Page 34 of Hearts of Wealth

“What if Paisley comes home?” My breath was barely a whisper. He had a way of making me speechless.

“She won’t. Stop making excuses. I slayed dragons for you today. Doesn’t that deserve a little something special?”

I turned into putty in his hands. I was helpless to resist the man. “Maybe a little something,” I said.

He pulled back. “I thought so. Come on, let’s go upstairs. Just in case.”

“Oh, see, now you’re worried about getting busted.”

“Oh, Kitcat, I’m going to make you scream and beg for me,” he whispered. “We’re going to bring the roof down. You are never going to look at another man.”

He scooped me up in his arms and started toward the staircase leading to his bedroom. I giggled, burying my face in his shoulder as he ascended the steps two at a time.

He put me down, turning to lock the door behind us. I watched as he crossed the room and closed the blinds. He pulled the heavy curtains closed, plunging the room into darkness. When he turned to look at me, I saw the predatory gaze and immediately felt the arousal rushing through my veins.

“Are you ready, Kitcat?” His voice was husky and filled with an intensity that further stirred my desire.

“More than ready,” I replied, unable to keep the quiver of anticipation out of my voice. It had been too long. With Paisley in the house, I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping over. It was too weird to have sex with a teenager down the hall.

He moved closer, closing the space between us. His large hands framed my face as he studied me under the dim light that peeked through the curtains. “You’re beautiful,” he declared, his voice deep and resonant in the silence of the room.

His fingers danced along my collarbone, sending shivers down my spine. Instinctively, I leaned into his touch, a soft sigh escaping my lips as he traced the delicate curve of my neck, his eyes never leaving mine.

He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips that instantly set my senses ablaze. The world fell away as he deepened the kiss, his fingers tangling in my hair. I pressed myself closer to him, craving the heat of his touch. His hands slid down my back, pulling me flush against him.

Suddenly, he broke away, gasping for breath. “I’ve missed you,” he said. “You have no idea how much I’ve craved this with you. I don’t know how I breathe without you near me.”

“Stop,” I said softly, putting a finger to his lips. “Don’t say things you don’t mean.”

He caught my hand in his, pressing a kiss to the inside of my wrist. “I mean every word, Catherine. Every single word. You know that.”

Something about the sincerity of his gaze made my knees weak, and I found myself leaning against him for support. His arms came around me instantly, strong and reassuring.

“I love you,” I said.

“And I love you,” he replied, his voice lowering to a whisper. He looked at me tenderly, pulling me closer to him. His hand roamed the length of my body, causing my skin to prickle with anticipation. Every inch of me was on fire, consumed by the heat that emanated from him.

“I’ve missed this,” he confessed, his lips ghosting over mine. His words were nothing more than a hushed whisper against my skin, but they caused my heart to thunder in my chest. “Missed us. I’ve craved your body. You don’t want to know what I’ve done to keep myself from going completely crazy.”

I smiled and reached between us to stroke his erection through his jeans. “Patience is a virtue,” I teased, my breath hitching as his hand dipped beneath the hem of my shirt.

“I’ve run out of patience, Kitcat,” he growled. “I need you. Now.”

As if to prove his point, he picked me up once more, this time depositing me on the bed and quickly joining me, his hands moving to undress me with an urgency that echoed in his heavy breaths.

I mirrored his actions, hurriedly unbuttoning his shirt and tracing the contours of his muscular chest with my fingers. He hitched in a breath of pleasure, his eyes darkening as he watched me stroke the length of him.

His hands on me were insistent, bold, and demanding. I lost myself in the sensation of him against my skin.

“You are too much,” he warned gruffly, his fingers digging into my hips as he pulled me closer to him.

“But isn’t that why you love me?” I countered teasingly, hitching my leg around his waist to draw him closer still.

His response was swallowed up by the sudden meeting of our lips, a passionate clash of teeth and tongue that left us both breathless. He traced patterns on my bare skin, his touch leaving an inferno in its wake.

I pushed him away. “We have some time, right?” I asked in a husky voice.

“Yes.”

“Then I think we need to take a beat,” I said and climbed over him. My hands ran over his broad chest, tracing around the defined muscles with the tip of my finger.

“Oh Kitcat, I don’t know if I can survive that,” he groaned.

“Sure you will,” I chuckled.

He nodded and reached his hand up to tangle in my curls. “Catherine?”

“Yes?”

“Just remember, we have all night,” he said, his hand sliding down to cup my breast. “Your turn first, but then it’s my turn.”