Page 196 of Claimed At First Sight

I stop. A faint crease appears between her brows, but disappears as she settles again.

I should put some distance between us, but I remain still, not wanting to disturb her.

Last night brought us closer together. More than weeks of careful planning ever could have. Who would have thought this storm would become my greatest ally?

Her resistance is weakening. I can almost taste her surrender. Not because I forced it, but because she’s beginning to see what life with me could be.

I’ll look after her and keep her safe.

She just needs to agree to this marriage.

Mia stirs again, her fingers loosening around my arm. Her breathing subtly changes as sleep gradually releases its hold on her.

Her eyes flutter open. For a few moments, she simply lies there, blinking at the fire dancing across from us.

Then she seems to remember where she is and how she fell asleep. To my surprise, her body relaxes more into mine.

With unhurried movements born more from instinct than conscious thought, she turns in my arms until she’s facing me.

Our faces are now only inches apart.

She studies me in silence, her eyes warm but still clouded with sleep. There’s none of the guarded suspicion I’ve grown accustomed to, no quick-witted remark waiting on the tip of her tongue.

“Good morning,” I murmur, my voice quieter than I intended.

The corners of her lips lift into the faintest smile, but she doesn’t answer. Instead, her gaze drifts lazily over my face. Her hand slips from mine and comes to rest on my cheek.

I stop breathing.

Her fingertips trace the line of my jaw before sliding into my hair. Then she lifts herself just enough to close the small distance between us.

Her lips brush mine.

It’s barely more than a whisper of a kiss, but it stops every thought in my head. A moment later, my heart lurches into a frantic rhythm.

She is kissing me.

My mouth moves with hers just as gently, terrified that anything more will break whatever fragile spell has settled over us. It takes every scrap of restraint I possess not to take over and deepen the kiss before she chooses to.

Then she does, and my heart skips another beat.

Our kiss intensifies. It’s the invitation I’ve been waiting for. Moving carefully, I roll her beneath me, and her legs part instinctively to let me settle between them.

I hold my weight off her as much as I can while my hand finds her cheek, my thumb brushing over the softness of her skin as I search her face for some sign that she’s realized what she’s doing and is about to retreat.

She doesn’t. If anything, she leans into my touch, her fingers sliding deeper into my hair.

The lingering haze of sleep clears from her eyes, and she draws me back to her. When our mouths meet again, she melts into me with complete trust.

I have kissed many women, but none of them have ever kissed me like this. There’s no calculation or hidden plan to gain some advantage. She’s simply giving herself to this moment.

When her tongue tentatively brushes mine, I respond, kissing her deeper. I let my weight settle more on her, and her body molds to mine. A moan slips from the back of her throat, the sound traveling through me like fire.

My hand slides into her hair as I take her mouth with a hunger I can no longer mask, and she meets each stroke of my tongue as though she’s been waiting for this as long as I have.

God, I want this woman.

Her hands move to my back, her fingertips slipping under the hem of my shirt and brushing over my bare skin. The slow glide of her palms up my back makes my skin come alive.