Page 69 of Stripping Bare

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“Jonah,you can’t hurt me because I will always tell you if something makes me uncomfortable,” Tessa said. “And I trust you tolisten.”

I trust you.Her words reverberated throughhim.

Tessa pulled him down to the bed, rolled over, and aligned her body on his so they were pelvis to pelvis, chest to chest, face toface.

When she slid her lips across his, he was sunk. He’d been fighting his hunger for this woman for years, but he was all out of fight tonight. Honestly had no idea of what he was fightinganymore.

She was right. Who was he to judge and decide what was best forher?

He drew his hands up to cradle her head, sinking his fingers into her wild bedhead curls. With his mouth, he coaxed her lips open so he could taste her fully. Before they were done, he would know her entireflavor.

He wanted so many things when it came to this woman, it would take a lifetime to explore themall.

Lifetime. The word spiraled around in hishead.

What would it be like to spend a lifetime withTessa?

He didn’t know, but tonight he would try to be what sheneeded.

Reluctantly, he drew away from her to reach for the bedside lightswitch.

Tessa opened dazed eyes. “What are youdoing?”

“Turning off thelight.”

“I like to have the lighton.”

An uneasy feeling drew tight in Jonah’s gut. In the dark, he could do this. But when he could see her, all of her, he just didn’t know. Maybe they shouldjust—

“I know that look on yourface.”

“Whatlook?”

“It’s the one that says you’re on the verge of changing yourmind.”

“I prefer thedark.”

“It’s because of me, isn’tit?”

He wasn’t about to say yes. Itwasn’tbecause of her. It was because he hadn’t allowed himself to forget a single thing about that night. Because he still had nightmares about it sometimes. But he couldn’t replace those images with happier ones, healthier ones, if he never let go of the old ones. Let go of his fear about hurting her. He held out his hand to her. “How about acompromise?”

Now, she was the one to look uncertain as she stared at his outstretched hand. “I feel like we’ve been playing a strange game of sexual musical chairs. I’m ready for the music to stop forgood.”

His stomach still jumping, he said, “Ipromise.”

When she took his hand, everything settled inside him. Into certainty. Into peace. Into smoothdesire.

“Come with me.” He led her from the bed into his over-the-top bathroom. Even his designer had lifted an eyebrow at the overkill in this room, but now Jonah was glad he’d fought for every detail. Nothing less would do justice to what was about to happen between Tessa andhim.

He tapped a controller on the wall, and the waterfall stopped recirculating and began filling the tub. With another adjustment on the controller, a muted glow came from under thewater.

Tessa leaned over to drag her fingers through the water. With her hair tumbling down her back, her beautiful skin and rumpled PJs, she was like the promise of a sunrise. And he could see her as if it were the first time. A new firsttime.

Smiling sheepishly, she looked back at him over her shoulder. “I snooped in here while you weregone.”

“So you went through all the cabinets, made sure I had the proper number of towels and toilet paperrolls?”