I closed my eyes.
Love had come so quick. As much as I wanted to put it in a box at the back of my brain, it just wouldn’t be denied. For right now, I wouldn’t fight it.
Tonight, I’d show her exactly how I felt since I couldn’t say it quite yet.
I tugged the tails of my shirt out of my pants and found the patience to undo each button. Mostly because she looked at me as if she was starving and I wanted to hold onto this moment. Maybe if I made her realize just how good we were together, it could be more than just a transaction.
Because, to me, it wasn’t.
Not by a longshot.
I didn’t think about my own body issues, or that she was so damn small under me. Her green eyes shown in the shadowy light of the night. Only a lone light shone in the corner to let me see her. But it was more than enough.
Part of me wondered if I should back away and stoke the fire for her. She looked amazing in firelight, but I didn’t have the strength for that right now. The heat we made together would have to be enough.
She bucked up under me to get me to move up. I stripped off my white dress shirt. “Still trying to control this particular situation, Veronica?”
She rolled her lower lip behind her teeth with a little shrug. “Can’t fault a girl.”
I reached behind my head for my undershirt and tossed it on the floor with my shirt.
“Why is that so hot?”
I grinned down at her. “Pardon?”
“You have no idea how amazing your body is.”
I swiped my hand across my belly self-consciously.
“So strong and you literally have those notch things at the top of your belt. I mean, how? It’s just wrong.”
I glanced down at my belt and laughed. “What?”
“The romance novel things. You know. The sin lines. I didn’t think they were real, but my God, there they are.” She lifted her head. “I want to lick them. If you’d crawl up here, I’d lick all sorts of things like a lollipop, Fortress.”
“Jesus.”
“Nope, just me. Jesus can wait his turn—wait. You know what I mean.”
I couldn’t stop the quick laugh. I was in the middle of seducing her and she said the craziest things. And yet, it made it even better. More real to a level I’d never had before. It didn’t feel forced and like I was putting on a show for her.
Like I was going to get shot down for being ridiculous.
I drew my fingertip down the little dip in her chin to her throat. “There’s nothing between us tonight. On a number of levels. That you trust me with that humbles me, but most of all, I just want to please you.”
“You do.”
I followed the light trail of my fingers with my mouth. She wore a little pendant with a whisk and a heart. I nudged it aside to get to her deliciously perfect breasts. I detoured around the firm curve of her breast to the tip of her nipple that poked against the lace. I watched her face as I found the center clasp of the bra and freed them.
Soft and warm, her skin beaded up with a wash of goosebumps as I dragged my scruff across one, then another before doubling my attention on her tight nipples. She arched up off the bed and tugged at her restraints as I sucked one deep into my mouth.
My name was a disjointed sigh ending in a sweet little purr as I let her nipple free. I drew lazy circles around her belly until she was writhing between my legs. Each wiggle reminded me that there was only a fine layer of wool between us.
But I needed to take a second and taste all of her before I got rid of that barrier.
Knowing I could slip inside of her with no condom again gave me the strength I needed to extend this moment. She was worth the strangled cock.
I propped myself up with a hand next to her neck. I was careful not to pin her to the bed by the hair. Of course that sort of backfired on me since that left her hair vining around my arm as I hovered over her.