Page 51 of Redemption

“Yes.” The heat of a blush rose off her neck, and Victoria cast a glance through her eyelashes. “I kissed you.”

He chuckled, low and deep, pulling her to him, his kiss brushing across her lips before his dangerous mouth moved to her ear. “You kissed the hell out of me, love.”

“Ryder! Oh my…” She teased against his chest, groaning and gasping as his tongue licked the underside of her ear.

“Oh my?” He pulled her tighter, his body straining against hers through the covers—his erection pressing against his leg. His quiet chuckle grew into a throatier laugh. His lips quickened down her throat.

“Ryder,” she laughed even as her eyes rolled back from the dangerous work his lips did on her neck.

“Oh my? I thought you were a Midwest beauty. That sounded like the American south.”

“Oh. My.” She kept teasing, but that was so damn good. His tongue stroked. Her amusement transformed to an overwhelming hunger. Her pussy clenched as his attention focused a deadly hit on her collarbone.

“Oh my.” Teeth scraping, lips kissing, the jokes disappeared.

“Oh…” Her lips parted, breaths rushing. “That’s amazing.”

His strong hands massaged her pajama-covered back and ran up her neck, threading into her hair as hers caressed his chest, kneading the warm flesh stretched across him, dipping across the carved muscles of his body. Nothing but carnal pleasure flooded her senses, and arousal continued to dampen her panties.

“You’re okay?” His strained voice killed her.

“Yes. Fine.” Failing to control her erratic heartbeat, she rolled her hips and embraced the high. “Please don’t ask me again.”

He stilled for a minute and nodded. “Roger that.”

She pulled the covers that separated them away, tangling their legs. She wasn’t going to sleep with him. She just needed to be next to him. Touch him. Feel him. Something. Nothing more. Hell, she was dressed like a girl scout compared to him in his boxer briefs!

But sweet mercy, his warm body under the covers...

“Victoria,” he growled. “Easy.”

Her nipples pricked tight under her T-shirt, and she had on too many layers. “I just need…”

Something.

Anything.

She needed to come was what she probably needed. Or she needed to slow down. Not because of what happened, but because sleeping with him seemed like itwasn’tthe right thing to do? She didn’t know. Maybe it was? Though if she didn’t know, it wasn’t. God, she was dying inside though.

“I don’t want to have sex,” she blurted out.

He pulled back. Quickly.Fuck.

“That wasn’t my intention, Victoria.”

“No.” She cringed. “I know. God, my head is all screwed up. It won’t make sense if I say it, but God, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Try me.”

She shook her head. “It barely makes sense in my head, and I doubt I could explain it.”

“Try me.”

Victoria laughed. “So stupid. I’m overjoyed, I think, that I’m turned on. I was worried that, after…” She gestured. “I would be—I don’t know—unable to be aroused.” God, that sounded so frank and almost medical. She dropped her head in her hands. “We kind of have good chemistry, I think. I’m worried that I just said too much.” She glanced up, feeling nuts for confessing. “Sorry to drop the feelings bomb on you.”

“Eh.” He shrugged. “Feelings don’t scare me.”

“No, huh?” She smiled hesitantly.

---