Page 50 of Stripping Bare
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Jonah yankedoff his goggles with numb hands and they clattered to the floor. Yet he could still see Tessa’s headless avatar insidethem.
Killing had never been programmed into Steele Survivor. That was what had made the game so different, had created an appeal for both kids andparents.
“Uh…was that part of the game?” Tessa askedtentatively.
“No.” He hustled to her and slid the goggles from her eyes. “I would never hurt you.” Not even in a fuckinggame.
“I know that.” When Tessa touched his throat, her fingers were warm against his skin. But nothing could soothe away the chill sinking into Jonah’s bones. “I don’t understand what happened justnow.”
Unable to help himself, he gripped her waist and sank into a gaming chair, drawing her down into his lap, more for his reassurance than hers. He pulled her close and she wrapped an arm around his neck, which surrounded him with her rich scent. He pressed his face into the curve of her shoulder and tried to breathe away the lung-freezing feeling of seeing her headless body on that screen. “Someone else made those mods to thegame.”
“I know that wasn’t reallyyou.”
Her soft skin tempted him, and he trailed his lips along her collarbone just to assure himself that she was here in his arms. That she was safe. That she was whole. He couldn’t live with himself if Tessa was ever physically harmed again. “In some very wrongways.”
Tessa’s breasts grazed his chest, making it obvious in her braless state that her nipples were tight underneath her robe. Without thinking it through, Jonah replaced his lips with his teeth, bit down lightly on her shoulder as if he could control her like an animal might his mate. Her breath hissed in, but her body became pliant against his. “Jonah…”
He wanted her like this. Wanted her to give up the control she’d obviously worked so hard to develop, because he wanted her to come apart for him and onlyhim.
But he was scared shitless that the real him and his real needs would terrifyher.
He carefully skimmed his hands up her shoulders and neck to frame her face in his palms. Then he took her mouth. She tasted of exotic tea and didn’t hesitate to meet his kiss, immediately opening her mouth and searching for his tongue with hers. Sexy little sounds came from the back of herthroat.
The silk of her nightclothes brushed against his arms, electrifying his skin and sending lustful impulses through him. His body knew exactly what his next step should be withTessa.
If only his brain would shut the fuck up. He reached for his mental remote control and clicked the hell outta the offbutton.
As if she sensed something had changed, Tessa moved into the kiss, taking it deeper and moredesperate.
Cool fabric pooled on his lap. Her robe. That meant she was wearing only a slip of a nightgown and whatever she had on under it. Jonah slid a finger under the thin strap, testing its silky strength. It would take nothing to rip itaway.
No.No ripping, tearing, oryanking.
He brushed at the strap and followed its path to her upper arm, tracing little patterns against her skin as he sank further into her kiss. But Tessa groaned and disengaged her lips, her breath coming in sexy little puffs against his jaw. “Don’t…don’t play with me,” she said, her voice quivering, shooting through his system like a fast-actingdrug.
He caught her earlobe between his teeth and whispered, “This has never ever been agame.”
“Then touch me.” She shimmied, sending her gown to her elbows. His hand tightened reflexively on her arm, but she grabbed it and repositioned it over herbreast.
Soft, round,warm.
Perfect.
He could spend a lifetime smoothing his fingertips over the swells of her breasts, slowly tracing circles inward, until he made it to hernipple.
The thought of tweaking that peak, of scraping it with his teeth, sent a shudder through his body and hardened his dick. He wanted to press her breasts together, bury his mouth there, and consumeher.
His thoughts were interrupted by Tessa’s gasp, and he realized he’d taken her nipple between his fingers and was working itruthlessly.
Fuck.This was the reason he forced himself to resist her. He couldn’t be trusted to control himself around her. He wanted her so badly that it bordered onviolence.
He released her breast and grabbed her waist to urge her off hislap.
“If you push me away this time,” Tessa said, her voice low with a combination of arousal and resolve, “I won’t come back. You say you’re not playing a game, but it feels that way to me. You can’t pull me close and then shove meaway.”
“Look at my hands.” He held up the one that had been mauling herbreast.
