Page 24 of Fear the Reaper
A low rumble escaped his chest. His fingers instantly tangled in my hair and tugged. I gasped, knowing then Reaper wasn’t vanilla in bed. He was the kind of man who could maul me and growl while doing it.
I wanted him to—needed him to.
Shamelessly, the little voice inside my head who was supposed to tell me to run, was dry humping the air in excitement.
I was doomed.
Reaper hesitated. I felt it in the way his body tensed beneath me. If he was anything like Swede and the others, he would second guess the hell out of this. I yearned to feel his mouth on mine, to know what he tasted like, to hear the sounds he would make for me as I stripped him fully and accepted him into my body.
While my mind wandered, Reaper took action. He tightened his fingers I my hair, pulled my head back further to expose my mouth to his and took my lips like a storm. I whimpered beneath his beautiful assault, accepted his tongue into my mouth then dragged my nails down his chest. Reaper caught my hand in his free one, and restrained it to my side.
Yes, this was the way a man was supposed to kiss a woman. Each pass of his tongue sent a charge of electricity through me, hardening my nipples and curling my toes. Each rumble to escape his chest, made me ease even closer to his chest. And every suck of his wonderful lips made me feel as if he was licking my entire body.
My entire body was burning. Suddenly I couldn’t breathe as his lust threatened to overwhelm me. I sighed and reluctantly pulled away.
Reaper’s eyes remained close. As I looked up into his face, I saw pain and that floored me.
“Reaper?”
“Mmm?”
“What’s wrong?”
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
I backed away from him and it was as if I remembered I was naked in front of this man. Turning away, I crossed my arms over my chest again.
Reaper dragged a tender finger down the length of my spine. “Don’t get shy on me now, Star.”
“I—you don’t want me. Damn, what was I thinking?”
“It’s not a lack of want,” Reaper said. “Trust me on this. It’s a lack of—it’s just not appropriate. You’re in danger and you’re scared, and I feel like I’m taking advantage. Then you’re going to wake up one morning and regret this.”
I said nothing.
“Nova, say something.”
“I don’t know what to say. I feel like an idiot.”
“That wasn’t what I wanted to happen. I guess I’m pushing you away for selfish reasons.” Reaper sighed behind me. He stepped from the tub and reached for a towel. “In the end, I go back to my darkness and you move on with your life. I don’t feel like being a fling for anyone—no matter how beautiful you are.”
“You think it’d only be a fling?”
“Of course. What else?”
I watched him pass the towel over his chest and couldn’t help thinking if he’d allow me, I could lick every drop of water from him. I shoved the thought to the dark corners of my mind and shifted away from him. “I would never use you like that. Honestly, I haven’t given myself to—can you just leave? I’d like to finish my shower now.”
“Star…”
“Reaper, I’m already embarrassed enough.”
“Just so you know.” Reaper strung the towel around his neck. “This isn’t about me not wanting you. Have you looked in the mirror lately? Christ, woman you’re stunning. And as hard as it is for me to walk away, I have to—you know I do.”
“Sure.”
I glanced at him then, offered a small smile but he didn’t seem convinced. When I nodded, he let himself out the door, leaving my heart in tatters.
Molly’s words about going after what I wanted raged through my head. Maybe she was right but I’d never been an aggressive kind of woman. I’ve never had a man fight so hard to keep his hands off me—hell, the last man I was with wasn’t even mine to begin with.
