“Thank you, Lina, for trusting me with this.” I pulled her close. “I love you.”
She paused, her mouth open, as if my words scared her. No, it wasn’t fear I saw, it was surprise. “You…said the words.”
“I love you,” I whispered again, leaning forward. “You’re my girl.”
“Oh my gosh that sounds so perfect. I love you, Hunter.” She reached for the hem of my shirt. “Can I see more?”
Easing it over my head, she removed my shirt and tossed it to the floor near the door. “The art is so beautiful. You are, too.” Her fingers traced the eagle in the middle of my chest, her palms resting on my pecs. She gave them a light squeeze and smiled.
I reached for her jacket and pushed it over her shoulders as I watched for her reaction. She shimmied out of it and let it fall to the floor.
“Does getting a tattoo hurt really bad?”
“Some more than others. Depends on where and how much ink.” I traced the curve of her collarbone to her sternum. “You’ve never had one?”
She shook her head now skimming her fingers along my ribs. “Not an ounce of fat. Nothing but muscle.”
I’d worked hard to build up for fights, but mostly to be able to fend Dad off when he tried anything or caught up to Mom and me. I never wanted to be weak again.
I fell to my knees before her, and she parted hers to let me in. Easing forward, keeping my eyes on hers, I saw a myriad of reactions. Desire, fear, heat, wonder….
Her skirt kept me from moving very close to her, so I placed my hands on her thighs easing the thin fabric up slightly. Exposing her pale skin as I moved her dress sent my body into another tailspin of excitement. If I knew it wouldn’t scare her, I’d pull her forward so I could feel her against me. I needed some pressure to alleviate this need boiling through my body.
“Can you take me to the bedroom?” she whispered.
I brushed her hair back to see her face more clearly, watching for doubt or any kind of discomfort on her part, but I didn’t see any. Only desire. One almost as intense as mine felt.
I scooted back, then scooped her into my arms. Hurrying through the small hallway to her side of her world I walked through the doorway into her sacred place.
Standing before her bed, holding her in my arms she gave me a knee-weakening kiss as if to say she wanted me to place her on the bed.
The thought of seeing her naked, making love to her flashed before my mind’s eye.
Stay in control.
“What happened there?” she asked as I set her to her feet. “Am I doing something wrong?”
“No. You’re perfect. Just working to calm myself down a little.”
“So, you’re freaking out a little, too?”
“Not at the idea of being with you…but my body is giving me trouble.” I grinned. “Trying to take it slow with you.”
She leaned forward and kissed my pec. Forging a trail across my chest to the other one had me looking at the ceiling while I absorbed her touch. Her closeness.
Combing my fingers through her hair, I eased her back. With my free hand I pushed her dress off her shoulder and kissed the now exposed skin as the fabric fell away. “How do I get this little number off so I can see more of you?”
She giggled as she turned around. “Zipper.”
I slid my hands down her waist to the front of her and pulled her back to me. She rested her hand over mine fixed on her abdomen as my free hand worked up her body.
At the contact, she tensed for a second then relaxed, tilting her head back so I had a good view of her smooth neck. The skin called out for my attention, so I leaned forward and gave it a good lick as I massaged her. Learning her body and how it felt. How it responded to my touch, urged me toward the cliff.
“Okay?” I asked, then licked the curve of her neck as I went on to her shoulder.
She hummed her response, and I looked at her face to confirm that was a good sound. Judging by the smile it was.
I stepped back and slid the zipper of her dress down, but her body tensing stopped me. “Too fast?”