Page 36 of Fighting His Fate
He lifted her shirt to expose her breasts, whispering reverent praise as he bent his head to lavish her peaks with his tongue. She pressed her ass deeper into the mattress and held his head to her. She was panting, her breath coming fast, and she wanted more than she’d ever wanted before.
This is progressing quickly.
She stifled the burst of panicky laughter that threatened at the thought, forcing herself to calm down.
What started as a simple kiss was quickly turning into potential intercourse, something she hadn’t thought she could let happen so easily. The men she’d kissed before could have done so for hours without rousing the sort of need that threatened to raze over her common sense as easily as a tractor over a dandelion.
Could she do this? Have sex with this man as so many women had before? It was casual for him, something that didn’t matter. Could she offer her body to a man for whom she was just another in a long line of sexual partners?
He moved back up her body, taking her mouth in another sensual kiss that left her reeling, the doubts that had been screaming in her mind just moments before suddenly quelled into submission.
His hips pressed rhythmically against her, teasing a response she’d only felt alone in the dark. She groaned at the sensation, her breath catching in her throat.
He pulled back, lifting the hem of her shirt completely over her head, and a growl came from his chest as he looked at her. It made her feel powerful to have that effect on him, to know this man wanted her as much as she wanted him, and she longed to make him feel as good as he was making her feel.
She explored his flesh with eager hands and curiosity, trailing her fingers along his rib cage up to his muscled chest, grazing his nipple and making him gasp. She moved lower, following the light dusting of hair from his chest down the center of his abs, all too aware of where that trail would lead.
She’d never seen a naked man before, and she hesitated as she reached the waistband of his jeans. This was foreign territory, uncharted land. Her already racing pulse sped up even faster, fear suddenly making her question her decision to go through with this.
His big hands reached around her torso and hauled her up so her head was even with his. The adoring look in his eyes calmed her soul. “I never thought I’d get to kiss your face,” he whispered, doing just that. “Or hold your body against mine. But I wanted to.” He reached down and grabbed her bottom, holding her tightly against him. “Every time you banged those damn keys against my door I wanted to.” He kissed her again.
He’d thought about her? Like this? The revelation brought her stalled engine back up to an audible purr. She again took control of their kiss, holding his sweet face in her hands as she grazed his bottom lip with her teeth, then kissed him deeply.
“I was just jealous,” she whispered in his ear, realizing as she said the words exactly how true they were. How she’d longed for this kind of passion in her life, for real desire and a physical love that couldn’t be denied.
He growled, the sound vibrating in his chest as his fingers hooked into the sides of her panties and pulled them down, the sudden movement breaking through the hypnotic fog that surrounded her. Her hand covered his, stopping his progress mid-thigh. “Wait.”
He nuzzled her neck. “Sorry. I’ll slow down. I thought you were right there with me.”
The popcorn ceiling of the motel room came into focus in the dimly lit room, panic stirring in her breast. “I am, I just… uhm.”
Brett lifted his head. “What’s wrong?”
There was no shame in this. He would understand, be careful with her. She was giving him the gift of herself, and in that moment she trusted him with it. She swallowed hard. “I’ve never done this before.”
He leaned back to look at her, his body breaking contact with hers. His eyes went wide. “You’re kidding.”
“No.” She ran her hand up his bicep, longing for the feel of his body back against hers. “I just wanted you to know. If I’m acting weird…” Her voice trailed off.
The air in the room seemed to shift. He sat up, turning away from her as he swung his feet off the bed.
This wasn’t the way he was supposed to react. She sat up, holding the sheet against her breasts. “What’s wrong?”
He didn’t turn to face her. “This was a bad idea.”
Heat burned her cheeks, embarrassment flooding her. “It’s not a big deal.” She shrugged. “I shouldn’t have said anything.” He didn’t respond. He must think she didn’t want to do this, that he was overstepping his bounds. She ran her hand down the warm skin of his naked back, a move that was far more brazen than she was used to. “Lie back down.”
He pulled away. “No, Grace,” he snapped, and she jerked her hand away. “You said you’d done this before.”
She cowered, suddenly hurt. Why did he care if she was a virgin? It’s not like it changed anything, but it obviously changed something for him. He didn’t want her now, and shame threatened to swallow her whole. “It wasn’t any of your business.”
He laughed without humor. “Well, it’s my business now, isn’t it?” He stood and zipped his fly. She hadn’t even realized he’d opened it.
The memory of John buttoning up her sweater returned on a wave of humiliation. There was something wrong with her, some reason men wouldn’t sleep with her, even men who slept with anyone at all.
He said he’d wanted her, but clearly he didn’t now. She wanted to call him names, to throw things at him, but all she could do was watch in muted horror while he put his shirt and shoes on. “I need to get some air,” he said.
A question lodged in her throat as the door closed behind him.
