He rolled onto his back, but he didn't wake — or didn't think he did. Instead, the sensations intensified, until he imagined the soft weight of her long hair feathering against his belly, his legs. There was a lick of warmth, and he imagined her mouth
Cormac's eyes flew open.
Not a dream. He froze. Marjorie knelt over him, her hair a wild tangle in the early morning light. She was touching him, exploring him, laying such sweet kisses all over him.
He needed to stop her. He'd sworn to keep her virginity intact. Marjorie's virtue, above all things, was to be preserved.
But the feel of her, it was too exquisite. He held his breath. Her small hands lit along his skin, so delicate, like the touch of a bird.
But there was confidence there, too. Eagerness and questing. She took his shaft in her hand and tentatively kissed all around him. He gave an involuntary shiver. He should stop her, but it was so good. She lifted her head, and his skin was cool for a moment, and then her lips encircled him, and the wet heat of her mouth pulled him in.
He fought not to gasp. Too good.
Soon, he'd feign waking and stop her. But not yet. Slowly, she drew him in and then took him out again, her movements exploratory, untutored. Just a few moments more. A dreamlike hush enveloped the room, quiet but for the sound of her lips and tongue.
He should let her know he wasn't asleep. But she was rearranging her body over his, and he had to see what she did next. He slanted his eyes down, careful not to move.
With her mouth still on him, she began to slide her legs apart, slowly guiding her cleft closer to his leg, her hips arching down, seeking her own release.
His back flexed, heels digging into the mattress. Too much, too good.
She cradled his leg between hers, grinding into him. He felt her hum of pleasure on his cock. It was a force of will not to explode on the spot.
She wants this. It was a revelation. Ree had seen his desolation, and she still wanted to lie with him.
She wants me. And what if he were to give in, to surrender himself to her? What if he simply let go? In asking to share his memories, she'd requested nothing less than a glimpse into his soul. Could she withstand the bleakness she saw there? Could she stanch his hopelessness, eventually blot out the pain?
Would she save him?
He'd been a desert when she'd arrived back in his life. But as feeling returned to his heart, he marveled to realize, it wasn't that bad. He was surviving it. Could he survive her?
Could he be with her?
He remembered the steadiness with which she'd heard his story. The same hand that brought him such pleasure now had last night curled so tenderly around his neck. He'd shown her his despair, and she didn't flinch away.
He watched her tentative movements. She pulled away, kissing him, learning him, in the hazy morning light. Then in a single motion, she leaned closer and sucked him deep into her mouth.
“Oh, Ree,” he whispered finally. He reached down and gave a single stroke to her hair. If she wanted his bleak and godforsaken heart, then hers it would be.
Her fingers curled into his thighs, holding on, protesting his interruption. He brought his hand under her arm and nudged her toward him. “To me, love. ”
“Cormac… “ She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and his blood surged at the wanton sight of it. “I know you said—”
He stopped her words with a kiss. He held nothing back. The raw needs of a man, the tender affection of a lover
— the lifetime of his wanting went into his kiss.
She was wildfire, on him in an instant, the bright flame of her searing over his body, tangling her hands in his hair, writhing her hips against his. She cupped his face in her hands, and the look in her eyes was triumphant and fever-bright. “I want you. ”
“Patience, Ree. ” He forced himself to slow down, moving his hands over her body in long, languid strokes. It was her first time; he would do this right.
He kissed her again, his tongue exploring her mouth with deep, lazy thrusts. He slipped his fingers between their bodies, finding her. He moaned to feel how slick she was, how ready for him.
He kissed her more, and it set his blood on fire, until he couldn't stop kissing her. He didn't know where to move his hands — he wanted them everywhere. He wanted to feel her everywhere, to know and pleasure every last inch of her body. And so his touch roved all over. Tangling in her hair, down her lithe arms, to her breasts. They were so tight and firm. He chafed and squeezed them, and her wild moans sent a shock of pure lust to his groin.
“Now, Cormac,” she begged, and her hands wrapped around his buttocks to pull him closer. “Please. I want you.
Now. ”