Rescued by Dr. Rafe

‘Maybe you’ll what?’ He knelt down in front of her, gently taking off her shoe and sock.

‘I’ll touch it later. First I’ll touch you.’ She ran her fingers lightly over his chest, feeling the muscles quiver and tense. ‘I tried so hard to hold you in my imagination, but I couldn’t. I was too angry, and you’re too beautiful.’

‘No more of that now, sweetheart.’ He kissed her, smoothing her hair back from her face. ‘I want to look at you.’

Suddenly she wanted that too. With all the frailties, the scars, the red blotches on her leg. Even though he was flawless, smooth skin rippling over muscle and bone. ‘Help me...with my dress.’

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

HE UNDRESSED HER SLOWLY. Lavished attention on her, trailing his fingers across every inch of her body. When Rafe took his jeans off, she gave him a little gleeful look and he knelt in front of her, holding her close.

‘I don’t think I ever said this before...’ He kissed her lips lightly. ‘You make me feel so loved. So wanted.’

‘You are loved. You are wanted.’ It felt good to say it, and even better to have him hear it.

‘I thought...’ He seemed to give up any pretence of thought for a moment, in favour of the sweet sensations that his caress, and her answering touch, engendered.

‘What did you think?’

‘I thought that taking it slow was going to mean a bit of self-restraint. But I want this so much, Mimi. I w

on’t be cheated out of a single moment of it.’

They kissed for a long time. Talking, caressing, both knowing where this was leading and in no hurry to get there. When he finally lifted her on to the bed, Mimi didn’t care that he could see all her imperfections, all the injuries that she examined every morning in the mirror. In his eyes, she was beautiful.

‘Comfortable?’ He put an extra pillow behind her back.

‘I’m fine.’ She caught hold of his hand, pulling him close, feeling the heat of his skin. ‘Where were we?’

The list of things they liked about each other, with a caress and a kiss for each one. He nuzzled against her shoulder, his lips brushing her ear.

‘Breasts...’ He paused. Hesitation wasn’t Rafe’s style and he was just letting the thought sink in while his fingers traced across her ribcage. Stopping, just as she began to tremble with anticipation.

‘You are such a bad man...’

‘Yeah?’ His grin confirmed it. ‘Is that something you like, or just an observation?’

‘Something I like...’ She caught her breath as he ran his tongue across her nipple, lavishing slow attention on it.

They moved past the point of mere arousal to a place where every touch sent sensation spinning through their bodies. Every breath, every word, tangling in a web of pleasure which captured them both.

When the time came, there was no need for Rafe to ask if she was ready. He reached for the condom and handed it to her. Mimi ran one finger down his length, making him groan. Then she rolled the condom down carefully, in an exercise of sensuality triumphing over practicality.

He couldn’t believe that this was really happening, but it was much too good to be a dream. Mimi was in his arms, making love with him. More than that, they were at one in a way they’d never been before. Carefully, he propped her leg on to a pillow, then levered his body over hers.

She was staring into his eyes and when he pushed inside her, she murmured his name. Rafe held still for a while, feeling the tremble of his limbs match that of hers. She reached up, her fingers tracing over his face and lips, and he allowed a little of his weight to press down on to her, pouring all his furious need into one kiss.

They were both too greedy for these moments for him to do anything that would snatch them away. He made love to her slowly, luxuriating in her gaze. Every sensation, every emotion shared.

‘My beautiful Mimi.’ He knew that she was close to breaking point and he wanted her to hear it, and believe it, one more time. When she smiled back at him, he knew that she’d finally learned to accept that compliment completely and that she would accept everything else he had to give.

One hand found his, guiding it to the top of her swollen leg, asking for what she needed silently but without apology. He wrapped his fingers around her thigh, holding her leg steady on the pillow so his movements didn’t jolt it.

She felt his other hand curl around her shoulder, steadying her against his thrusts, so she could feel each one more keenly. Mimi raked her nails across his back, feeling him shudder with the sudden sensation, and his rhythm changed. Pushing her further and higher until she came so hard that the earth seemed to tilt.

He held her tight as aftershocks spun through her body. Keeping her safe, telling her all the things she so needed to hear. How he loved her. That she was beautiful and he was never going to let her go. It was then that Mimi realised that the world hadn’t tipped upside down. It had simply righted itself.

Rafe could have just watched her for hours. But then he felt her leg arch around his back, and her fingers touching the place where their bodies were joined.