Page 52 of Emma's Element

“Wait,” he breathed, pausing to move back a step. “What is that?” He reached down into the front pocket of her jeans. She smiled when he pulled out her pocketknife. He opened the largest of the blades and laughed. “You expect to defend yourself with this? This hardly constitutes a knife.”

“I know,” she answered, grinning. “That’s not a knife.” She reached down into her right boot and pulled out a large ka-bar knife. Holding it up for him to see, she said, “Now,thisis a knife.”

“Holy shit!” He took the blade from her, testing its weight and sharpness. “Graham said he thought you never went anywhere without being armed. I had no idea he meant something like this.” He handed the knife back to Emma, who placed it on top of her dresser. She turned back to him, furrowing her brow at his worried expression.

“What?” she asked.

“What happens if they have a gun?”

“I have one of those too. I just don’t always carry it with me.”

“Maybe you should.”

“I thought you Hollywood types didn’t believe in carrying guns.”

He reached out and cupped her cheek. “I believe in keeping you safe,” he said with concern.

She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, placing her cheek against his chest. “I feel safe right here, in your arms.”

He hugged her tight. “If anything ever happened to you . . .”

She looked up at him. “Nothing is going to happen to me,” she assured him.

“Emma,” he whispered, feathering the backs of his fingers down her cheek. “I . . .”

“Marcus, just kiss me,” she purred, stretching her arms up around his neck and pulling his head down to meet her lips. He did as she requested, kissing her deeply. He bent slightly, lifted her into his arms, and carried her to the bed where he laid her gently. Following her down, he took her mouth again, his tongue dancing with hers, sliding and retreating, gentle yet demanding.

Her heart was a wild thing, hurtling through barriers. Emma ran her hands over the planes of his back, loving the feeling of his muscles tightening as he hovered over her. Yearning to fuse her body with his, she increased the pressure on his back until he was flush against her, the sensation of his skin brushing against her already sensitive breasts pure heaven.

“I don’t want to crush you,” he murmured.

“You won’t,” she assured. “I want to feel you against me. All of you.” She reached down, fumbling with the clasp of his jeans. His stomach muscles twitched as her fingers brushed against his skin. After slowly sliding the zipper down, she reached in and wrapped her fingers around him.

He groaned in pleasure, his breath hot as his lips trailed down her neck and over to her ear, where he lightly nipped the lobe with his teeth. A pleasure-filled hum escaped from her lips. He felt perfect in her hand, all raw power, all hers to control. She increased the pressure of her hand and pumped. Reaching the tip, she swept her thumb over the slit, spreading the moisture she’d found there. He jolted, his whole body tensing as he moaned again in her ear. She smiled, marveling at the control she could wield over him.

But all too soon, he took that power away from her. He clasped her hand and trapped it against the headboard above her. But Emma wasn’t complaining, too lost in the sensations of his warm mouth moving over the swell of her breast to the sensitive peak. She hummed again when his teeth clamped around the bud, the moist heat of his mouth surrounding it. He showered her breast with all his attention until she squirmed. Then he moved to the other one, giving it equal devotion. Each tug on her sent a zap of electricity straight to her core, and she sought a way to release the pressure building there, writhing against his hardness.

Marcus moved down her stomach to her navel, his tongue dipped in, teasing her. He let go of her hand to flick the button of her jeans open and slid the zipper down. The loss of his body heat registered as he knelt on the floor between her legs. She propped herself up with her elbows to watch him lift her right foot, working the zipper of her boot down.

“You’re not hiding any more surprises in these for me, are you?” he asked, pausing in the act of removing her boot.

“No, nothing else,” she answered with a giggle. Marcus removed the other boot, then reached up and pulled her pants down her legs, leaving her on full display for his hungry gaze. Suddenly, she wasn’t laughing anymore.

“God, Emma,” he gasped. “You are so beautiful.” She flushed at his praise. No one had ever called her that before. His touch made her feel beautiful. She couldn’t respond. Her heavy emotions had her too choked up to say anything. She simply held out her hand to him, inviting him back into her embrace. He quickly shucked the rest of his clothes and rejoined her on the bed, gathering her into his arms as he devoured her mouth again.

As Marcus kissed her, he ran a hand down her body, stopping briefly to cup her breast and tease the still sensitive bud. Then moved it lower still until he found her core. Emma hummed in pleasure again as he slipped a finger deep inside her. Then back out to tease her clit. He repeated the motion over and over again, driving Emma to the precipice.

Emma had had enough. She needed him. Now. She pushed him over onto his back and straddled him, lowering herself slowly on him. He grabbed her hips to stop her. “Emma! Protection!” he gasped.

“Already taken care of,” she breathed, lowering herself still more.

He stilled, halting her downward momentum. “You sure?”

“Holy crankshaft, yes!” she moaned, and he chuckled. His hold on her hips loosened, and suddenly he filled her to the hilt. A loud hum of delight tumbled from her lips. He filled her so completely. So perfectly. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation for a moment before moving her hips. Slowly at first, drawing out the thrill, the pleasure.

His hands roamed up to her breasts, teasing. Emma arched her back as she moved her hips faster and faster. Then he reached down between their joined bodies to toy with her clit, and she was done for. She came hard and fast, crying out in joy as she shattered.

Before she even had a chance to breathe, he flipped them driving into her hard. She wrapped her legs and arms around him and held on as he plunged inside her core. He felt so good. So right. And she climbed towards the precipice again.

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