Page 70 of Dearest Protector

“You’re here. You okay?” he asked grimly as he wrapped an arm tightly around my waist and pulled me in closer until he was cradling my body against his.

I put my arms around his neck and hugged him. “I’m fine. It was just a dream, Ben.”

I’d had heard the stress in his voice, but as usual, his first thought was to check in with me.

His body shuddered as he wrapped both arms around me and pulled me into his lap. “Jesus, Ariel!” he rasped against my temple. “I thought you were hurt.”

“It was just a bad nightmare,” I crooned as I threaded my fingers into his hair.

He rocked me for a few seconds, not saying a word, like he had to convince himself that I was in one piece and perfectly fine.

Then, a heartbeat later, he pulled my head down and started to kiss me like a madman.

Maybe I should have stopped him because it was uncertain whether he really knew what he was doing, but I couldn’t.

I’d waited too damn long to feel his lips on mine again.

I moaned into the heated embrace, savoring the intimacy, taking what I’d endlessly craved.

His tongue traced the seam of my lips, and I opened for him almost immediately.

Ben explored my mouth like he was claiming what had always belonged to him, and I responded with the same urgency.

Running my hands down his naked back, I shivered at the feel of his hard muscles covered by very warm, soft skin.

Yes!

God, how long had I wanted to explore this man’s body in a sensual way?

Maybe it hadn’t been allthat long, but it felt like I’d waited an eternity to be this close to Ben.

I swung my leg over his body and straddled him.

Ben never released my mouth.

He let me take an occasional breath, but his pursuit of my lips was completely relentless.

Desperate and completely intoxicated by the feel of Ben’s hard body and his rough, desperate, claiming embrace, I melted into him, my hands moving restlessly to touch every inch of him.

I squirmed in his lap, feeling like I was going to die if I didn’t get the hard cock beneath me into my body.

I ached.

God, I ached.

“Fuck!” Ben cursed as he released my lips and then began leaving a heated path of fiery kisses down my neck. “This has to stop, Ariel.”

“No,” I insisted, eyes closed, my head tilted to give him whatever access he needed to keep going. “Don’t. Stop.”

I neededthis.

I neededhim.

I had for a very long time, and I’d be damned if I was going to stop now that I had him exactly the way I needed him.

Hot.

Demanding.

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