Page 69 of Lock ’N’ Load

“Agreed.” She appreciated how his sharp brain was totally tracking with her own thoughts. “Anything else?”

His fingers stilled on her thigh. His lips parted, his nostrils flaring right before he swallowed. “Yeah. We’d better get some sleep. We have an early wake-up call.”

Without another word, he rose and killed the lights, then got into the other bed, still wearing his jeans. Disappointment flooded her. For a moment there, she thought—hoped—he’d kiss her again.

With a soft sigh, she closed the laptop and headed into the bathroom, stopping along the way to give Sheba a good-night pat on the head. Just before closing the door, she glanced over to see Matt lying on his side, facing the wall away from her bed. She quickly brushed her teeth, then splashed cold water on her face to cool her libido. After patting her face dry with a fluffy white towel, she opened the door and nearly screamed. She would have, but Matt wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with his.

His lips were soft, sliding gently back and forth across hers until she opened her mouth to him. He slipped his tongue inside, holding the back of her head. Warmth spread from where his fingers touched her scalp, all the way down her neck, to her breasts, and lower, until her insides clenched with anticipation. When he lifted his head, both their chests were heaving.

In the near darkness of the room, he gazed down at her, his dark eyes glowing from the flickering TV’s light. “Trista.” He cupped her face, skimming his thumb over her swollen lips. “You are truly beautiful, and sexy, and you’re driving me up the fucking wall.”

“N-no, I’m not.” Although he certainly made her feel like she was.

To her chagrin, he chuckled. “You just spent the entire day with me and didn’t stammer once. Why now?”

“I’m n-nervous.” In reality, she was, but that wasn’t why she’d begun stammering again. It was because she was coming to like him. Really like him, and that’s what always happened whenever she liked a guy. With Matt, it was like that part of her went into hyperdrive.

She wanted him as she’d wanted no other man in her entire life.

“You’ve got nothing to be nervous about. Your body is a perfect, amazing little package waiting for me to unwrap it.” He tugged on the belt holding her robe closed, then pushed it off her shoulders, letting it slide to the floor. His gaze lowered to her silk-covered breasts, his jaw clenching. “This nightie looks great on you. I knew it would.”

Unable to wait a second longer for his touch, she gripped his wrists, placing his hands on her breasts. A muscle on the side of his face flexed as he held them in his incredibly large hands. Beneath the silky fabric, her nipples tightened, and he rubbed his flat palm over them, until they jutted sharply against the thin material.

Reaching around her, he slid his hand beneath her nightie to her buttocks, then picked her up, fastening his mouth over one nipple, catching it in his teeth. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist, arching backward, allowing him to bite at her other sensitized peak.

“I don’t deserve you.” His voice was husky with a definitive hint of self-reproach. “But I need to have you.”

He carried her to the bed, lowering himself gently on top of her, taking some of his weight on his elbows. She tugged at his arms until he pressed fully on her, loving the feel of his bare chest against her.

“Honey, I’m going to crush you,” he said with a note of worry in his voice.

In answer, she pulled his head down, and this time she took control of the kiss until they were both breathless, their chests heaving, his hands beneath her nightie, stroking her until she was writhing beneath him. She wanted more. She wanted him inside her, stroking her in her most private places.

She shoved her hands beneath the waistband of his jeans and under his tight jockey shorts, grabbing and kneading his taut buttocks, pressing him firmly against that part of her that craved him inside her.

He pulled her to a sitting position then peeled off her nightie, leaving her clad only in matching panties. In another moment, they were gone, too, pulled slowly down her legs as he stripped her bare. With heavy lids, his gaze roved her nakedness, his throat working. His hands came back to her breasts, stroking and massaging, until he lowered his head and sucked one nipple into his mouth.

A tight little moan escaped her lips as she held his head tighter to her breast. He shifted to her other nipple, plucking with his teeth, rolling it around with his tongue until she was moaning even louder.

His hand slid down her rib cage to between her thighs, urging her legs apart. As his finger penetrated her, she practically arched off the bed with a little scream that was swallowed up when he kissed her again. What he was doing to her…the incredible sensations…were like sparks exploding across every inch of her skin. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t get close enough to him…

Slipping her hand between their bodies, she caressed his jean-clad erection, rubbing her hand up and down until he let out a harsh breath.

“Matt, please,” she whispered against his neck.

He rose from the bed, and she watched, completely captivated as he stripped off his jeans and jockey shorts. His long, thick erection jutted proudly from between heavily muscled thighs, and for one panicky moment, she worried how he would fit inside her without splitting her in two. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed.

I want this. It’s time. And he’s the one.

She watched him grab a thin square packet from his overnight bag, rip it open, and deftly roll on a condom. He lowered on top of her, positioning his erection between her thighs, nudging gently at her opening.

Dragging her heels up and down the backs of his legs, her hands roved the broad expanse of his back, kneading and stroking the coiled muscles. She bit at his chest and was rewarded with a deep groan of pleasure.

“You are so damned sexy.” He kissed her mouth. “You know just what to do to drive me absolutely crazy.” His lips trailed down her chin to her neck as he palmed one of her full breasts. “Beautiful. I could spend all night feasting on these.”

His words were like an injection of pure lust to her veins. Never before had she felt truly beautiful, but he made her believe it. Beneath his heated gaze and expert touch, her body responded in ways that both shocked and fascinated her.

Her skin was on fire. The craving deep inside her womb clenched with an unsatisfied need so powerful she thought she’d scream if he didn’t take her right now.