Page 53 of Rough Stock

‘No. I was mad at you for taking this long to come home. I might have told you to take that job so you could achieve your dreams, but it was never because I wanted to be apart from you. But you’re here now, so there is no way I’ll let anyone hurt my wife.’

‘But—’

‘Will you stop looking for excuses? Don’t you see? Fate has finally said this is our time to be together.’ His teeth started to grind, just to control the emotions that were about to overwhelm him. ‘If I lose you,’ he said gruffly, much harsher than intended, ‘I have nothing.’

‘Without you, there is nothing—except a pot plant named Brian.’

‘Come here, beautiful.’ Pulling her against his chest, with his arms wrapped around her, he just held her for an astonishingly long time.

‘Is this the part where we get to fool around?’ he murmured, brushing his cheek against her soft hair.

‘Don’t you have injuries?’

‘I don’t mind a bit of pain for the pleasure.’

‘After all the women you’ve been through, I may have to rethink my position on this argument.’ She pushed away from him and headed inside.

He struggled to give chase, using the doorframe to step inside. ‘Is that going to be an issue for you? What about you and your men?’

‘There were none, okay? Except Brian. He never judged me for my list of disorders.’

‘The pot plant.’ He chuckled.

Izzy dropped her head to her chest in a huff as if to regroup, while standing on the other side of the kitchen counter that she was cleverly using as a barrier. ‘I need a refill.’ She opened the fridge and stared at the shelves.

You’re not getting away from me that easily, my ever-tempting Bee Queen.

He hobbled across the kitchen, while she opened another bottle of wine. Stopping beside her, he slowly dragged his eyes up her delicate neck that was outlined by loose wisps of hair that had fallen from her high ponytail. A light shimmer of perspiration glistened over her collarbone just on the edge of her shirt. A faint frown marked her brow, but it never went near her full, pouty lips. Lips worn by the only woman he wanted to kiss. And now.

He took the wine bottle and gently put it on the counter.

‘Are you hungry? I could cook dinner?’ She nervously nibbled on her bottom lip.

‘Not for food, that’s for sure.’ His fingertips brushed the outline of her face, as he admired the different shades of brown that blended in her eyes.

This was the moment he’d been dreaming of for so long, he wasn’t going to waste another precious second.

He leaned towards her as she sucked in her breath and held it, making his lips curve into a grin, stopping millimetres from her face, their noses barely touching. ‘I won’t hurt you, Izzy.’

‘I know. I just don’t want to hurt you.’

He gently pushed her against the fridge door and pressed his lips to hers. One hand smoothly cradled her head, to then wrap that silky length of hair around his wrist to kiss her harder. Oh lord, she tasted like honey and wine, and her lips were like soft pillows of pleasure he couldn’t stop tasting.

Her lips moved frantically against his, not the way he’d expected, but it caused such a friction it was burning him in a way that he didn’t think a single kiss would cut it.

With his chest against hers, their lips danced in a new war with the nipping, sucking and sparring. Until his tongue swooped onto hers, upping the pace that was going to suffocate him, hopefully doing the job of silencing her busy brain.

When she pushed against him, their lips parted, leaving hers so incredibly shiny and swollen, showing how hard he’d kissed her.

Oh, brother, didn’t that make him want to kiss her harder. Longer. For a breathtakingly long time. And they had a lot of missed time to make up for.

But then he stopped, catching her expression.

‘What?’ Was he rushing her?

Sixteen

Craig’s breathing was as hard and fast as Izzy’s, with his blue eyes shiny and hungry.

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