Page 48 of Heart of a Hero

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Nora

I gazed up at Dawson through the steam, my heart racing. His blue eyes were dark with desire, muscles taut as he held himself back. For me.

A rush of warmth flooded through me that had nothing to do with the hot water cascading over us. This man, this wonderful, patient man, was willing to stop everything if I wasn’t ready. But I was more than ready. I wanted him with an intensity that both thrilled and terrified me.

Slowly, deliberately, I trailed my fingers down his chest. I reveled in the feeling of hard muscle under smooth, wet skin. A shudder ran through him at my touch, his abs clenching as I moved lower.

“Nora,” he breathed, my name a reverent prayer on his lips.

I held his gaze as my hand closed around his thick cock. He was hard as steel, pulsing in my grip. A groan rumbled deep in his chest as I stroked him slowly from base to tip.

“I want you, Dawson,” I murmured, pressing closer. “All of you.”

His control snapped. In an instant, I found myself pinned against the shower tile, Dawson’s body a solid wall of heat against mine. His mouth crashed down on mine, hungry and demanding. I met him eagerly, opening for him as his tongue swept inside.

I arched into him, craving more contact. My nipples, already hard from the cool tile at my back and all the teasing he’d already done, tightened further as they rubbed against his chest. The delicious friction sent sparks of pleasure zinging through me.

Dawson’s hands were everywhere, mapping every curve and plane of my body like he was committing it to memory. I clung to his broad shoulders, my nails digging in as the coil of need in my belly wound tighter.

“Please,” I gasped when we broke apart for air. “I need you inside me.”

“Not yet. Not in here.” He kissed me again, softer and slower. “I’m going to do this right.”

I groaned in frustration. His kindness and consideration would be the death of me. It wasn’t like I was a virgin.

Chapter Fifteen

Dawson

As we stepped into the bedroom, I quickly lit a few candles, wanting to at least attempt to make this a romantic moment. We stood facing each other, our bodies nearly touching. Her brown eyes shone like stars in the dim light as they met my steady gaze. In them, I saw a heady mix of desire and something deeper, more tender. Love.

I walked us backward until her legs hit the bed and we tumbled down onto the mattress. The candlelight flickered over our entwined bodies as the rest of the world fell away. In that moment, nothing existed but Nora; her scent, her taste, her touch… the feel of her soft curves beneath my rough hands.

I grazed my fingers along her cheek, and she shivered slightly at my touch. My heart raced, pounding against my ribs. I wanted her so badly I ached. But I knew I needed to go slow, be gentle. She’d been through so much pain and fear.

“You’re so beautiful,” I murmured, letting my hand linger against her face. “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”

Her lips parted on a soft intake of breath. “I want you too, Dawson. So much. Kiss me.”

My blood roared in my ears as I lowered my head, capturing her lips with mine in the gentlest of kisses at first. Then, as she sighed and melted into me, I deepened it, tasting her sweetness, losing myself in her.

My hands skimmed over her luscious curves, mapping the feminine landscape of her body. I trailed featherlight caresses along the elegant column of her throat, over the swell of her breasts, dipping into the valley of her waist. She trembled beneath my touch, and it set me on fire, knowing the effect I had on her.

Nora’s breath came faster, shallower, as our kiss turned hungry and wild. I groaned into her mouth, desire pulsing through my veins. I’d never craved a woman so desperately. Never felt so consumed.

We broke apart, gasping, foreheads pressed together. Her eyes were glazed with passion, lips bee-stung from my kisses.

“The things you do to me,” I rasped out. “I was trying to go slow but God, Nora, I just want to devour you.”

“I don’t want slow,” she panted, nipped at my lower lip. “I want you, Dawson. All of you. I need you.”

Those words unleashed something primal in me. With a low growl, I captured her mouth again in a searing kiss, our tongues tangling feverishly. My touch grew bolder, greedier, as they roamed her tempting figure. She arched into me, whimpering with need.

We were both breathing hard when I tore my mouth from hers to blaze a fiery path down her throat.

“Please,” she whimpered, and it was the sweetest plea I’d ever heard. “Don’t stop… more…”

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