“I can’t believe what you did back there,” I whisper. “It was like you were a freaking Viking warrior or something. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
He laughs gruffly, kissing my forehead. “It was nothing. I started training martial arts when I was a kid, the same year my old man died. They were untrained. They were hopped up on steroids and they thought that made them tough.”
“Still,” I whisper, placing my cheek against his chest and listening to his thundering heartbeat. “There’s a big difference between saying you’re going to protect your family and actually doing it. A lot of men say they’d do stuff like that. But you acted, Miller. You did.”
“I always will,” he snarls passionately. “You don’t have to worry about that. For the rest of our lives, I’ll protect you.”
I hug closer to him, listening to the powerful drumming of his heart, knowing he’s telling me the truth, knowing I never have to doubt him – or myself – ever again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Miller
“Okay, Mom. Sleep tight.”
I hang up the phone and take in the sight of my woman standing at the balcony railing. She’s still wearing the dress she wore to dinner, the cut just above her knees driving me feral as I think about all the things I’m going to do to her.
I place my cell phone down and stalk over to her, my body still primed and buzzing from the need to protect her.
I reach out and grab onto her thigh, something deep growling inside of me when she lets out a whimper.
“I need to claim what’s mine,” I tell her, reaching around with my other hand and gripping onto her gorgeous ass cheek.
I squeeze it indulgently and pull her toward me, driving forward with my hips so she can feel how hard my manhood is for her.
“You said I fought like a Viking warrior back there. Well, now it’s time for me to claim the spoils of battle. It’s you, Macie. You’re the only person I want, the only body I need, forever. Forever.”
I slide my hand further up her leg, sensing the lust moving through her, listening to her moans as her eyelids flutter and she squirms against me.
“Tell me you’re ready,” I growl. “Tell me. Now.”
“I’m ready,” she moans. “Oh, God. I want it. I want it so bad. But—”
I crush her but with a kiss, our lips fusing together as I sink into our closeness. She whimpers through the tight press of our bodies and her hands smooth up my arms, gripping onto my shoulders as I deepen the kiss, as I slide my hand further and further up her leg.
I can feel the heat of her sex, blazing, screaming out to be touched and teased and pleased.
“Wait,” I growl, somehow breaking it off. “Not here. Get your fine ass into the bedroom. Now.”
She giggles and throws me a look over her shoulder as she passes, a look that tells me she’s going to lay her shyness aside for the night and give in to her rising lust instead.
“Okay, Mr. Bossy,” she teases.
I grin like a savage and stalk after her, my hand on the small of her back as I guide her through the apartment. It takes everything I have not to slide my hand down to the fleshy juicy bulbs of her ass cheeks, but I can’t let the beast inside of me fully free until we’re away from the balcony.
Even if it’s incredibly unlikely, the idea of somebody seeing my woman in the throes of her sexuality makes me want to roar.
I guide her down the hallway and into the bedroom, my cock so hard it takes everything I have not to bend her over and shove her against the wall.
I close the door behind us and then lead her over to the bed.
“Don’t forget your spanks, you sexy fucking virgin. Four, remember?”
“Oh, God,” she whimpers. “Not hard, okay?”
“Just hard enough to let you know who you belong to.”
She makes a moaning noise that goes right to the base of my cock, somehow making me even harder.
I push against the small of her back and my obedient virgin bends over, sticking her ass out, causing the hem of her dress to rise to her thick hips and expose her round perfect ass.
I growl at the sight of her panties, a spot of wetness telling me how badly she needs this.
“Fuck,” I snarl, and then I bring my hand down in a loving swat on her ass.
She shivers against me as I deliver the final three, getting slightly harder each time, but not doing it so hard that it hurts her. She looks at me over her shoulder, her hair cascading over her back, a tempting smile on her lips.
“Oh God, I want this,” she moans.
“I can see that,” I growl. “I can feel that.”