Page 38 of Richard

“No.” He stopped her when she moved her hands to cover herself. “Please.” He unhooked her bra and eased it off her shoulders. “You are beautiful, and I just want to look at you.”

Chapter 9

“Stop.”

“Why? You don’t like it?”

“You can tell that I do. Richard…” her voice petered off as a moan escaped her. “It’s– Oh God!” Her fingers dug into his hair as his mouth feathered over her hair, covering her sex. He had made love to her twice already, and she should be exhausted and wrung out.

His mouth descended to the sensitive mound that was already swollen from his fingers.

“Please.” Her body arched, her head thrashing against the pillows.

When his tongue drove into her, she erupted, her cries echoing around the room. Her body was coated with a fine sheen of sweat, her eyes glazed with passion.

When he came up alongside her, she could not look at him.

“It’s late,” she whispered.

“Is it?” Tucking his fingers under her chin, he lifted her face up so that he could look at her. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head.

“Tell me.”

“I– it’s too much.” Her bottom lip was trembling, and her body was still heaving.

Electrical jolts were still shaking her to the core.

“I have never felt this way before. It’s not just you.”

His thumb caressed her trembling lip. “It’s new for me too.”

She gave him a look of disbelief that had him smiling wryly.

“You don’t believe me.”

She shook her head.

“It’s true. I never dreamed I would ever feel this way. I convinced myself that I was a confirmed bachelor. I have seen so many marriages fail, and I told myself that it was too much work to even try, and frankly, I was not interested enough.”

He gazed into her eyes. “This passion between us is not going away, in fact it’s getting even more intense.”

“It’s not going to last.”

“You don’t believe that, and I am not going to stand by and allow you to run away from this. I refuse to.”

One powerful leg covered with dark brown hair was trapping both of hers as if making sure she would not leave. Her head was nestled on his chest, his body heat merging with hers. For the first time in a very long time, she felt alive. But she did not believe in happy endings. She had been through too much to ever let her guard down again.

“You can have anyone.”

“I want you.”

“Why?”

He wanted to tell her he was in love for the first time in his life but was wondering if it was too soon. She was fragile and skittish, and he could not blame her.

“I already told you why.” He bent his head and kissed her—his lips moving over hers and igniting the lambent flames. Her fingers curled into his chest as her body unconsciously moved closer to his.

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