Page 48 of Peregrine's Call
He shook his head. “You have a record of deciding to do things you’ve got no business doing. For now, you listen to me.” Once more, he captured her mouth.
Robin ached with desire as he deepened the kiss. Her wrists were still caught in his grip, a reminder that she was utterly under his power. Yet she had no wish to be anywhere else. The need she felt for him was actually rather frightening. Robin shuddered when she realized that she would do anything he asked…and whatever might happen tonight was entirely up to him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked then. He studied her face, his eyes glinting in the firelight.
She’d frozen up, consumed in the swirl of thoughts that made her so weak around Tav.
“I think I’m scared,” she whispered.
He immediately stopped kissing her and released her hands. He leaned back against the pillow, waiting for her to decide what to do next.
She knelt beside him, using her hair as a curtain. “I’m not scared of you,” she said. “I’m scared of…not being able to refuse you. If that makes sense.”
“I told you that I’d never make you do something you didn’t want to.”
“But you could.”
“But I wouldn’t,” he said, his gaze steady on her.
“I believe you,” she mumbled, trying to explain the conflict, the different voices clamoring within her. “But…”
Tav reached out to sweep her hair away from her face. “Turn around, Robin. Trust me.”
She turned, and he shifted, pulling her back against him until her hips rested against the insides of his thighs, and her back lay against his chest. He was a much bigger person than she was, so it felt like being enfolded. He pulled the blanket up over them both, covering her breasts, leaving just her shoulders and head exposed.
“I didn’t mean to ruin everything,” she whispered.
He encouraged her to lay her head back on his chest. “You’ve had terrible luck regarding men, Robin. I’m actually astonished you’re trusting me as much as you are now.”
“I’ve always trusted you, Tav,” she said. “Since the first time I saw you.”
His arms tightened around her. “You didn’t know anything about me then.”
“No, but I saw how other people trusted you. And you always treated me like I had a mind of my own.”
“You definitely have a mind of your own,” he said.
She smiled. “You know what I mean. Everyone else wanted to make me into something new. You just let me be who I am.”
His lips brushed her cheek. “You’re perfect as you are.”
Under the comforting weight of the blanket, he touched her lightly, his hands roaming her body without lingering on any particular part. Robin sighed, relaxing against him.
“Are you still scared?” he asked softly.
She shook her head. The worry that plagued her before had fled again, now that she realized Tav had more patience than she did.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked quietly.
“Please.”
He began to kiss her neck and the top of her right shoulder, slowly teasing her with his mouth and tongue until Robin was no longer relaxed but growing needy once more.
“Can I show you how I want you?” he asked. “Just to touch. Nothing more than that.”
“Yes,” she gasped.
He slid his right hand over her breast, and her stomach, then slowly reached between her legs. Robin’s breath left her body the moment she felt his fingers there, bringing an instant heat to her core. “Oh,” she gasped.
