Page 83 of Wicked Suspicion

Nyx pulled his head down, her forehead resting against his, as she murmured, “You have never scared me, not from the first minute we met.” She pressed her lips to his again, but this time she opened her mouth, inviting him to deepen the kiss.

He did, but it was a slow brush of his tongue against hers, a nibble of her lower lip. The man was going to drive her out of her head and not in a good way. “Case, please don’t force me to be the aggressor. I don’t want that role my first time. But if you don’t pick up the pace, I’m going to toss you on the bed and fall on top of you.”

He pulled back and looked at her as if she’d grown a second nose. Then it must have registered that she was echoing something he said earlier, and Case threw his head back and laughed. “I got so lost in the fact you’re a virgin, that I forgot you’re my Fireball.”

This kiss wasn’t a slow, gentle tease. It was all fire and need and taking what he wanted while inviting her to take what she wanted, too. Nyx clung to Case, devouring him and letting him devour her. This was what she needed.

No overthinking. No control. Only Case.

Pulling his T-shirt out of his jeans, Nyx traced the hard muscles of his back. His skin was warm. Smooth. Perfect.

“Shirt. Off.” She dropped the words between kisses.

Case released her long enough to comply with her order. He flung the tee in the general direction of a chair and dove back for another deep exploration of her mouth. His hands remained at her waist. He was still partly being oh-so-careful, but his kiss was wild.

Without the shirt in her way, Nyx ran her hands over his shoulders. She got tangled in the chain he wore and followed it with her fingers. Down from his neck, across his pecs, until she reached the pendant at the bottom. She ran her finger back and forth below the chain a few times before she worked up her courage to go lower.

There was enough distance between them that she was able to trace his navel before picking up the line of hair beneath it. The hair that disappeared into his jeans.

He caught her hand as soon as she dipped a finger beneath his waistband. “Slow down, Fireball.”

“Why?” She smiled. Nyx hoped it was seductive, but she doubted she pulled it off.

“You might be in a hurry, but I want to savor you.” He moved her hand to his chest.

“I have a lot of years to make up for and I’m leaving Trujillo tomorrow. Can’t you savor me when we’re worn out?”

That earned her another of his rare grins. “You are a handful and I love the hell out of that.” He waited until she was looking him in the eyes. “Nyx, I want you to know something.”

“What?”

“This isn’t some hookup. It’s more than that. A lot more.”

“Good. I’m making love with you because I can’t imagine anyone else being my first. It’s never been about cashing in my V-card, Case.” She wrapped her arms around his neck again. “It’s always been about us.”

Pulling his head down to hers, Nyx kissed him with all the love she felt for him.

Case was lost.

He wanted to go slow. He wanted to make sure Nyx knew only pleasure, and he was afraid his intensity would scare her. But she kept pushing. With her words, the way she looked at him, the way she touched him, her tone of voice when she said his name. This woman? She was his home. The one person he was safe with. The one person with whom he could be completely himself.

When he was able to break the kiss, he said, “I’m taking the brakes off. If I do anything that concerns you, you damn well better speak up. Understood?”

“Understood, but Case? You’re not going to scare me. I’m not a bit of dandelion fluff.”

“I know. You’re one-hundred-and-ten percent Fireball. I fucking love how strong you are.” He kissed her before he told her he just plain fucking loved her. “You have more clothes on than me,” he complained.

“So do something about it.”

Nyx had him grinning again. He couldn’t remember ever smiling so much during a sexual encounter before, but everything was different with her. Absolutely everything.

Tugging the white polo she wore out of her khakis, Case said, “Lift your arms.” She did with a sexy little smile that made heat course through his veins. Her bra was plain, no-nonsense, exactly what he expected Nyx to choose. He didn’t need her in sexy lingerie. She was sexy enough on her own.

He was continuing to admire the view when she reached out, unsnapped his jeans, and started working the zipper down. Case moved her hands aside. He was hard, and she was a novice. “I’ll get my jeans off. You take care of your own pants.”

His Fireball kicked out of her sneakers and then she teased him. She wiggled, she bent over as she lowered her khakis, she gave him a look that clearly dared him. Dared him to what? He didn’t know, because they were already moving faster than he planned. Her panties were cotton and nearly as plain as the bra.

“You’re behind. Move it.”

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