Page 51 of Nothing to Deny

“Something I plan to prove now,” he said, rushing forward to scoop her up. She whooped when he threw her down on the bed and landed on his side next to her. “You’re not paying me today. No one is. Day off.”

“You want to have sex now?” she asked, touching the neck of his tee-shirt. “Was this your evil plan all along?”

“Mm hmm,” he said, lifting enough to pull off his top.

Carved into masculine perfection, his muscles were honed and his form so defined, her fingers couldn’t resist. He did the bit removing her top, his boots, her shoes, her skirt… she just stroked.

There might be no prep sheet, but he wasn’t asking permission, just the way she liked it. He was taking action, and didn’t seem to mind her touch getting familiar.

“Hound,” she said when he hooked an arm around her waist to pull her close. “This means something to you, doesn’t it?” With a slow nod, he began to descend, his mouth on course for hers. She pressed harder. “No, I mean, it’s special to you. Being with me, is special.”

Ever patient, he swept her hair from her cheek. “Baby, what’s wrong? If this is wrong, tell me how to make it right for you.”

“Don’t use lines on me,” she said, tracing a finger down the center of his chest. “You’re so hot.”

“Right back attcha, Lil’.”

“You might have done this twenty minutes ago, but I didn’t… I don’t have any problems or hang-ups about sex, but… the last man I was with was Chapman and… well he turned out to be a lying scumbag who didn’t tell me he was married, so…”

“You’ve seen my life, Frey. No wife. No kids… I’m responsible for the twins, but—”

“I don’t think you’re lying to me.”

Their eyes met and he exhaled. “You just want to know that this is special?” She nodded. “What reason would I have to do this if it wasn’t special?”

Huh. Good point. None. No one was paying him to be there, as far as she knew. He wasn’t a sex maniac, again, as faras she knew. This wasn’t a dare. The Baer she knew wouldn’t do something like that.

Old insecurities flared until he kissed her again, then they just faded away. She wanted this. Wanted this man. They had this moment to be together as them. She wasn’t going to squander it.

His kiss softened and he rested a gentle hand on her stomach.

“We’re going to be terrible at this, aren’t we?” she asked, a broad smile stretched on her face.

He frowned. “Give a guy a chance, babe. Shit, we just got started and—”

“No,” she said, soothing him, caressing his face. “I meant because you like it soft and slow, and I like it hard and fast.”

“Maybe we find a happy medium,” he said, leaning in to kiss her again. “I can give it to you anyway you want it.”

Pressing a finger into his chest, she eased him back to meet his eye. “I want you to make love to me, Baer. You. Not any persona or anything you learned off a prep sheet. If you can’t be you, excuse yourself.”

His smirk was almost a laugh. “Excuse myself? From our bed? From sex with you?” His palm glided over her breast to her throat to catch her jaw. “Yeah, that won’t be happening.” Opening her mouth, she drew in a breath. “Shush now, Skit… Let a man work.”

His tongue slid into her mouth, swallowing her squeak of shock while scooping her body under his. His leisurely kiss, so gentle and tender, wrapped her in the illusion of forever. When he savored her like this, it was difficult to imagine him kissing other women. No other woman existed, she was the last one in the world and couldn’t help but feel special.

Her hips moved, rising and writhing, seeking an anchor. Although she pushed up against the ridge in his jeans, hedidn’t respond with the usual relaxing of his hips. With gradual pressure, he relaxed in increments, pressing harder, giving her more of him until…

The thick length of him imprinted itself deep. Him. Long and thick and hard… Her eyes opened. Long and thick… Whoa, boy…

Their kiss got harder by the second… and it wasn’t the only thing. When he parted their mouths to look into her, she erased her frown.

“You want to talk about it?” he asked and she shook her head. Fast. Shit. Was she scared or exhilarated? Whichever it was, her heart thudded, growing so big it squeezed her lungs. Breathing out a laugh, he brushed her hair from her brow with a fingertip. “I won’t hurt you.”

Puffing out some of her anxiety, her smile strained. “Now I know why you’re so gentle.”

Widening his smile, he touched her lips with his. “Once you’re used to it, I’ll be as rough as you want.”

Relaxed by his smile, she ran a hand up his shoulder and into his hair. “No prep sheet.”

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