Page 132 of Release

“Then he’sours, I’m yours, and you’re mine. End of subject.”

My fingers brush his shirt off his shoulders.Fuck, the man is gorgeous. Firm andtight. He looks better now than he did in his thirties, no shit. I feel a little guilty about that. Ellen got dad-bod George, and I get hard-hottie George.

He releases me to help me help him shed his shirt and undershirt. Then his hands return to where they were, fingers lightly splayed across my lower back. His gaze never leaves my face as I trace my fingers across his pecs, down his abs. I can feel his cock is stiff and pressing against the front of his slacks.

Not going to lie, my mouth waters, thinking about what he tasted like.

I drape my arms around his neck again and lean forward for another kiss. My boy isn’t wrong that George is a damn good kisser.

Am Ireallygoing to do this?

“I don’t trust easily,” I admit.

He brushes my hair behind my ears. “I know. I’m a patient,patientman.”

“Do you think you and I can do vanilla sex?”

I get another Dom eyebrow.

“I mean, between you and me. Not counting with him.”

He steadily meets my gaze. “Ithink we can. I’m willing to try. If you are.”

“I’m scared.” I cannot tell you how much I haaaaate admitting that.

He gently tips his head so that our foreheads are touching. “I know a thing or two about fear,” he says. “Believe me when I say that if you want to take things slow, we can. If you want to back up, we can. Because, for me, the only unacceptable outcome is losing you. I’ll consider anything else a blessing.”

“There you go with them thar fancy words, Mr. Lawyer.”

He smiles but when he speaks, his soft voice sounds teary. “You’re my best damned friend, Case. I love you, I’minlove with you, and if you couldn’t run me off back in college when I didn’t even know you, what makes you think you can scare me off now?”

I sniffle. “You don’t think I’m a horrible person?”

“Sweetheart, when we were rescued, I was maybe twelve hours from possibly eating another human being to survive. In the raft one night, I stopped Susa from raising an alarm when one of the women got out so she could drown herself, and I was thinking how much extra drinking water that’d give the rest of us. You think I’m going to judge you for taking out two motherfuckers who were overdue removal from this world? Think again.”

“Then do you think we should keep this a secret from Declan? I mean, what I told you? I told him it’s up to you if you tell him or not.”

He nuzzles his nose against mind. “We’re in this together. I’m not worried about him keeping any of our secrets.”

I scoot forward. Between us, I feel his cock rubbing against my clit through our clothes. I kiss him again as I grind on him, my arms around his neck and letting him distract and persuade me. His body feels warm against my flesh, and I pause to unfasten my bra and shed it before we’re kissing again, bare flesh against bare flesh.

Why is letting go so damned hard for me?

My nipples tighten as they rub against the light dusting of coarse hair on his chest. Heat explodes inside me.

I plant a hand in the middle of his chest to keep him in position and I climb off him so I can shove my slacks and panties down and off. I kneel over him again, unfastening his belt and slacks so I can fish out his cock.

“Nevergrab my head and force me to go down on you,” I warn. If I want you to do that, I’ll put your hands there.”

He nods.

“And don’t try to fuck me from behind.Ever.”

He scowls, but he nods. “Okay.”

“Residual effect from number two.”

His scowl immediately clears. “Ah. I’m sorry. Yeah.”