Page 32 of July 27

She was the clean, warm woman he fantasized about and thought he'd lost. But she was here, filling every need deep inside of him.

He lifted her and pulled her on top of him, belly to belly, chest to chest. He needed to stop the insanity. It wasn't her going crazy. He was straight-up insane to think this could work without hurting her.

She was too young. Too sensitive.

He slipped his hands under her sweatshirt and palmed her back's warm, bare skin. His heart pounded against her. She had to feel him hardening, throbbing for her.

Her body was much smaller than his, and yet she never appeared fragile to him. She was emotionally strong enough to survive all she'd lived through. He didn't want to be the one who ruined her. For the first time in his life, he wished there was an inkling of softness left in him to give her.

He tore his mouth off her. "Rach—"

"Don't." She peppered his mouth with kisses. "Don't tell me lies."

"We can't do this."

She pushed against his chest and sat on him. Before he could lift her off, she pulled her sweatshirt over her head. The pale skin of her breasts glowed in the moonlight.

Fuck it.

Chapter Sixteen

Rachel wasn't going to let Ruger push her away. She understood that her wait for some big declaration of his feelings wouldn't come. He wasn't a man who laid his heart out for anyone to see.

She swallowed the nerves. "Please don't push me away."

He gripped her waist, lifted her off him, and set her beside him on the sleeping bag. Once he no longer touched her, the cool night air washed over her. She crossed her arms over her bare breasts, rejected again.

Ruger pushed to his feet and leaned down, taking her hand. "Inside."

She hurried to keep up with his longer strides, glancing up at his face with every step. Had he silently agreed to be with her?

She held on tighter, not giving him a chance to change his mind.

Inside the house, he took her straight to the bedroom.

He stood by the bed, shrugged out of his vest, removed his pistol, peeled off his shirt, and unbuckled his belt, all while looking at her. She yanked off her joggers, not wanting to be the only one with clothes on.

Ruger sucked in his breath, looking at her breasts. She rotated her shoulder, and he touched her. He kissed the sensitive skin between her breasts while cupping the weight of her boobs. His thumbs strummed the tips until her nipples tightened into a rosy bead much like he had outside, and then he leaned his head and stroked her with his tongue. She gasped as he kissed the erect nipple, sealing his lips over the taut flesh. Rhythmic pulses arched through her body with each soft pull. She sunk her hands into his hair, holding him to her. The pleasure released a flood of emotions within her.

Emotions she kept hidden for weeks while living with him.

He moved upward and kissed her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He straightened, lifting her off her feet, and took her to the bed.

Without breaking the kiss, he placed her on her back, following her down. She gasped at the weight of him. When he shifted to move off her, she pulled her mouth off his lips and grabbed two fistfuls of hair, prepared to keep him on the bed with her.

"I need to get a condom." His eyes darkened.

He returned, threw the protection on the bed, and then looked at her. She sat up. He shook his head and grabbed both her ankles, pulling her ass to the edge of the mattress. She lay there naked, stripped of more than her clothing, vulnerable and aroused, not knowing what he planned to do.

In the gentlest move, he leaned over and kissed her pubic bone, inhaling deeply. She clamped her legs together, embarrassed.

He let go of her ankles, slid his hands up her inner thighs, and pressed her legs to the side, opening her to his view. "You're beautiful."

Of all the things he wanted to talk about, that wasn't what she expected from him.

She groaned as his tongue landed on her pussy. His beard caressed her. Pleasure swirled throughout her, curling her toes.

Her heartbeat thumped against her chest. Blood whooshed through her veins, pounding in her ears. She squirmed, unable to stay still.

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