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“I wouldn’t want you to do that,” she finally whispered.
He leaned forward so she couldn’t avoid his eyes. “You may not want it, but I wouldn’t be able to stop it. You do something to me, Diana, trigger something in me that I can’t control. Any man who hurts you might as well have a signed death warrant on file because he doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air you do. I wish you would tell me the name of the man who did that to you.” He inclined his chin toward her ribs.
Despite how violent his words were, something inside her responded like he’d just offered her flowers and chocolate instead of her imaginary ex’s head on a platter. Why was his insistence on protecting her so insanely sexy? There was something she found in his eyes, a mixture of longing and need and concern. He wasn’t like any man she’d ever known.
“You don’t have to protect me. I haven’t met many guys who want to do that,” she finally said, and she was no longer playing a role. Truthfully, she hadn’t come across any men who wanted to treat their girlfriends the way Rafe described. Unless you counted the heroes in the romance novels she devoured.
“You hadn’t met me yet,” he growled. “You deserve everything, Diana. To be protected and cherished every single day.” His voice lowered. “Then debauched thoroughly every night.”
And ladies and gentleman, just like that her panties were toast, incinerated by the blazing heat generated between them.
“Oh my God,” she stammered, completely taken off guard by his raw, blatantly unapologetic statement.
Why did it have to be this guy to awake the sleeping libido monster inside her? Why did she feel this way with him? Why not any other guy?
None of that mattered to her in this moment. Because every instinct in her body told her that she could trust this man. Every instinct told her that this was what she needed to do. That she had to touch him.
So for once in her life, she didn’t overanalyze or plan out a detailed scheme to accomplish her goal. She followed her instinct.
His eyes registered only the briefest surprise as she sat in his lap and curled her hand around his neck.
Holy hell, could the man kiss. The first brush of his lips was gentle, just a whisper of movement. He pulled back briefly, his eyes fluttering open so he could assess her.
She held her breath and prayed for more. When his lips returned to hers, she could barely hide her moan of relief.
The next kiss had more weight, his lips sliding over hers, warming her entire body with just that easy contact. And then his tongue peeked out and moved against her lips, and she gasped.
Rafe took full advantage of that small sound from her open mouth and slid his tongue inside to explore.
Diana melted into the kiss, meeting each thrust of his tongue with hers, relishing the way he dug his hands into her hair at the nape of her neck, gently tugging, angling her so he could kiss her deeper.
Her skin felt too tight, her breath too shallow, and something low in her core pulled tight. With every lick of Rafe’s tongue and every tug of his hand, she molded herself against him, pressing her breasts into his side.
Rafe growled low and shifted her on his lap so she straddled him. Oh. My. God. That felt so damn good, the pulsing length of him directly where she needed it so badly. Where she longed to have him.
He tore his lips from hers and muttered a low, unintelligible curse before dragging his lips back to hers and kissing her again. Diana wanted more. So much more.
And she knew Rafe could give it to her.
chapter eight
Control gone.
Never mind that this might be a bad idea. Never mind that his instincts were still searching for a reason not to trust her. He wanted her. For once he wanted softness and hope. He’d lived in the dark for too long. He didn’t want to be that person anymore.
He wasn’t in that world anymore. He lived in the light now. He’d thought like a killer for too damn long. Rafe stood with her in his arms. He wasn’t sure where he was taking them, but he needed a good surface to spread her out on. She had so many enticing dips and curves, and he wanted to explore them all.
Lifting her easily, he carried her to his bedroom and placed her gently in the middle of the bed. Diana spread her arms out to stabilize herself and then giggled as he crawled over her.
“I feel like a gazelle being stalked by a lion.” She spread her legs to make room for him.
Rafe settled against her, feeling her heat even through the thick material of her jeans. Which reminded him that they were both overdressed. He tugged the denim down her legs, leaving her in a pair of plain white cotton panties. Why the fuck was that so hot? He made quick work of his own clothes, tossing everything in a pile at the foot of the bed. Diana’s eyes widened when she took him in, and Rafe was never more grateful for the punishing workout regime he maintained. Being a professional bad guy had taken its toll on his psyche, but it had done insane things for his muscle definition.
“Wow,” Diana breathed. “You look like you were carved out of concrete.” Her eyes roamed over every inch of him, finally landing on the huge erection that he didn’t even bother trying to hide from her.
“Yeah, that part too, huh?”
A blush stole up her neck and cheeks. “Definitely that part.”
