Page 36 of Stars Shine In Your Eyes

“I don’t know what to say—what to think.”

“Then don’t. Just come back to the boat with me and let me love you.”

He kissed the gasp from her lips. She knew how he meant the word love. In a purely physical sense. That he would be making love to her body. And yet, just hearing him say it did something to her. Made her heart flip inside her chest. Made her feel a little breathless.

Most of all, despite wanting to keep her heart closed off, she longed for an even deeper love. For a love that went straight to the heart and stayed there. The kind of love that would last forever. A love that she had written off after the heartache she’d been through.

In time, they finally pulled apart.

They all but ran back to River Star. Her doubts had been, at least for the moment, overwhelmed by desire—stronger than she’d ever felt for anyone. She was glad to see that his hands were shaking just a little bit as he unlocked the door to let them in.

Once they were inside, there was no time for her worries to come back, because he was pressing her back against the door, covering her mouth with his again. Oh God, the way he kissed. Even though his lips were on hers only, it felt like they were roaming every part of her.

And then they did—over her face, her cheekbones, her closed eyelids, her chin, then down to her neck, where she found herself arching to give him better access. Of its own volition, one of her legs moved to wrap around his hips, to pull him closer. He lifted his lips from her skin.

“Too many clothes. I need you naked. I need to see you. Feel you. Taste you.”

She couldn’t say anything, couldn’t think anything, except, “Yes. Please.”

In the back of her mind, she realized she was begging. Already begging him for all the pleasure that he could give her.

But it didn’t feel wrong. It didn’t feel like giving up her power. No, on the contrary, it felt like he was showing her just how powerful she was. She held power over him that he could want her this badly. This much.

He slowly dropped his hands from her hips and moved back just enough that he could reach for the top button of her jeans. He held his hands there for a few beats and looked her in the eyes. “Promise you’ll tell me if any of this isn’t okay with you. Promise you’ll ask me to stop if you want me to stop.”

She couldn’t speak, could only nod. But she knew she wouldn’t ask him to stop. Because she was going to love every single second of this, even if she’d never done anything like this before and even if, deep inside, she was still a little scared.

She held her breath, not letting it go until he’d popped that button free. And then the zipper came down, and he was still looking her in the eyes as he pushed the denim from her hips. Let it fall at her feet. She kicked off her shoes and stepped out of the pants.

He finally lowered his gaze, letting it roam to her hips and her bare legs.

Of course she hadn’t packed any of her fancy lingerie. Heck, she’d burned it all after she’d learned the truth about her ex, not wanting it to remind her how foolish she’d been when she bought it, hoping to tempt and entice him. Now she was just in plain black panties.

Malcolm didn’t say anything, but from the way his breathing sped up, it didn’t look like he was disappointed.

He reached for the hem of her shirt next, slowly pulling it up over her abdomen, the tips of his fingers lightly tracing her skin, sending shivers all through her. He lightly grazed the outer curves of her breasts through the fabric of her bra, the same plain black fabric as her underwear. And then he pulled the shirt over her head, her arms going up so that he could get it all the way off.

And then she was standing before him, wearing very, very little.

“You’re even more beautiful than I thought. Absolutely perfect.”

He lowered his mouth to hers, threading his hands into her hair and kissing her so passionately she could hardly believe that any of this was actually happening. She’d never thought to be the object of anyone’s desire. But what Malcolm seemed to be feeling for her, how could it not be real? When her ex had told her how much he loved her, that she was his everything, he’d never kissed her like this. Like he never wanted to let her go. Like she was all of his dreams come true. This was better than any kiss she’d ever read about in any book or seen in a movie.

Again, he kissed his way from her lips, over her cheeks, down into the hollow beneath her chin and over her collarbones. This time, he didn’t stop there, because there were no clothes in his way anymore. Well, almost.

As he rained kisses over her shoulder, he gently slid one bra strap aside. She inhaled a shaky breath as she felt the fabric fall, and then he did the same to the other side, not yet touching her breasts, not until those straps were falling, and the cups were falling away, too, her slightly labored breathing raising her breasts higher and higher in the fabric that remained to cover her. And then it was gone, the clasp in the back undone before she even realized it, her bare flesh springing free into his hands. His thumbs moved gently over her, over the swell of aroused skin and then the tender peaks.

She was aching for more, for more of his touch, aching for him to do exactly what he did—he lowered his mouth to her, pressing fervent kisses along the upper swells of her breasts, one at a time, but never, never going to the part of her that ached the most. Until at last, he laved that aroused skin, drawing moans from her lips. Moans that she couldn’t possibly contain. That seemed to drive him on. Drive him further. Again and again, he went from one breast to the other, loving them with his tongue, his lips, even the faint edge of his teeth.

He drove her crazier and crazier. Made it so she couldn’t control the flexing of her hips into his. A silent plea for more. He must’ve understood, because the next thing she knew, he was dropping to his knees, running kisses down over her rib cage, her belly button, her hip bones. And then he was sliding his thumbs into the sides of her panties and pulling those down over her thighs. There was no room anymore for embarrassment or fear. There was only a desperate need. Need for him. To take her. To claim her. A need for her to give herself to him wholly in this moment, the future be damned.

He pressed his lips to her sex, and a moan escaped her throat. She tilted her head back against the door. They’d never even made it farther inside. He lifted one of her legs, rested it over his shoulders, opening her to him, and she loved every second of it. Loved the way he played over her, in her, with his fingers, his mouth.

She couldn’t catch her breath. Barely knew how she was able to remain standing. Knew she would have collapsed if he hadn’t been holding her up. Everything was rising higher. Higher. So high that she could hardly believe how sweet it was. How sinfully, wonderfully sweet his touch was. His intimate kisses.

And then she was leaping. Flying. Soaring. Higher than she ever had before. His name on her lips. Her body shuddering as he held her. As he took her even higher. Not stopping until he’d wrung every last ounce of pleasure from her.

And, oh, what pleasure it was.

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