Page 26 of Beneath the Dawn

He lowered her legs from his shoulders and eased between them. Her skin felt hot, and he figured that his did, as well. He lifted her hips so he could slide inside of her, and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist. It was a smart move, considering he planned to give her one hell of a ride.

He drove greedily into her body, and with every thrust, she lifted her body upward to meet him. When he rolled his hips against her, she rolled hers against his. The sensation of her nails digging into his shoulders should have been painful, but instead, it only fueled his desperate need.

His hips and muscled thighs rocked against her, driving his thrusts harder and deeper. She reached up and clasped his face in her hands. When he looked at her, he saw something in the depths of her eyes before she closed them and screamed his name. Only then did he throw his head back as the intensity of an orgasm, the magnitude of which he had never experienced, gripped him in its clutches, and he released a growl that he felt not only in his throat but every part of his body. At that moment, although he couldn’t explain why, he knew his life would never be the same.

CHAPTER 10

Marti woke, jerking upright in bed when she felt movement beside her, and screamed.

“It’s me, Marti,” a deep, masculine voice said soothingly.

She stopped screaming when Dante’s voice broke into her panic-stricken mind. She threw herself into his arms. As he gently stroked her back, the details of last night came tumbling back to her. This was not her bed but his. More importantly, she wasn’t in any danger. She was safe.

“Marti?”

“Yes?” she asked, fighting back tears after he turned on the lamp and his face came into view.

“Are you okay?”

She saw the concerned look in his features and inhaled deeply. “Yes, I’m fine now. Sorry, I screamed like that. You scared me.”

“Obviously. But why?”

She rubbed her hand down her face, needing the extra time to think of a response. There was no way she could divulge the real reason. The one she decided to give him was partly true. “I forgot where I was. Forgot that you’d brought me here last night.”

He chuckled easily before easing back into bed and pulling her into his arms. “I recall the story differently. I didn’t bring you here. I asked which house you wanted us to sleep in, and you took off and raced to mine.”

She remembered doing that. “Are you complaining?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

“After a night like last night? Are you kidding? I have no complaints. I’ll be smiling for weeks.”

She liked the sound of that. “Will you?”

“Absolutely! In fact, I’ve decided I’m not going to think about what I’ll do when you leave Wild Rose Point. I don’t want to ruin any of the time we have together.”

Marti didn’t want to think about what she’d do, either. She would definitely miss him. She felt alive for the first time in years. But still, not knowing what she would have to face when she returned to Billings was eating at her. But she resolved to push it aside and make the most of her time with Dante while she could.

“It’s an hour before dawn, and I was getting up to prepare for my swim. Do you want to join me?” he asked.

“Are you kidding? The ocean is probably icy cold this early. I’d rather wait for the sun to warm up the water,” she said.

“I guess that’s a no,” he said, chuckling before leaning down and giving her a kiss that had her head spinning. Releasing her mouth, he got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

When she heard the door close behind him, she pulled herself up in bed and released a deep sigh. She was glad Dante hadn’t questioned her further about the reason she’d woken up screaming. She had slept so well after they had made love numerous times last night that she had honestly forgotten where she was. She had felt safe in his arms and had slept better than she had in years.

Marti glanced around, delighted with the spacious bedroom. Dante had told her that, originally, the upstairs had four bedrooms; however, the previous owner had knocked out a wall connecting two bedrooms to create a larger one—one large enough for this huge bed. She was sure that she and Dante had made love over every inch of it during the night.

She laid on her back and stared up at the ceiling, reliving the moments of their beach date night. It had been wonderful. After making love a couple of times, they had redressed and eaten the last of the pizza. Then they had danced some more. She figured it was way past midnight when she had assisted him in putting out the firepits and torches.

And now that she was coherent, she remembered choosing his house over hers. For some reason, she had wanted to make love in his bed and had taken off and raced toward his place. When he had joined her, they had undressed each other, made love in the shower, and several more times in his bed before she had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion.

“Here, just in case you need something to put on,” Dante said, coming back into the room and handing her one of his t-shirts.

“Thanks. By the time you return, I’ll have your coffee ready.” That day on Cannon Beach, he’d told her of his morning ritual--coffee after his swim and shower.

She tried not to stare at him, but he looked so hot in a pair of swimming trunks, and a towel around his neck. She had told him last night that she liked seeing him shirtless, and she had meant it.

“If you change your mind about joining me, you know where I’ll be,” he said.