‘Then don’t try,’ she whispered. ‘Please.’
She didn’t care that she was begging. She just wanted him right there with her. In her. Fighting to reach that peak with her. And finding it.
She would give him anything. But she couldn’t hold back the small cry as he pierced her physical purity.
He growled harshly and froze, his expression shocked.
She breathed out quickly, shifting beneath him just that little bit to ease the intense pressure she felt between her legs.
‘Zara.’
She licked her lips and swallowed.
‘I thought you said you’d been married,’ he demanded her answer.
‘I was...’ She closed her eyes for a moment before making herself look at him. Making herself speak the truth. ‘But he...he didn’t want me that way.’
‘He what?’ Tomas stared at her, aghast. ‘Did he have rocks in his head?’
She smiled ruefully. She could never answer that, not now. It was circumstances that were different.
But she saw the moment Tomas truly understood the implications of her words—of what her body had already told him.
‘We should stop. This should stop.’ He gazed at her with tormented eyes, but he didn’t move. He didn’t withdraw from her body.
‘I don’t want to stop,’ she whispered. ‘Please.’
He drew in a shuddering breath and she felt how much strain he was under to keep himself in check.
‘Can’t we just have tonight?’ She wanted this one memory to treasure. She already knew no other man would ever make her feel this way. Never want in this way.
There might be regrets in the morning. But she’d never truly regret this. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything. And she didn’t care about the cost.
‘You’re a virgin.’ He was still shocked.
Not any more. Not when he was there, inside her right now. And it was feeling so much better already. ‘It feels good.’ And it did.
He shook his head. ‘I’ve hurt you.’ But he was the one who looked pained. ‘I didn’t want to hurt you.’
‘No.’ She arched clumsily, trying to draw him closer still and tease those highly sensitive nerve endings again. ‘The only thing that hurts is the thought of stopping.’
He was shaking with the effort of holding still. Beneath her back his hands had curled into fists.
‘Unless you don’t really want...’ She trailed off.
Oh, heavens, that was it. He’d not wanted her before, why would now be any different? He’d been happy to fool around a bit but he hadn’t really wanted her all that much.
‘Zara.’ His lips twisted as he smiled at her. ‘Don’t be an idiot.’
She tried to laugh but her heart squeezed.
‘You know this won’t be anything more,’ he said. ‘Just tonight. Just now.’
‘Yes.’ That was all it could ever be.
He kissed her. It was such a tender kiss that she thought he was apologising. That he was going to stop.
She held her breath as he braced on his arms and shifted, ever so gently pulling back. But then he probed deeper.
She moaned softly as a ripple of pleasure was sent from her core to every cell within her body.
‘I’ll make it better,’ he muttered. It was a vow.
She fell a little deeper in love with him in that instant. He might have tried to distance himself from the world but he couldn’t help but be kind when it counted. And he always put his own needs behind those of another. That was how he’d got so badly injured in the first place.
‘It can’t get any better,’ she answered softly.
She felt him draw a sharp breath before he bore down on her again, watching her intently as he possessed her to his hilt. ‘Yes, it can. And it will.’
She was like putty in his hands when he kissed her. She’d let him do anything and everything he wanted, as long as he kept kissing her like that.
Somehow she felt herself growing closer to him with every thrust. With every movement, every caress, he drew her further under his spell. She felt both protected and provoked—into opening up more to him, giving more. Taking more.
She grew greedy, raking her hands down his back to clutch and hold him closer to her. She arched, crying out in delight as he took her to the brink again.
‘Please,’ she begged, knowing she was so very close.
‘You first,’ he insisted, his teeth gritted.
‘No,’ she moaned. She wanted him with her.
‘Yes.’ He looked almost scarily determined as he bore down on her.
She trembled, her orgasm racking through her body. She’d never felt as exposed to anyone. Never so close. And never so good.
But as she sighed out the last of her release, she caught a pained look crossing his face and he thrust deep into her and held fast.
She cupped his jaw, forcing him to meet her eyes. ‘Have I hurt you?’
A wry smile curved his mouth, despite the strain he was obviously under. ‘It’s my damn leg. I just need to...’ He sighed, then held her super close and rolled, taking her with him, switching their position so he was beneath her and she sprawled over the top. All the while they’d stayed connected. And now that connection seemed stronger still.
More than physical.
Zara lay still for a moment resting on him, processing the shift—in both position and vulnerability. Ruefully he swept back her hair from her face.
‘Sorry,’ he muttered.
‘No.’ The sensation was something different again. ‘Oh-h-h...’ she breathed as she bent her legs and pushed her hands on his chest to lever herself into a sitting position. ‘Is this better for you?’
He looked up at her and cupped her breasts, his small smile returned. ‘I think I can live with it. Can you?’
Like this, he could reach down and stroke her just where they were joined. J
ust where she was so incredibly sensitive.
‘Oh,’ she moaned as he gently caressed her. ‘I think so.’
He held her hips and slowly rocked her, showing her how to move on him. She bit down on her lip, testing pace, and then depth, watching his reaction as she did so. His eyes were almost black, and so focused on her. She felt so close to him and when she smiled at him, he smiled back.
She trailed her hand down his thigh, letting her fingers skim the scar. ‘Better?’ she asked softly.
He nodded. She was touched he’d not hidden that pain from her. And that he, like she, had not wanted to stop.
Sweat glistened, and his muscles rippled as he moved to complement her lead.
Being together like this felt so good. She leaned forward, pressing her hands on his shoulders as she settled into a rhythm.
‘You keep making me come and you haven’t,’ she groaned, her head falling back as she began to crest the wave. ‘Oh, Tomas.’ She rocked harder, her instinct suddenly urging her to ride him fast. She threw her head back as her orgasm hit and she screamed her need for him. ‘Come.’
‘Yes.’ Hoarsely he gave in to her demand, thrusting up hard to meet her. ‘Oh, hell, yes.’
* * *
This time she was the one leaning over and watching him. She smiled as he opened his eyes and looked at her. She was unable to think of a thing to say. There was nothing to say. She could only be—her body fizzing with warmth and satiation. But she smiled at him.
‘You’re still not tired, are you?’ he teased, but there was a note of amused wonder in his voice.
‘No.’ If she’d thought her body was wired before, she was absolutely humming now. How could she ever sleep when she’d just experienced that? There was so much to process—she still couldn’t believe it was possible to feel so good. For one person to make another feel this amazing. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep again.’