Page 98 of Return to Me Always

"I need this off." I pulled at his shirt, and he helped lift it over his head.

Oh, my freaking God. Somehow he was even bigger without clothes. How was that possible? I shivered at the idea that this man right here was mine.Mine. And that he actually loved me.

How had I ended up here? Ended up so fortunate?

"Are you just going to stare at me, love? Or are you going to touch me again?" Tyler asked, stark desire on his face.

I smiled, maybe a little wickedly, because yes, I planned to touch him... touch him everywhere. I reached out and traced his six-pack with my fingers. He sucked in a breath, and honestly, so did I.

With more pressure, I explored his magnificent chest, reaching up to his shoulders and down his powerful arms, leaving goosebumps in my wake.

He was breathtaking.

But impatient. When I reached even lower to his hips, he swept me up in his arms. "To the bedroom. Now."

I giggled as he carried me. "Okay, caveman. Bedroom. Now," I said in my best manly voice.

His answer was a low growl as he kicked the door open and carried me to the bed. "I'd like to toss you down and..." He whispered what he wanted to do to me in my ear, his hot breath and scorching words sparking a flame low in my belly.

"But?" I asked.

With tenderness, he laid me down on the soft, white sheets and crawled over me, holding himself up with his arms. "But this..." He lightly brushed my shoulder close to my bandages.

Oh, right, the wound.

"So I'll be gentle with you," he murmured against my neck. "For now."

So Tyler was likethatin bed? Hmm. My mind whirled at the idea. "Well, you think we'll still be together in several weeks?" I teased.

He stared at me in the dim light from the hallway, searching my eyes. "You're kind of stuck with me. I'm thinking we're together for life, lass."

Oh, my heart.Had he really just said that? Those words made me completely forget what I was going to say. "Um..."

His brows lowered over his eyes. "What were you getting at, Ryder? You think we won't last a few weeks?"

"No. No. That's not it." I searched my mind as his palm traced a path on my arm. "Um, um…"

All thoughts vanished as his hand went to my face and his finger outlined my upper lip, then my lower. I reached up and grabbed his thumb, not letting him escape, and sucked it into my mouth, staring into his eyes that suddenly seemed to darken.

I sucked harder, swirling my tongue against the tip, and the look in his eyes told me I was done for. He groaned and pulled his thumb from my mouth.

"That's it."

Slowly, he undid my jeans and pulled them down my body, looking at every part of me that was revealed along the way.

"These legs. I'll never forget you in that damn robe when I combed your hair," he said as he swallowed hard.

I bit down on my lip and propped myself on my elbows to watch him kiss a hot path up my leg, pausing on my ultra-sensitive inner thigh.Damn.I could barely catch my breath.

He moved closer and closer to my center, my heart pounding in anticipation of what would happen next. I didn't even breathe as he hooked his fingers around my panties and lowered them, revealing the most intimate part of me to him.

Pausing, he looked up into my eyes. "You're so wet for me, love."

Between his words and the look of pure hunger on his face, I couldn't even hold myself up anymore and collapsed back on the bed as he flung my underwear off to some corner of the room.

His head lowered to lick me, and I seriously thought I might die right then and there.

"So incredibly sweet," he said as he blew a hot breath over me.

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