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Because I promised myself.

She had promised herself that the next time she shared a bed with a man it would be about feelings. About her. About him. About the need beyond the physical.

She wasn’t certain if Ford was offering her that. She certainly was.

“I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow regretting your impulsive decision.”

He shook his head. “Is it impulsive if I’ve been dreaming of this for weeks?”

She swallowed but didn’t say anything.

“Tell me you don’t feel the same. Tell me you haven’t wanted to have me inside you ever since that night at Porter’s house. Hell, ever since we got stuck behind that wall of your brothel.”

She didn’t say anything once again. Because she couldn’t lie to him.

He traced a finger down her cheek, then nudged her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Tell me, and I will turn away and let you rest. But if you want me half as much as I want you… I don’t see why we shouldn’t follow our feelings.”

I promised myself the next time I shared a bed with a man it would be about feelings.

Grace leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips.

* * *

Her kiss was the sweetest temptation. She was gentle, yet insistent, soft yet deliberate in the sweeps of her tongue. Ford tangled his fingers in her hair, undoing her braid, bunching the tendrils in his fists, and tugging as he kissed her deeper.

He took over the kiss, angling her face for better access to her mouth.

Her hands roamed his body, her fingers biting into his flesh even through the thin fabric of his threadbare shirt.

She tugged at his garment, undoing the buttons with an urgency that was matched by the desperation of their kiss. She pulled away for a moment, just long enough to remove his shirt and toss it aside, her eyes never leaving his.

She smiled before pressing her lips against his, her raw enthusiasm lighting the fire within his veins.

Their hands found each other, exploring and discovering in the room’s dim light. As they kissed, his heart raced with anticipation, his breath becoming shallow and his pulse quickening.

With one hand, he explored her face and her neck, his fingers pressing against her pulse, reveling at the speed with which it beat against her skin.

He lowered his hand and began to undress her, his touch gentle and deliberate as he slowly unveiled her body bit by bit.

Her skin felt like silk beneath his fingers, and the sight of her exposed shoulder sent a jolt of desire through his entire body.

He kissed his way across her collarbone, his lips lingering on the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. She moaned softly, her hands gripping his hair.

He lowered his mouth to her chest, his tongue tracing the line of her nightgown before he unceremoniously yanked it off.

Grace laughed as Ford sat up, his need to see her naked body undeniable.

The moonlight streaming in through the window cast an ethereal glow on her skin, making her appear otherworldly in his eyes.

She was a fucking Goddess.

He had seen her partially naked before, but it was nothing compared to the beauty of her body completely bare before him.

He traced his fingers along the contours of her body, taking in every curve and line, committing her to memory.

“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Her nipples puckered from the cold air, and he couldn’t help but lean in and lick them one by one.