as he leveledhimself between her legs once more. She could feel the head of hisdick against her, teasing her. She lifted her hips against his,begging him with her body to end both of their torment, but heremained unmoving above her.
“Paige, I have to know you understand,” hegrated through his teeth. His face was flushed with restraint,sweat beaded across his brow as he held himself back.
