His words were a sorcerer’s potion to her blood stream.
Her voice came out in a whisper, “It’s not that easy.”
“Didn’t you hear my answer to that?”
She cupped his cheek, the warmth of his skin seeped into her soul. His whiskers scraped her palm. What she wanted, what she’d been searching for, was someone who could love her just the way she was. Offer her a home, family, eternal desire. Respect that she was tough. A man who would love her unconditionally with all his heart.
Deegan’s words still stuck in Kiersten’s head later inside the apartment as she watched him spread the blanket on the couch.
“I’ll be in the bedroom.”
“Okay.” He gave her that dashing smile.
Oh Lord. She was in trouble.
Inside the room, with the door closed, she felt caged, full of restless energy, until she opened the window. She sucked in fresh air, trying to clear her head of all the cobwebs.
After their conversation earlier, she was full of confusion. How could something so wrong, be so right? How could she want someone so badly that she’d talked herself into denying? She was tired of repudiating her body the release that she knew Deegan could offer.
He was a good guy. Just as he said he was.
Trying to think of all the consequences of giving in to her body’s requests were within the logical valleys of her brain, but her mind refused to consider anything but the pulsating, overwhelming need at her inner thighs.
Maybe a good night’s sleep would zap those emotions gone. Stripping out of her clothes, she dragged on an old T-shirt that had more holes than a slice of swiss cheese, but it was her favorite.
Crawling in between the sheets, she laid there staring through the window at the glowing moon. A lover’s moon. She giggled. When had she ever looked at the moon with stars in her eyes?
Her senses were on high alert. Each roll, every toss and turn wreaked havoc on her skin, her hard nipples and the bittersweet pain between her legs. She wouldn’t allow her need to control her drive her down a path where she didn’t belong.
Please, sleep. Come to me fast before I give in.
*
Deegan woke with a startle, unsure of what had brought him out of the best damn dream he’d had in a long while. Kiersten was naked, writhing under him, crying out his name. Although it had only been a dream, he was as hard as a rock and as hot as a desert afternoon. The feel of the cool breeze coming in through the window didn’t even take the edge off. He inhaled deeply and caught a different scent in his nostrils. Kiersten’s scent.
His body burned from inside out and he shifted on the lumpy couch that was too short for a man his size. His hard cock didn’t make this any easier. He opened his eyes and the nightlight’s glow from the hallway illuminated a silhouette in the doorway. He lifted his head and blinked rapidly, trying to get a better look. Could he be imagining things? The shadowy figure moved, caught by the brighter light of the moonlight. His chest tightened and he sucked in a breath. He could see her clearly now, her slender figure with the light as a backdrop. He roved his gaze down her slight shoulders to the hem of the shirt that brushed her rounded thighs. Keep coming closer, sweetheart. He wished—more like a prayer.
As if she could hear him, or his thoughts were a silent lure, she took a few more steps and her smell, honey and coconut, filled his parched lungs. Her dark hair hung around her shoulders, making him harder, if that was possible. Everything about her, and he did mean everything, even her stubborn streak, caught him in a trap.
He took another deep breath, this time to gain some control as he sat up.
Too afraid to read more into this than just her coming to get a glass of water from the kitchen, he didn’t say a word, but when she didn’t move in that direction and instead came his way, he swallowed hard.
No longer worried that she could be an illusion of his fantasy, he stood and met her several feet away. Her chest was moving up and down, her breasts pressing the fabric. The T-shirt she wore laid across her body, her erect nipples evident in the cotton. Was she turned on? Hell, he certainly was. Thank God the moonlight offered enough illumination so he could feast on her beauty. Her long, shapely legs, slender ankles, to her painted toenails. Her skin was a natural tan color and her pale blue eyes caught the dim light like plucking stars from the sky and planting them in her irises.
Realizing she had come to him, chose him, he didn’t waste one second or miss one look—one delicate curve of her magnificently toned body.
He bent and switched on the lamp and the golden light fed his desire to see her.
Deegan found himself mesmerized by her eyes, the moist, plump pout of her lips and her high cheekbones that were the palest of pink.
“Kiersten…” Her name slipped from his lips.
“I-I couldn’t sleep,” her soft voice was so low he wondered if he’d imagined it. Then she said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Couldn’t deny this magnet any longer.”
He inhaled sharply and this time he couldn’t focus on her hypnotic scent because the overwhelming need lodged in all his masculine parts demanded his attention. Deegan took a step toward her and dragged her into his arms, holding her, nuzzling his nose in her silken hair and breathing her deep into his lungs. This was where he belonged and always wanted to be. Home. She was his china.
She brought her arms up around his neck and pressed her chest against his, leaving no space between their bodies. He could feel her breasts through the cotton and his mouth salivated. Her tits were beautiful and her nipples were thick, perfect for sucking. He’d stared like a starving man. If luck was on his side, he’d have them in his mouth soon and show her how much he desired her body.
Easing his grip, he dipped his mouth to her neck, kissing the slender chord and making a moist trail with his tongue. He breathed in, taking her in, tightening his arms around her waist again. There was strong emotion so deep within him, one that he attempted to wrap his head around. Possessiveness. Ownership. Love. Yes, even that one. Not that he wanted to own her. She was her own person, and he liked that about her. Found her independence sexy as hell, but he wanted to plant himself inside her heart, have her belong to him for life and he wanted to belong to her.
“I wish it could be easy,” she whispered.
Was doubt filling her mind? Would she pull away? He didn’t want her doing anything she wasn’t prepared for. “Anything worth having is worth the work, but I won’t pressure you. I’ll never push you, and I’ll be patient.”
“How is this possible? How are you everything I’ve ever wanted?”
He smiled. “Sometimes we find what we’re looking for when we least expect it. Tell me what you want, baby.”
“You. Please. Just you.”
Deegan lowered one arm and swept her up into his arms, cradling her. Their gazes met for a powerful moment and he stared into the lovely depths, searching for all the missing links in his life puzzle. He could get lost there, here with her, and he wouldn’t fight it. No more would he pretend that they weren’t right for each other.
He took the necessary steps that brought him to the bedroom, pausing at the threshold, still holding her gaze. “Know this, Kiersten. I won’t let you go again. If this is what you want, truly want, I’ll give you everything, but these arms are made to hold you. Only you.”