Page 75 of Glamour and Grit

“Sort of. Turns out he didn’t need much rescuing.”

I shake my head. “Yes he did. And so did I. And so did you.”

He cocks an eyebrow. “Me?”

“Yes, you. You needed to be rescued from yourself. Nobody gave you a harder time about Klaus than you. It’s time to commute the sentence to time served. Live life for a change.”

He smiles. “When you’re with me, life is definitely worth living.”

Dane kisses me, and this time it grows torrid. Looks like we’re not getting any sleep tonight.

And that doesn’t bother me a bit.

24

DANE

When I trained as a marksman, we learned that a few seconds can be an eternity. Spending time with Selene, however, makes eternity feel like a few seconds.

Even now, with the two of us laying together, the heat of our bodies cooling in the gentle evening breeze wafting through the curtains.

Selene stirs, her soft hair brushing across my chest as she lifts her face. Selene’s eyes reflect the moonlight streaming in the window. I feel my heart soften by degrees. It’s like every moment I’m falling more in love with her.

“How do you feel?” she asks softly.

“Fantastic. Like I could go again.”

I start to kiss her and she laughs, holding her finger against my lips.

“Hold up for a minute,” she says. “I mean, how do you feel emotionally? I mean, you just unloaded a ton of baggage that’s been weighing you down.”

A smile stretches my lips, even if I still feel a twinge of melancholy.

“It’s strange. I feel like a pimple popped in my head.”

“Gross,” she says and I chuckle.

“I mean, it kind of hurts, but it also feels better. If that makes any sense.”

“I understand. I’ve had to deal with my own issues, you know. It’s hard for me to trust people. Especially people I care about. But I understand now that I can trust you.”

“I’m not perfect, but I’ll take care of you or die trying.”

“I appreciate that, but let’s not talk about dying. Let’s talk about living.”

“Or,” I say, kissing her, “we could not talk at all.”

Our kiss deepens. She crawls on top of me, moving with the efficient urgency of an aroused woman.

But I want to take my time making her feel amazing. I hook her leg with my own and then flip both of us over, so I’m on top. She squeals with delight as I pin her down.

“Looks like you’ve got me right where you want me,” she purrs, arching her body against mine. “What are you going to do now?”

In response, I crush her lips with a powerful, claiming kiss. My hand slides up her side until I cup her breast. She moans into my kiss while I massage her pliant, supple flesh. I trap her nipple between my index and ring fingers, then tug gently while I turn my mouth to her neck.

A deep, sonorous moan issues from her mouth. The sound drives me to further efforts. I squeeze her breast, making the stiffened nipple swell and protrude, then latch onto it with my mouth.

She gasps, her hands going to the back of my head. I tease her with lips and tongue before tugging back, stretching her flesh out until her nipple pops free.

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