Page 60 of Dark ’N’ Deadly

Using his knee, he parted her thighs. The tip of his erection pressed against her, parting her wet folds and slowly pushing inside her, giving her tight walls time to expand and take all of him in.

This was what she had waited for, wanted for so long. It was perfect. He was perfect. If she could select one moment in which to suspend time for all eternity, there was no doubt in her mind as to which moment she’d choose. Right here. Right now.

He rose above her, resting most of the weight of his upper body on his forearms and clasping the sides of her face as he pushed deeper. As if reading her mind, he whispered, “I’ve wanted this for forever.”

Yes, she thought mindlessly, completely lost in the wondrous sincerity etched in his features. Yes, yes…forever. “Me, too.” She hadn’t meant to say the words. Too late now.

She hooked her legs over the backs of his thighs, digging her fingers into his thick shoulder and back muscles, loving the strength of him, the feel of his body’s life force melding with hers.

He cupped one of her breasts then sucked on her nipple. She gasped, arching against him. A powerful orgasm built steadily in her core, but it was too soon. Too soon for this to end.

She bit her lower lip, denying the release her body craved. Just for another moment.

He caressed her breasts, licking and sucking her nipples as he pumped in and out, then skimmed one hand down her lower belly. His thumb found the sensitive nub between her thighs and rubbed seductively back and forth until she squirmed beneath him, trying to get closer, to feel every inch of him.

The tentative hold on her willpower quickly ebbed until all she wanted was this beautiful moment of passion and ecstasy with Eric.

Tension built, and she strained against him, thrusting her hips in time with his. Her muscles tightened, and she bit down on his shoulder to keep from screaming as the mother of all orgasms whipped through her. Her body convulsed, and she gripped his biceps, holding on for dear life.

“Oh, Jesus. Tess. Tess. Tess.” Eric shuddered, burying his face in the curve of her neck. The emotional connection between them right at that moment was something she would never forget.

Wrapping her arms across his back, she held him tightly while his big body continued to shudder, and he rocked into her one last time before resting his head on the pillow over her shoulder.

Unbelievable didn’t cut it. Incredible wasn’t even close, and she knew why.

As much as she willed it otherwise, her emotions were head over heels involved, and she might have just made the biggest mistake of her life.

One night with Eric would never be enough. She’d want him until the end of time.

…

Did I just make the biggest mistake of my life?

Eric’s heart pounded hard enough to fly right out of his chest. The orgasm that had slammed into him was the most powerful he’d ever experienced. It should have left him sated and rolling over onto his back to fall into a deep sleep. Instead, his mind was fully awake, repeating one question over and over.

WTF just happened?

Tess’s chest rose and fell rapidly beneath his, the thrumming of her heart racing in tandem with his own. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted. The pulse at her neck where he’d dropped so many kisses he’d lost count beat rapidly beneath her smooth, creamy skin. Skin he could lick and suckle for the rest of the night, if she’d let him. God, she was beautiful, and he’d wanted her more than he’d wanted anything or anyone in his life. Which was why he’d almost stopped, and why the irony of it had floored him then as it was doing now.

The most insane thought was fucking with his head.

When he’d told her that he’d been dreaming of her and had wanted her since the moment they’d met, there’d been more to it. So much more.

He’d just plain wanted her. For keeps.

The thought was still there, blinking like a giant neon sign. What really rocked his world was that he hadn’t been scared at all.

He rolled onto his side, tucking her against his chest. Her tiny hand slid over his hip to his ass. Christ, he loved it when she touched him. Anywhere.

Only now did he fully understand the selfishness of what he’d orchestrated. He’d wanted Tess and her brother to stay with him, but not because he’d been afraid Jesse would take off. He’d been afraid that if Jesse took off, Tess would go with him.

His chest tightened. Try as he might, he couldn’t make sense of what he was feeling. The only thing that did make sense was that what had just happened between him and Tess had been right. The way things always should have been between them.

The soft sounds of her breathing against his chest filled him with overwhelming protectiveness. Using his foot, he hiked up the sheets from the bottom of the bed and pulled the covers over them.

A low whine filtered through the door. His dog almost always slept in the same room with him, but he was too tired and too completely satisfied to move a muscle.

He didn’t know where this was going between him and Tess, or what would happen next, but something had altered his perspective and he wanted to find out what it was. The only thing he knew for certain was that he wasn’t ready for her to walk out of his life.