She pressed her mouth to his, savoring the slide of soft skin against hers, the taste of promise and heat on his lips. She didn’t rush, allowing him to decide if he’d meant what he said.
If he could love the broken version of her.
Buck kept the kiss light, muscles firm against her, body strung tight, until she released his hoodie, slid her fingers into his hair. That set him off. Had him tugging her against him, his other hand landing on her ass, fingers digging into her flesh, tongue thrusting between her lips.
She moaned into the kiss, wanting nothing more than to wrap her legs around his waist, follow him down onto the bed. Either he heard her thoughts, or they were operating on the same frequency, because he tucked one hand under her ass, lifting her as he covered the few short strides to the bed. He didn’t pause, just continued forward, laying her across the center as he loomed overtop, breaking the kiss long enough to yank off his hoodie, toss it to the side.
Then, he was back, mouth crushing against hers, all that muscled flesh moving beneath her palms. She smoothed her hands up his chest and along his shoulders, reveling in his tightly coiled strength. Buck pulled back, licked and sucked his way down her neck, nipping at her shoulder muscle through the tee before working his way back up, claiming her mouth again.
This kiss shattered the others. Her chest heaved, every sense dialed in. He finally eased up, stared down at her, his brown hair in a tousled mess, his eyes nearly black.
He smiled, and everything fluttered. “So, damn beautiful.”
Arching a brow, he reached for the hem of the shirt. She levered up, giving him better access, attacking his mouth as he dragged the cotton up her torso and over her head. He vanished in a sea of white, appearing a moment later, eyes wild, skin flushed.
He held her gaze for several seconds before raking it the length of her, his breath leaving him on a low moan. “Damn.”
He trailed one finger up her ribs, skirting the bruises before circling her breast, grinning until he raised his gaze, focused on her shoulder. His smile fell, the flush in his cheeks deepening. “Christ, you’re purple.”
She leaned in, nipped at his chin. “So are you. Your chest looks like someone used you for target practice.”
“Can’t be as bad as this… shit.”
He dipped down, kissed where Pike’s last shot had knocked her over, nearly punched through her vest, his touch feather soft. Tears burned her eyes, but she blinked them away, running her fingers through his hair before he raised his head and claimed her mouth.
She gave herself over to the kiss. To his hands tracing patterns along her skin, his breath hot and heavy against her neck. He took his time, discovering every inch before pulling back, kissing his way to her breast.
Her head tipped back, heat sparking beneath her skin as he sipped her nipple inside, sucking and licking before switching sides, driving her to the brink in under a minute. She fisted his hair, tried to hold him against her chest when he chuckled, eased back.
Tierney shook her head, tried to tug him against her. “Buck…”
He captured her lips, stealing part of her soul as he took her back onto the bed, his massive form hovering over her. “Easy, sweetheart. I’ll get you there. But I need this to last because… you… this… us…”
She shifted one hand to his cheek. “Pretty sure this won’t be your only chance to love me.”
“God, I hope not. But if I’ve learned anything these past few years, it’s that life changes in an instant. So, I’m going to treat every time like it might be my last. Make sure you never doubt how much I want you.”
His confession soothed the hard edges time hadn’t softened. Made her fall a bit more.
She brushed some wispy strands off his forehead. “You don’t fight fair.”
He leaned down, kissed her as if he’d already forgotten what she tasted like. “Fair won’t have you coming so hard you don’t know whether to scream or cry, so… Relax. This is going to be epic.”
Tierney inhaled as he kissed his way down her body, laving every bruise, every cut until he settled between her thighs, the sheer width of his shoulders splaying her apart.
He hummed, smoothing his hands along her abdomen and thighs, finally dipping between her legs. “Christ…”
He leaned down, repeated the path with his tongue, taking her from excited to bursting in one pass. She pressed her head into the mattress, hand landing in his hair, nails scratching his scalp. He repeated the deep caress, arching her back off the bed as heat punched her low in the gut, then billowed outwards.
Buck grinned against her flesh, keeping the next few licks light as he teased her with a hint of penetration. Her chest tightened, her lungs barely working as she fought off the orgasm already burning beneath her skin.
He tsked. “Someone’s got a hair trigger.”
Tierney pushed onto one elbow, staring at him down her body. “Do you know how long it’s been?”
His lips quirked, the lines around his eyes deepening. “If it’s anything like me, too long.”
“Exactly. Add to the fact that it’s you touching me…”
