“You don’t want to kiss me?”
Her smile dips.
“More than I want to breathe right now, but I’m not a man to force a woman.”
“But I want to kiss you, Blade, and to be honest, I have wanted to for some time.”
As she says the words, she scoots even closer, and as I nod, she smiles, wasting no time in pressing her soft lips against mine. As her arms slide around my neck and her soft body presses against mine, I am lost forever and there is no going back.
CHAPTER 11
DELILAH
It’s strange that I asked. That I possess a burning need to be close to him, and I didn’t lie. I have for some time.
Blade is reluctant, but I want this. So bad.
He is gentle, hesitant even, and I press in closer, my lips dusting his, inhaling the scent of a man who calls to the basic animal inside me.
His jaw is rough, his lips soft. As his tongue flicks inside, it reaches for mine like a long-lost friend. He tastes forbidden, toxic even. My heart leaps, my body crumbles, and my soul screams with joy.
His hand presses into my back, pulling me in closer. Rough fingers gripping my chin as he deepens the kiss. Gideon told me owned me, but I never knew what ownership was like until Blade kissed me. It’s not telling somebody what to do and when; it’s making them never want to stop.
And I don’t.
I never want to stop kissing Blade. It’s as if my soul is restored, re-born if you like, and for some reason it gives me courage that deserted me a long way back. I reach up and tanglemy fingers in his mane. Pulling him in deeper, our tongues savoring something we never realized was so addictive.
The warmth of the sun caresses my skin, and as Blade’s fingers drift through my hair, it’s as if I stop breathing.
Time stands still; memories fade as they are replaced with new ones. Better than before.
How long can a kiss last? An eternity I hope because right now, in Blade’s arms, on the edge of the world, I have never been so happy.
He pulls away, his head resting against mine, his hold gentle but secure, his breath racing.
“Why?”
It hurts me that he would doubt my intentions. What happened to him in the past?
My breath hitches and I whisper softly, “Because I have no good memories, Blade. I want to make new ones, and this is the perfect place to start.”
“I see.”
He sounds disappointed and pulls away a little, and I snatch him back, my fingers curling in his hair as I command his attention.
“But most of all because I’ve wanted to do this since I woke up in that hospital bed and you were asleep in the chair beside me. When you realized I was awake and reached for my hand, shouting for the nurse. I felt safe then, and it’s the same now because here, on the edge of oblivion, I wanted to show you how much I–”
My words fade, doubt creeping in, wondering if I’m scaring the pants off him because I’m guessing a man like Blade has many women and doesn’t need another one to complicate his life. After all, he is here out of duty, not desire, and I wonder if I’ve made a huge mistake laying my emotions bare.
He grips my face and forces me to look at him.
The silent fury in his eyes takes my breath away as he growls, “What? How much you…”
“Want you.”
I stare at him defiantly, not caring if my admission ruins what we are building. I’m aware I’m coming across as needy, but the storm in his eyes is curious rather than fearful.
He pulls away, dropping his hands as if I burn hotter than the sun.
