Page 86 of Nails

“It wasn’t your fault,” she told him.

“I was scared tonight,” he admitted, barely above a whisper.“And that doesn’t happen often.”

“Me too,” she whispered back.

They stood there for a few moments just staring into one another’s eyes.

Suddenly, the air shifted in the room.

His gaze dropped to her mouth and lingered there.Her lips parted slightly, like she was holding her breath.

“This is dangerous,” he said quietly, though his voice was rough.

She swallowed hard, but her eyes didn’t waver.

“Our jobs are dangerous.Breathing is dangerous.But this…” She glanced at his mouth.“This is the kind of danger that I don’t want to walk away from.”

Something in his chest tightened, snapping the last thread of restraint he had left.“Then don’t,” he murmured, his voice low and certain as he closed the space between them, his hand sliding to the back of her neck before his mouth found hers.

The first kiss was careful, like they both needed to test the waters before diving in.But the second was deeper, warmer, the taste of her flooding his senses and making every nerve in his body light up.He knew for both of them that a kiss wasn’t going to tame the need they both wanted.

They broke apart long enough for him to rest his forehead against hers.“Riley, if we do this, it’s not just tonight.You’ll be mine.No going back.”

Her answer came without hesitation and a smile.“I’m already yours.”

He kissed her again, slower this time.He savored every inch of her mouth before trailing his lips along her jaw, down to the damp curve of her good shoulder.Her fingers slid into his hair, tugging lightly.

The towel loosened, pooling silently at her feet, and her arms circled his neck.She pressed her body against his in a way that left no space between them.The warmth of her skin seeped into him, erasing the last of his restraint.She gasped softly when his hands skimmed her sides.

They moved toward the bed in a slow, almost clumsy shuffle.They stopped just short of the bed, and he pulled away slightly to pull his clothes off.

As soon as he was naked, he lifted Riley up into his arms, and she wrapped her long legs around his hips.He carried her the rest of the way to the bed and then slowly laid her down, being careful not to hurt her injured shoulder.

He took a moment to look at her spread out on the bed.She was fucking gorgeous.And she was all his.

“Are you enjoying the view?”she asked with a bit of sass.

He grinned.“I always knew you were sexy.These curves of yours are fucking hot,” he said as he climbed onto the bed and covered her with his body.

His thumb slowly traced her cheek before he dipped his head and kissed her again.She felt so good underneath him, with her breasts pressed against his chest, and her legs wrapped around him.

He pulled away and moved down her body, kissing every inch of skin he could.He licked her along her nipple before pulling the tight little bud between his teeth, making her moan and squeeze her legs tighter around him.

He needed her so badly.

Moving back up, he kissed her jaw and then just below her ear.

“I need you, baby.Tell me that you need me,” he whispered and then nipped her earlobe.

“Oh, God!Yes!I need you, too.”

That was all he needed to hear.He adjusted his body so he was nestled between her smooth, silky thighs.

The moment the tip of his cock, made contact with her warm pussy, he literally almost came.Never in his life had a woman made him feel the way Riley had.

He was fighting to go slow and to be gentle, but damn, it was nearly impossible when she felt so unbelievably good.She was tight, warm, and so giving.He had never been this desperate, this consumed with wanting someone.Not just her body, buther.He wanted to claim her, to make it clear she was his.Hell, he wanted her for life.

Beneath the thick armor she wore, there was a tender, trusting woman who deserved more than she’d ever been given.And he wanted to be the one to give it to her.He wanted to give her every ounce of love, every bit of safety, and every piece of himself.