Page 128 of To Catch A Rogue

He suddenly had some understanding of what she’d felt like in the pool when he’d laid waste to her inhibitions. His balls tightened, and Charlie’s eyes widened. He’d been on the edge of arousal for hours now, and this was too much.

He wasthisclose to losing all control....

Dragging her to her feet, Charlie captured her mouth in a kiss, sweeping her up into his arms. Lark's thighs wrapped around his hips as Charlie strode for the bed.

"I hadn’t finished yet!" she protested.

"Well, I was about to." He growled. "And while I would love to let you explore further—really, anytime you like—I want to be inside you."

He set her down. What he needed was control, because Lark had had him wrapped around her little finger for years, and if he gave her an inch, she’d destroy him. Capturing her eager hands, he held them wide, away from his body.

"No," he growled insistently. "I've waited years for this. We're doing this properly."

"Properly?" Exasperation flavored her voice.

"I want you beneath me," he breathed, pushing her down onto the bed. "And then I am going to kiss every inch of you until you scream. And then...."

"Then?" she asked breathlessly.

"I'm going to make love to you."

Once upon a time, he'd wondered what it would feel like to be in this moment with the girl of his dreams. Indeed, he’d given it a great deal of thought.

But as he knelt on the bed over her, he realized dreams could never compare.

Her chilled skin prickled when he settled between her thighs. Lark dragged her fingertips up the hard curve of his biceps, her thick lashes heavy and weighted as she surveyed him.

"I love you," he whispered, stroking a strand of hair off her face. "I loved you then and I love you now, and I know I’ll love you forever."

Lark blushed. "Charlie."

"And you loveme." He kissed her jaw softly. "You don’t have to say it. I know you do." A kiss to her chin. "You came to Russia for me. You walked right back into your worst nightmare for me."

"I think I loved you from the moment I saw you," she admitted, in a very small whisper.

"What?" He drew back in shock. "You threatened to punch me the first time we met."

"Of course I did. I was mortified! Every time you smiled at me butterflies erupted in my stomach. I could hardly bear it."

He burst into laughter. "Is that why you were so damned prickly?"

"Charlie!" She slapped the heel of her palm against his shoulder. "Don’t you dare laugh."

His laughter slowed as he leaned down and kissed her. Gently. Sweetly. "Sorry. You caught me by surprise. I thought you hated me for months! Well. How about that?"

She’d loved him from the start.

It put every single one of their past encounters into a new light, especially now he knew the truth about her past.

She’d always been prickly and defensive, but he suddenly saw straight through her.

A little girl who’d longed to be loved.

A little girl who’d lost her family, lost everything.

She was still that little girl in some ways, hiding her need to be loved behind walls of steel. She would never reveal her heart first, but that was all right, because he had no qualms. He was not afraid of the way he felt.

He would have to tell her every day how much he loved her, until she started to let down those walls.