Page 86 of The Promise Of Rain

All my life I’d battled for every good thing I had.I lifted my chin and glared at him.The last thing I considered myself was fragile.

Impatience had me reaching behind my back.

I grappled with the clasp of my bra, and the darn thing fought back.

“There’s no rush, Jenny,” Deacon murmured, his hands sliding down to my hips before moving back up, teasing me with those barely there touches of his thumbs.

I gaped at him.

Why not?Why isn’t there any rush?

My skin goose-pimpled under his hands.

Life offers no guarantees.You take the good when it comes.

He’d barely taken the edge off the last time he touched me.I wanted more.I needed more.

You wanted me in this, Deacon?I’m in it.

My core clenched on nothing.

“We’re not teenagers, Deacon,” I snapped, abandoning my quest to rid myself of my bra.“Is this some control thing?You get off on making me wait?”

Mouth flattening into a displeased line, he shook his head.“I’m not going anywhere.And I don’t want you for just a night or two.I told you I want you to be sure you want us before we take this next step.”

Is he scared?

Maybe he doesn’t want me the way he used to?

Have I changed that much?

Has he?

I tilted my head to the side, curiosity mixing with the hurt.

I’d spent my life running from men, now that I wanted one, he didn’t want me back the same way?There was something cruelly ironic about the whole situation.

Had something happened to him overseas to change him?

“Do you not want me?”I ventured.

He huffed out a pained laugh.“If you knew the things I want to do to you, you’d run.”

“I’m not running,” I declared decisively.“And I want to know everything.”

His eyelids dropped to half-mast.“You want me to show you what I want from you?”

“Yes,” I declared, throwing in a head nod to make sure there was no miscommunication.

Leaning forward, he reached around my back and licked up between my breasts.My bra fell off in his lap.

Eyes hooded, he ordered, “Stand up.”

I moved to get off his lap.

“No.”He grasped my hips.“Stand up on the couch.Right here.One foot on either side of my thighs.”

“What?”I laughed, the sound high-pitched.