Page 99 of Stockman's Sandstorm

‘Harper.’ His fingertips brushed at her hair, to then run down the side of her face and neck, pausing on her racing pulse that matched her ragged breathing.

‘Ash, we need to …’

‘Shh.’ He stared at her. The attention caused the heat to rush to her cheeks, as her breathing picked up so much her lips parted with a need to pant.

‘I’m going to kiss you now, Harper.’ He paused, and the seconds dragged on.

Did she nod? She forcefully shook her head. Only to nod.

What the hell!

‘No.’ She pushed him away and headed for her room. Before she had a chance to close the door, he was right behind her. ‘What are you doing?’

‘You said you wanted to talk. Let’s talk.’ He closed the door behind him, blocking her from any chance of escape.

‘You should get dressed.’

‘I’m fine.’

Nothing about this was fine. Not when he crossed his powerful arms over his bare chest, that towel hanging low on his hips, and his perfect abs shaded in all the right places. No one had a set of abs like Ash.

‘What are you worried about?’

She didn’t know where to begin, when her eyes could only gaze over his near-naked body that made her brain switch off.

‘You liked that kiss, right?’

Oh, she more than liked it, the memory making her body flush all over.

Again, he stalked across the room. She stepped away from him until her back was against the wall, where he trapped her with his hands pressed on either side of her head, while his eyes roamed across her face, seeing too much of what she’d always tried to hide.

‘I want you, Harper.’ His voice was like gravel, and it only lit the match, burning what little sanity she was holding on to. ‘Let me take care of you.’

Her hands pressed against his chest, but he dipped down so close his lips could almost brush against hers.

She licked her lips.

His darkening eyes watched with hunger, releasing an exhale that skittered across her skin, making her arms break out in another round of goosebumps.

That’s when he stepped in closer and gently—ever so gently—cupped her cheeks, where his thumb tenderly dragged across her bottom lip. ‘You can say no at any time.’

She struggled to speak to this man who was taller, wider, bigger, and so much stronger. Her mind was telling her to flee, while waving a whole auditorium full of red flags. Yet her body was in charge, melting into a raging hot tidal pool of starving hormones. It was about to get messy.

‘Okay.’ It was barely a whisper, but it sounded louder than a starting pistol at a yacht race.

His hands firmed on her cheeks, and he leaned in. Her eyes closed as their lips met. But this didn’t start with some closed-mouth peck or a sweet kiss. Oh, hell no. It was open mouths instantly connecting.

His tongue lashed against hers, his grip tightened around her chin, deepening their kiss. She moaned into his mouth and it somehow became his excuse to kiss her deeper. Harder. For a breathtakingly long time.

His hands slid into her hair, then down to her neck, gripping her, to keep her there, while his mouth crushed against hers. She could feel the desperation, not only within herself, but from the man who was about to wreck her from the inside out.

His hand slid down her shoulders, and down to her breast. There, his fingers softly ran back and forth along the top edge of her dress, before releasing the buttons.

Then he pulled back, lips wet, his eyes ablaze, to gaze down at the top part of her dress, exposing her soft emerald-green bra. ‘You sexy little minx, you.’ His fingertips traced the lace of her bra. ‘Do these come in matching panties, too?’

Before she could respond, he swept a kiss across her lips to mumble against them. ‘Doesn’t matter, they won’t be there for long.’ That’s when his mouth latched on to her breast. She groaned at the force, arching her neck, making her lips part as his hot, wet mouth busily worked from one breast to the other, with his fingers kneading her flesh, driving her insane.

She gripped his shoulders, her palms sliding over the hard, cut angles of his beautiful body, and the rippling flex of his shoulders and that perfectly muscular back. He was heaven and heartache rolled into one package. Impossible to resist. Especially when the towel fell to the floor with her panties.

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