Page 30 of Too Hot To Handle

„Why should I want anything more?“ Tory whispered raggedly, touching Reever’s cheek with her fingertips. „I never expected to have even passion from you. I want you to be my first. I want you to be the one to teach me. I want it all to happen with you, even the things I can’t imagine. Especially those things, Reever.“

„Tory – “ groaned Reever, fighting for control.

„No,“ she said quickly, interrupting him by putting her fingers over the lips that were barely half an inch from hers. „Listen to me, Reever. I know myself. I know that I’ll never – want – another man the way I want you.Don’t refuse me.I promise I won’t ask or expect anything else from you except your hands, your mouth, your body teaching me how to worship you.“

Tory trembled as Reever brushed aside her fingers and kissed her so deeply that she couldn’t breathe. After a long, long time he lifted his head and spoke in a shaking voice.

„You sweet, sweet little fool, don’t you know what it does to a man to be told that he’s wanted like that?“

„What does it do?“ she whispered huskily. „Teach me, Reever. Teach me everything.“

Reever closed his eyes and didn’t breathe, didn’t speak. From his clenched fists to the soles of his feet, his body was as hard as steel, as motionless, and his expression was almost agonized. Tory felt tears scald down her cheeks as the certainty grew in her that he was going to reject her again.

The thought made Tory want to cry out in protest, pleading with Reever not to turn away from the woman who loved him. Yet even as the words crowded her tongue, she knew that she must not say them. If she saidIlove you,she would drive Reever away from her. He would simply take her words as proof that she was too immature to give herself physically to a man without the fiction of love between them.

But it wasn’t a fiction. She did love him. She hadn’t wanted to fall in love with any man, had never really expected to, but she had come to love Reever just the same. Deeply. Passionately. That was why she hadn’t been able to save enough money to leave the Sundance. She didn’t want to leave. She had seen Reever watching her, wanting her, and she had kept hoping that he might be falling in love with her as she had fallen in love with him – one day at a time, one glance, one look, one touch.

It hadn’t happened that way after all. She had fallen alone. She was still falling.

Tory shut her eyes and fought to control herself in the face of Reever’s rejection, but it was impossible. She couldn’t even turn away, for she was still pinned to the bed by the weight of his big body. Helplessly she began to cry, her body shaking with tearing, silent emotion.

Reever rolled aside and gathered Tory into his arms, holding her very gently.

„Don’t be frightened,“ he murmured, stroking her back slowly, nuzzling her mouth with a tenderness that made her shiver. „I want you until I’m crazy with it, but I won’t hurt you. I swear it. I’ll tease and love that sweet body until you’re shaking and wild, and when I finally take you…“ Reever groaned and his hands tightened on her soft skin. „Oh, God, little cat, when I take you, it will be like falling into the sun. You can’t feel pain when you’re burning alive with pleasure.“

Reever looked down into Tory’s huge, tear-bright eyes. „I know it’s a lot to ask for after the last few weeks,“ he said huskily, „but will you trust me not to hurt you?“

Tory tried to speak through trembling lips, couldn’t, and nodded instead. When she could trust herself not to blurt out her love, she tried to ask him to be patient with her, not to cut her up for being clumsy. At first all she could say was his name, the word a question trembling on her lips. „R-Reever?“

„Yes?“ he breathed, kissing the corner of Tory’s mouth with exquisite care.

„I’ll try not to – to be clumsy, but please don’t – “

„Hush, little one,“ Reever said, licking up Tory’s painful words with the warm tip of his tongue. „You aren’t clumsy at all. You’re as graceful as sunlight on water. Watching you used to make me ache until I felt like something was tying my guts in knots. I’d lash out at you, trying to keep you away, trying to make you hate me instead of want me, and then I’d have to watch the light in your eyes die as you turned away from me.“ He shuddered. „Innocent little green eyes,“ he whispered, sipping at Tory’s mouth with tiny touches of his lips and tongue. „I’ve never seen anything half as graceful and lovely as you. Remember that. Forget the lies and remember that truth because it’s the only one that matters.“

Reever fitted his mouth exactly to Tory’s trembling lips, cherishing her with a gentleness that brought more tears to her eyes. He rocked his head slowly back and forth, changing the feeling of the kiss with each small movement, sensitizing her lips until she felt as though she were on fire. She wanted to put her arms around him, to bury her fingers in his hair and hold his teasing, beautiful mouth against hers. But despite his assurances she was afraid that he would think her clumsy whether he said it aloud or not.

„So soft,“ Reever murmured, biting Tory’s lips with tender care. „And even softer inside. Open for me, honey. I’ve been driving myself crazy remembering how sweet you taste, how soft you are, how warm and giving.“

„Reever,“ she whispered.

„More,“ he said, nuzzling her mouth. „I want to see you ready for me, waiting. I have to know you want my mouth.“

With a shudder Tory parted her lips. She watched Reever’s eyes widen and darken to a smoky gray. She looked at the sensual lines of his mouth and remembered how it had felt when he had kissed her so deeply that she hadn’t been able to breathe. She wanted that again. She wanted the hard, complete claiming of his mouth, the taste and scent of him filling her until she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began.

„What are you thinking?“ Reever asked huskily, watching Tory’s eyes and her parted lips, wanting to taste and feel her tongue sliding over his.

„Your mouth,“ she said, her voice trembling. „It isn’t fair that a man should have such a beautiful mouth. And what you can do with it – “ Her breath came in sharply with another burst of memories, of the heat and intimacy of him cherishing her breasts. „That isn’t fair, either.“

Reever’s laugh was low and very male, a sound both sensual and triumphant. „Do you want my mouth?“ he asked, nuzzling her teasingly.

„Yes,“ Tory breathed, watching him.

„How? Like this?“

The gentle torment of his lips and tongue continued, but other than tracing the line of her teeth, he made no move to claim the parted lips that she offered him. Tory put her arms around Reever’s neck and tried to pull him closer. He was too strong. No matter how she tugged, he kept on teasing her, pinning her gently to the bed, not allowing her to come closer.

„Reever,“ said Tory urgently.