Page 38 of Bryce

“Are you?”

“Yes. Is thatall?”

“No.” Heshoved her back down when she started to rise.

“What are youdoing?”

“Forcing you tolisten. I was jealous of that little bastard you went out with andwanted to commit murder. I came this close…,” henarrowed the distance between his thumb and index finger to prove thepoint.

“And if he hadcome out of the vehicle and walked you to the door, I would havepunched his damn lights out. I stood upstairs watching him put hishands on you and it took willpower to just stand there.”

She simply stared athim and tried to ignore the painful thumping of her heart. “Youhave no right…”

“Don’tI?” He asked grimly, face hard and taut. “I told you thatthings were not resolved between us, and they aren’t.”His eyes took on a molten glow that sent tremors racing through herbody.

“We can’t…”She broke off with a gasp as he spun her chair around and pressed histhighs against hers to simply trap her. Leaning forward, he took herhands in his and hauled her up. Her knees were trembling, and shecould swear a fire had been lit inside her.

“Don’t dothis.” She whispered, unable to believe this was her voice.

“Do what?”His hands framed her round face, thumbs caressing and appreciatingthe smoothness against his fingers. “Yearn to feel you againstme?” His deep voice had dropped to a whisper.

“Dream ofkissing you and waking up hard as stone?” He bent his headtowards her, making her faint from his cigar and whiskey breath. “Ido. That’s a condition that has been plaguing me since I gothere and it has not eased, not one bit.”

He tilted her chinup, eyes blazing. “I hurt you before and I can only apologizefor it. I cannot make excuses, I won’t.” He traced theoutline of her bottom lip and watched as it parted for him. “Icannot take it anymore.”

Her hands clampedaround his wrists as she told herself that she need to stop this. Nogood would come out of any of it. “Please.”

He tilted her face upand bent to brush her lips with his. The kiss was so light, it wasalmost as if he had not done anything. But she felt it to her core.Her breath shuddered out and she closed her eyes as she waited forhim to do more.

Chapter 10

He took his time. Hewanted to savor her, taste her honey sweetness, devour her, mate withher until they were bonded together. But he took his time. Brushinghis lips against hers sent hot desire shuddering through his body.She had been his first for everything.

The first kiss. Butit was nothing compared to this. The blush of youth was behind them.During that time, they had been clueless, innocent, and uncertain.Now he had experience under his belt, and he wanted to teach her, topleasure her until she was mindless with need for him.

He wanted to show offfor her.

He was no longer thecallow youth with braces and so thin that the bones were poking out.It was different. He was different.

Cupping her face, heparted her lips using just the tip of his tongue. He swallowed hergasp and then her moan as she opened her mouth to invite him in. Shesmelled like freshness, was as sweet as honey and damned addictive.

His tongue touchedhers and wasn’t even aware that the groan was coming from him.he wanted more. So much more. He would not be satisfied with justthis.

He wanted her handsall over him. Wanted to feel every generous curve of her body. Suckleon her nipples until they were raw. He wanted to sink himself so deepinside her, it would take days to get him out.

His hands slid slowlydown her neck to cup the back of her head. His fingers twisted in thecoils of her hair and held her still as he invaded her mouth. Thekiss was wild and potent, sweet and dangerous at the same time. Herlips crushed against his and he felt her inexperience. Her hesitancydrove him mad and made him want more.

His fingers tightenedat the back of her head as he yanked her hair back so that he couldsavor her mouth.

Yes, he thoughtdazedly. This was home for him. This tempest, this magic weavingaround them, the spell that had a taste of the familiar that he hadsearched for ever since he left her and never found it.

He had been a fool towalk away from her and would be an even bigger fool to leave her now.The love flowed like river and washed through his body like a tidalwave. It staggered him, humbled him until he felt the burning at theback of his throat.

This was what heneeded. He felt the restlessness calming, his body molding to hers asif it belonged there. He was going to have to find a way to make herunderstand that this was not a fluke, that this was not somethingthat would ever go away.

He wanted her in hislife for the rest of it and cursed himself for not realizing itbefore now.

Sensations buffetedher. It felt like someone had lit a fuse inside her and the flameswere spreading through her entire body. Something warned her to becareful, to stop this now while it had not gone anywhere yet. But shewas melting. Of their own volition, her hands drifted over hisrock-hard chest and around his neck, her fingers linking.

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