Page 69 of Embracing the Enemy

“It is,” she agreed. “It really is, Killian.”

“How much is this costing you?” I asked seriously.

“More than I ever thought I’d pay,” she answered bluntly. “I…I was getting used to casual. I was getting used to the idea that I might not ever find someone that would understand my…hang-ups.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I’d been without her for fucking days, and I just couldn’t take it anymore.

Reaching for her, I grabbed Posie by her hips, then dropped her on my lap, straddling her legs over my thighs. I wrapped my arms around her waist, clasping my hands together behind her back. This woman wasn’t going anywhere.

“I want it all, Posie,” I admitted. “I want it all, but I won’t ever take it from you. If I have to wait decades for it all, then that’s what I’ll do.” Her hands reached up and she cradled my face. “But you need to know that I want it all.”

Posie’s brown eyes felt like a challenge as she peered into my blue ones. In this moment, I had no idea which Posie Tinley I was going to get. I could get the feisty version or the meek version, and I found myself attracted to both women. I was in love with whichever Posie Tinley was front and center.

“I want to try something,” she finally said.

“What, baby?”

“Can you take me high enough that I’ll take you any way that I can get you?” she challenged.

“What does that mean?” I tightened my hold on her. “I need specifics, Posie.”

“I want to see if you can take me to a place where you being on top doesn’t scare the holy fuck out of me,” she said, and my stomach cramped, my palms became clammy, and my heart felt like it was stuck in my throat. “You’ve already taken me to a place where it’s possible for me to cum, Killian. I want to see if normal is a possibility.”

“Posie-”

“I won’t blame you for anything that happens,” she promised. “This is my idea and I’m a big girl. I won’t hold anything against you if this goes badly.”

“Maybe we should hold off on that,” I suggested. “You know, baby steps.”

Posie shook her head. “I want you to show me what it feels like to be safe with you.”

Well, fuck.

Knowing that I couldn’t deny her this, I said, “Kiss me.”

She smirked right before she lowered her head, her lips landing perfectly on mine. With one hand on her waist and the other cupping the back of her head, I kissed Posie with all the longing of these past few days. My tongued delved into her hot mouth, happy to be back where it belonged.

When her hands latched onto my shoulders, I winced a bit because her fingers had found a fresh barbed wire wound. “Fuck,” I hissed against her lips.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her face pulling back in concern.

“Some of the wounds are deeper than others.”

Instead of getting all sympathetic on me, she arched a perfectly plucked brow. “Well, I guess we’ll have to get you naked, so that I can be more careful.”

“I suppose we should,” I agreed, grabbing her hips, then standing up to carry her to the hotel bed.

When I placed Posie down on the edge of the bed, I stepped back to begin undressing. Her eyes were wide with desire as I grabbed the hem of my shirt, then pulled it up over my head. Because of my little hobby, I always made it a point to work out, but seeing that look on Posie’s face was enough to make sure that working out became a religion.

“Like what you see, baby?” I asked as my hands went for my pants.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?”

“I’m not,” I countered. “But as long as you think so, then that’s all that matters.”

“Do they hurt?” she asked as she got a good look at what that damned barbed wire did to me.

“Some of them do,” I admitted. “But only the deep ones.”