Page 14 of Bryson

He had spent several minutes while he was waiting for her and had decided to try a different tack. He was going to show her how much she needed him. He was going to show her how much better it was to have someone at her side while she was going through this life-altering experience. He was desperate to try anything.

"I don't need you taking care of me."

He nodded as if in agreement, fingers caressing the soft spot at her throat, where the pulse was beating madly. He had to hide a smile of triumph at how she was reacting to him, his touch. She was not as uninvolved as she would like him to think.

"I'm aware. I've always admired that about you." His fingers drifted down to her collarbone and then the swell of her breasts. "Your fierce independence."

"I know what you're doing," she said huskily.

His brows lifted as he continued to caress her skin. "You do?"

"You're trying to soften me up. That's not going to work. I'm resolved--"

"I'm sure you are." He cupped her breasts, marveling anew at how perfectly they fitted inside his palms. She suited him in every way. Her curves fitted his body as if they were made for him, and he suspected they were. No one had ever suited him as she did.

"Please stop."

"Do you want me to?" He drew the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders slowly, his eyes holding hers and burning with intent.

"This is not a good idea."

"I agree completely," he murmured, his words belying his actions as he bent to touch his lips to the pulse beating madly at her throat. "You smell like heaven and taste even better." He nibbled on the side of her neck, and just simply breathed herin. She was like an aphrodisiac to his system. The first time he tasted her lips, he wanted more. The first time he had her, he knew that once would never be enough and it was no different now.

"We can't." Her hands lifted automatically to dig through the rich strands of his dark hair.

"We must." When she lifted her head to accommodate, he felt his senses whirling dizzily and he feasted.

Her fingers dug into his hair as she fought for purchase. She was getting unbalanced, her common sense taking a beating as his tongue did wonderful things to her skin. When he pushed her back on the pillows, she fleetingly thought about resisting, but the thought was gone so swiftly, it was as if it had never been there in the first place.

Chapter 5

She tried one last time to get them to see reason.

"You're involved with someone else." A moan escaped her when he brushed his lips over one sensitive nipple. "I don't want to- I'll be leaving."

"Shh." He toyed with the nipple, teeth first and then tongue, soothing the slight nip and sending white-hot flames throughout her already weakened body.

"Bryson-" Her fingers tangled in his hair as she held him to her flesh. Her body arched slowly, forcing him to do more, give more. He did.

"Bryson-" Passion flooded her like a river heading upstream. It had always been this way between them. From the very first moment they met each other, the passion had been ignited, scorching them with its unrelenting heat. It was no different now.

He feasted on her flesh. It was his favorite thing to do. The taste of her had never left his mouth. He had been with another after she left, desperation driving him to try and get over her. But that had never happened. He had used another to try and replace her. It had not worked.

Now she was back and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that it would always be her.

He had been avoiding telling Sara-Lee the truth, but now he had to. Lifting his head, his searing gaze met hers, face harsh with a desire so strong, it was overwhelming. His hands cupped her face, thumbs moving gently over her cheeks.

"I want you to stay with me."

"No. I-" She quivered when he bent his head to brush his lips against hers. Over and over, back and forth until she was weak and clinging to him. Her lips parted, inviting his tongue, but he wasn't ready to take things deeper. He continued what he was doing, driving her crazy, lighting little fires inside her until she felt as if she was being burned to a crisp.

As if that wasn't enough, he nibbled on her full bottom lip, drawing the flesh into his mouth and sucking on it. Desire exploded inside her like a spark going off.

"Please," she gasped. "Now. It has to be now."

"Not yet." He was dying. He wanted to be inside her so badly that he was breaking out in a cold sweat. Everything had been a first with her. It had been the first time he had thrown caution to thewind and taken her to his bed the very first night, without even using anything. He had known the risks and hadn't even cared back then. He had wanted nothing between them, just flesh to flesh, body to body, skin to skin.

His lips trailed over her cheeks, tugging at her lobe. When he plunged his tongue into her ear, she cried out sharply, fingers digging into his shoulders.