Page 89 of Locked In Ice

“Lane—”

“Mine,” he growled a second before his mouth crashed onto hers.Because that was the part of her speech that mattered.And he knew it with utter, bone-jarring, soul-breaking certainty.

Mine.

Ophelia was his.

His friend.

His lover.

His partner.

His everything.

Her lips parted beneath his.Her tongue met his.Her body molded to his as she gave a desperate, greedy moan and clutched tightly to him.

Thiswas what he wanted.Ophelia sinking into him.Ophelia as close as she could get to him.His sanity and his safety.All in one beautiful package.

He feasted and he took and he knew that he would never, ever be able to get enough of her.Not in one lifetime.Too impossible.

His hands went to the straps of her dress.She eased back, just a little, and he shoved the straps off her shoulders.The dress fell.A soft slither of sound.

He let her mouth go and looked down.

Strapless bra.A scrap of lace for panties.

Sexy as hell.And… “Mine,” he said again.Swore it.

Her breath shuddered out.“Why do I feel like that might be the only word you heard me say?”

He unhooked her strapless bra.Loved the feel of her silky skin as his fingers slid behind her back.The bra fell to join the dress.

“Lane, I meant what I told you.”

His fingers went to her nipples.Tight, beautiful nipples.He caressed them.Teased them.

“Lane.”

His hands dropped to her waist.He lifted her up.Held her easily as he took one nipple into his mouth.

“That’s hot.The way you’re so strong.The way you’re…oh, God, that feels good.”Her words ended in a moan.“But we…we need to—”

“Fuck.”He let her nipple go long enough to say the one word.Because that was what he needed.To be as deep in her as he could go.

“I was going to say talk and, ah,shower!”Her voice rose to a fever pitch when he lightly bit her nipple.“Lane.”

He carried her down the hallway.They’d shower.They’d fuck.Then it would be time forhislessons.

Lesson one.No killer ever goes after Ophelia.No more of the shit where perps were following her home.

Her legs wrapped around him.“I was scared.”A soft confession.

Her bedroom door was open.He took her past the bed.Past the dresser.Into the bathroom.When they crossed the threshold, her hand flew out to turn on the bathroom light.The flash of illumination didn’t even make him pause.Carefully, he eased her down until her feet touched the plush rug near the shower.Her hands clung to his arms.“Why were you scared?”Lane asked.His voice was rough.Ragged at the edges.

Only fair because he felt ragged around the edges, too.

“You didn’t answer me when I called.”Her long lashes lifted.“I had sent a guard back to help you, but the guy was green as hell.I was so afraid that something would happen to you before I could get there.”Her nails dug into him.“I haven’t been that scared since I was sixteen years old.”

---