Page 70 of Hot Blooded

“Tessa,” he panted her name, his entire body trembling.

“I’ve got you.” She kissed his neck, his throat, his jaw. “Come closer. I’ll take care of you.”

He laughed, a raw, pained sound. “I have no doubt of that, sweetheart.”

He crawled onto the bed with her, allowing Tessa to roll him onto his back and straddle him. Her dress, a tight, form-fitting sweater dress, slid up her thighs. She grasped the hem and pulled the whole thing up and over her head, flinging it away. She sat atop Amos in nothing but her matching set and thigh-high stockings.

Some of the tension finally faded from his expression. His fingers toyed along the tops of her stockings while his gaze roved over her body, taking in every plush curve. “God, you’re beautiful,” he said hoarsely.

Tessa leaned down, taking his mouth in another kiss. He kissed her back, his hands going still on her thighs, his whole body becoming rigid again.

She drew back. “Amos, if you’re not ready for this yet, we can wait. I don’t—”

His hands clenched on her thighs, his eyes going wide with alarm. “No.” He flipped her onto her back, trapping her beneath him. “Don’t leave. I’m fine. I swear I’m fine.”

Tessa stared up at him, doubtful. “You don’t seem fine.”

He hung his head with a sigh. “I’m terrified of hurting you.”

Oh, god. He was so painfully precious, it made her want to punch him and hug him at the same time. “Amos, you have never once hurt me. Not when you hunted me through the city and attacked me in a dirty alley. Not when you pinned me against the side of my mother’s house and made me scream with pleasure. Not when you—”

He growled, his gaze growing heated. “I know what you’re doing.”

She twinkled mischievously. “Is it working?”

The growl turned into a sigh. He lowered his head, kissing her gently. “We’ll go slowly,” he said. “Very slowly.”

“Alright. You’re in control, you big, dangerous monster.”

Amos gusted out a breath that was half-laugh, half-groan. Before he could chide her, Tessa tipped her face up, kissing him. A purr resonated softly in his chest as the kiss deepened. He let more of his weight sink down on her, let his hands rove over her. He found the clasp of her bra and unfastened it, pulling it free with a grunt and a tug. The bra went sailing out of sight.

Tessa bit her lip, putting a little arch in her spine for Amos’s benefit. Aside from the inconveniences of finding clothes that fit properly, she generally liked the fullness of her breasts—and the glazed, awe-struck look in Amos’s eyes only made her appreciate them more.

“Christ, Tessa, look at you.”

She cupped the weight of her breasts, plumping them up and letting them drop. Her nipples pebbled with the movement, tightening to sensitive little points. “I hope you’re going to do more than look.”

He growled, swooping down to savor one breast with his mouth. The tips of his fangs scraped her skin as his tongue circled the hard peak of her nipple. Her other breast was cupped by his hand, rough and warm as he squeezed and caressed. She clutched the back of his head, fingers curling into his hair, back arching to thrust her breasts into his hands and mouth.

“Ah! Amos—harder!”

He panted against her skin. “Don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me!” She tugged on his hair, making him growl.

He sat up abruptly and Tessa cried out at the sudden loss of sensation.

Breathing harshly, hair in disarray, Amos stared down at her with hunting eyes. “I thought I was in control here.”

She swallowed, resisting the urge to undulate her hips beneath him. “You are.”

He leaned over her, bracing his hands on either side of her head. “Why’s that?” he demanded.

She almost answered honestly—because you need it. But she realized suddenly that this wasn’t sweet, earnest Amos asking her. This was his inner predator speaking to her now. Whatever switch he’d been afraid to flip, he was on the verge of it now. “Because you’re dangerous,” Tessa answered in a small, fragile voice. “Because I’m helpless against you.”

The purr in his chest sounded like a snarl. “And I take what I want.”

“Please,” she breathed.

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