Why was he doing that? It was too much, too soon. She couldn’t seem to draw enough oxygen into her lungs. Here he was, half naked in this small space, with her. If she only reached out, she could touch the hard expanse of his chest, she could run her hands over the mountains of his shoulders...
Turning away from temptation, she went to her bedroom. “I’m going to set these to dry,” she said as she hung his garments in the drying cupboard. “For how long were you walking out in the rain?”
“Don’t know, quite a while. It took me some time to find this place.”
“You should give me your trousers too, as they seem to be wet as well.”
“Are you sure you want me naked in your bedroom? I’m happy to oblige,” he asked glibly as his hands moved to the waistband of his trousers.
His voice came from right behind her. She turned to find he had followed her to the bedroom and was standing way too close for her sanity.
Her mouth dropped open as conflicting emotions warred in her brain and robbed her of the capacity for speech. “W-what?”
“My trousers.” He gestured to them. “If I remove them, I’ll be naked.”
Yes!the wicked, starved part of her brain screamed.
Not yet!her rational mind reprimanded.
“Wait!” She put out her hand, palm out, as if to stop him. He walked right up to that hand, pressing his chest into it. And her traitorous hand, instead of pushing, caressed. He closed his eyes in a stuttering inhale.
“We should talk first,” she said. Her voice sounded far away, even to her own ears. As if she were in a dream.
“We can talk later. For now, let your hands do the talking. Yes...” He groaned as her other hand came up, jealous of the first one for having the privilege of touching him. They both ran over the hard muscles of his chest, re-learning his geography.
“We are not acting wisely,” she protested, but without conviction.
“When have we ever?” He grabbed her waist to bring her flush against him.
His body radiated a tantalizing heat that was impossible to resist. Even his wet trousers, which should have been cold, were almost steaming with the heat coming off his skin.
“Kiss me.” The words escaped her mouth without her permission, and his gaze fixed on her mouth with the intensity of a predator. The next second, his lips captured hers in a kiss of possession.
CHAPTER 44
He had been starvingfor her. The kiss soothed his soul, while inflaming his need to a dangerous inferno. Her lips were so sweet, her body so pliant under his hands. He could swallow her whole.
