Page 145 of An Inconvenient Marriage
Releasing her, I dragged my palms up her arms and over her shoulders. “I’ll fight the monsters so you don’t have to.” My fingers slid up along the delicate skin of her throat until I could hold her face. “Even if you walk away, I’ll always be in the shadows making sure no harm comes to you ever again.”
“I don’t want to walk away,” she said immediately. “I can’t. My heart won’t let me.”
Behind my breastbone, that beating organ jackhammered. Each slam against my ribs more painful than the one before.
“What are you saying?” I barely got the words past my suddenly dry lips.
Her smile knocked the breath from my lungs. “I love you, Zach. More than I ever thought I was capable of. More than—”
I crashed my mouth to hers.
I’d intended for it to be soft and gentle. But months away from my woman,my wife, had turned me into a hungry beast.
My tongue didn’t taste and savor. It plundered and took. My fingers itched to touch and tease, and I was beyond desperate to be buried deep inside her.
Without breaking our kiss, I banded my arms around her waist and scooped her up. Quick, sure strides took me to the master bedroom. But since this woman always managed to turn my world upside down, I misjudged the distance to the bed and walked straight into it.
We tumbled to the mattress in a blur of kisses and limbs.
With Natalie on her back and me straddling her, I finally pulled back to take her in. And what a sight she was. Cheeks flushed and her pretty lips swollen from our kiss. Her chest rose and fell in time with her quick inhalations.
But it was her eyes that truly did me in. Big and bright, filled with desire… and love.
“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, trailing my fingers along her neck. “And you’re mine.”
I didn’t give her time to react, crashing my mouth to hers once again.
And just like before, there was nothing gentle about the kiss. Thankfully, my girl didn’t seem to mind, kissing me back with a need that matched mine stroke for desperate stroke.
Deepening the kiss, I reached between us to unbutton her shirt. But they were so small, and I was so wired, I couldn’t get it to budge.
“Shit,” I groaned against her mouth.
My hands trembled as I gripped her collar on either side. One hard tug was all it took for a ripping sound to echo through the room and buttons to scatter everywhere. My gaze shot to the material covering her breasts and I barely bit back my groan.
The black lace did nothing to hide her hard nipples, just begging for my mouth. And even though I was eager to get her out of the rest of her clothes, I couldn’t resist a taste.
Ducking my head, I closed my lips over a tip, fervently sucking on it.
“Oh!”
Natalie arched her back and, so help me, it just spurred me on. I sucked and nipped, drawing the sweetest moans from her. And then gave her other breast the same attention.
By the time I was ready to explode, my goddess had turned into a writhing mess of bones.
I fucking loved it.
Keeping my gaze on her, I moved to her jeans, slowly dragging them down her legs. I dropped it to the floor, then immediately turned my attention to her panties. Her soaked panties.
Shit, if the sight of that didn’t have my already aching erection aching even more.
If I didn’t get inside right that second, I’d die.
I slipped off the bed, intending to strip out of my clothes. I didn’t get very far when Natalie was on her knees on the edge. Gently pushing my hands out of the way, she made quick work of the buttons.
When she got to the last one, I shrugged out of the material and Natalie immediately dipped her head to press her mouth against my ribs. Holding on to my waist, she kissed her way down and then back up again.
Tongue slicking over her lip, she blinked up at me. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” She closed her eyes, thick lashes fanning her cheeks. “That you had to heal alone.”
