Page 181 of No Headlines Please

My words trailed off as I felt a hand slide along my hip. His fingers hooked the thin fabric of my panties, and my breath caught as he tugged, guiding the material down while I twisted my hips, moving this way and that to help him shimmy the panties further down. My heart pounded as they finally slid away.

My breath hitched. "Yeah, that was a really good idea."

He let out a quiet breath that might've been a laugh as I returned the favor, moving aside and pulling off his boxers with an eagerness that should've made me blush.

And just like that, there was nothing left between us.

I settled over him and leaned down to kiss him again, deeper this time, as his length pressed against my stomach. It wasn't nearly close enough.

I was just reaching between us when he softly said, "Wait."

For half a second, my brain stalled.

Wait?

No freaking way.

Then he shifted on the bed. One hand slid from my hip and reached toward the nightstand. A moment later, I heard the soft scrape of a drawer opening in the quiet room.

Quietly, he said, "Protection."

Oh.

Right.

I let out a breath that might've been a laugh and leaned back just enough to give him room. I wanted to help, but in the darkness, I feared I'd only get in the way. So I stayed where I was, my pulse racing with anticipation.

There was a small crinkling noise, a brief pause – and then his hands were back on my hips, guiding me closer again, like we hadn't missed a beat.

"Wow," I whispered. "I'm glad I didn't help."

He sounded amused in the darkness. "Oh, yeah?"

"Definitely," I whispered. "I'm pretty sure I'd still be ripping at the package."

When he replied with only a soft chuckle, I shifted over him, my breath coming impossibly fast as I felt the heat of him pressed against me like a promise.

For a second, I hovered there, every nerve in my body suddenly awake, every thought narrowing down to this one moment. And then, unable to wait a moment longer, I reached between us and guided him to my opening. "But I can do this."

Beyond eager, I lowered my hips, relishing the feel of him as he filled me completely. "Wow."

With something halfway between a moan and a chuckle, he whispered, "You already said that."

"Yeah," I breathed. "But this is a different wow."

Already, my hips were moving like they had a mind of their own.

And then he said my name. "Delaney."

"What?"

His voice sounded breathless in the dark. "Wow."

No kidding. Already, the sensations were almost doing me in – the heat, the pressure, and something deeper that made my breath catch as I, once again, sank down fully against him.

My hands tightened against his chest, my head dropping forward as everything inside me went still for half a moment.

I should savor this.