Full Surrender

“All the more reason to make sure nothing spoils it.” He couldn’t trust himself to the same degree once his shorts were off. “Come here.”

He led her toward the bed and gripped the hem of her T-shirt. Taking his time, he skimmed the fabric up and off, tossing it aside.

The sight of her half-naked body left him speechless. Her breasts were high and round, perfectly formed. She was pale and smooth everywhere, right down to the curve of her hips, where she had the running shorts cinched. The waistband dropped a little near the drawstring, exposing her stomach well below her navel.

His mouth watered to kiss her there and work his way down.

“If your hands are half as thorough as your eyes,” she murmured, “this is going to be fun.”

“I’ll make sure of it.” He didn’t allow any room for doubt. He swept a hand over her hip and hooked a finger on the shorts. “Ready?”

“Danny.” She gripped his wrist, an urgent expression on her face.

Was she backing out?

“What?”

“I want this so badly, it scares me.” Her fingers trembled where she held him. “Don’t stop, okay?”

“I’m not stopping until you see stars.” He brushed a kiss along her temple. Maybe keeping her distracted would help. More touching. Less talk.

Untying the drawstring, he let the shorts fall. And damned if his knees didn’t nearly drop along with them. She was naked beneath the cotton. No panties, no thong, no nothing. Just a tiny patch of dark curls shielding her sex.

The throb in his cock was nothing compared to what it would be by the time he was done. He wanted her, but he had no intention of taking her tonight. Not when she just needed to climax. He wasn’t going to rush this thing between him, even if it killed him. By the punch of blood in his veins down below, it damn near might.

“Beautiful,” he praised her, lowering his mouth to hers. “Open for me.”

Lips parting, she let her head fall back, giving herself over completely. He took his time savoring her, stroking and nipping until they were both out of breath. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close. Feeling her hips against his was like setting a detonation device in an armory. If she kept moving against him like that, he stood no chance of honoring his good intentions. For that matter, if he hadn’t kept his shorts on, he’d be inside her already.

Steeling himself to the heaven she offered, he lifted her up and laid her out on his bed. He reached for an extra pillow and dragged it down to where she lay, crossways on the king-size bed. He tucked it under her head, propping her up, while he began a slow descent of her body. He paused at her breasts—her low moan made him linger there. He cupped her, lifting each breast to his mouth in turn.

It was all he could do to keep his hips away from hers—he was drawn to her like true north. He smoothed a hand down her side to her hip. Lower.

When he grazed her thigh, sweat popped along his brow from the effort to hold back. Her soft sighs and breathy cries were making him crazy, the need for her all but taking over. His hands trembled by the time he dipped one between her legs. Parting her thighs, she arched her back when he drew hard on one nipple.

“I want to touch you,” he warned her, fingers sliding higher. Closer to where he wanted to be most.

“Please. Please. Pleeease,” she chanted, twisting under his touch as if she could guide him where she needed him.

He lifted his head to watch her face when he touched her sex, partly to make sure she was okay with this. Mostly because he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

When he stroked a finger along her slick folds, she shuddered against him.

“Oh, yes, Danny.” Her fingers speared through his hair, holding him closer while she moved against his hand.

She was so ready for him. He forced himself to close his eyes for a minute because seeing her was pushing him toward his own release. Just the feel of her could send him over the edge, but by cutting out the visual—if only temporarily—he gave himself a fighting chance of staying in control.

Of course, it also meant he wouldn’t see right away if she hesitated over anything. The thought wrenched his eyelids open again. Imagining her going into another panic, like in the water, helped to level him out.

He could feel when she neared her climax. Her body stilled, her expression softening into a kind of frozen wonder. He kept up the rhythm of his hand and wrapped his lips around a taut nipple, drawing her deeply into his mouth.

At once, she flew apart. Her hips thrust, her heels digging into the bed. Needing to feel just a little of it, he dipped a finger inside her. She clawed lightly at his shoulders while the soft convulsions of her feminine muscles squeezed him again and again.