Page 54 of Gift-Wrapped in a Kilt

He pushed up onto his elbows, shifting his hips until his arousal was nestled between her thighs. She reached down to touch it, but he grabbed her wrist and held it above her head.

"Uh-uh-uh," he said, his lips kinked into a sensual smile, his gold eyes smoldering. "We're doing this my way."

"Then do it already."

He rubbed his cock into her cleft, between her folds.

She arched into him, her mouth falling open.

The hand on her wrist shifted, and he threaded his fingers through hers, clasping her hand while he covered her open mouth with his. Tongues twining. Teeth clashing. Never had he kissed her this way, so deep and carnal it made her sex clench. He chafed his shaft up and down her flesh, his balls grazing her mound, and she gasped into his mouth.

He pulled his hips back and thrust inside her body.

The fullness of him, the sweet pressure of his shaft inside her, stole her breath. She dug her nails into his back, slung her legs around his hips, and silently pleaded for more.

Without relinquishing her mouth, he pumped his hips, driving his length deep only to withdraw until the tip alone lingered inside her. Over and over he drove into and abandoned her body as her breasts rubbed against his chest and he penetrated her mouth in sync with the movements of his hips.Faster, she commanded in her mind, unable to speak with his mouth consuming hers. As if he read her mind, he plowed into her faster, harder, bouncing her on the bed.

Another orgasm struck with stunning swiftness, wrenching her body as spasms undulated through her sex, clamping around him even while he kept pounding into her. He swallowed the cry that erupted out of her.

He tore his mouth away at the instant he came apart inside her, throwing his head back to shout a hoarse, wordless cry. The pulsing of his release made her come harder, and she clung to him through the waves of shattering pleasure until he collapsed on top of her, gasping for air. With his chest plastered to hers, she felt his heart pounding as fast as her own.

"Jamie, sweet Jamie." He rolled to the side, hugging her to him. "I want to marry you."

Her heart soared — but crashed down to earth when he spoke again.

"But I can't."

Chapter Twenty

Gavin watched Jamie's eyes narrow and her lips compress. She tried to push away from him, to wriggle out of his embrace, but he held her fast. She needed to understand, and he would not let her run away this time.

"Listen," he said, tunneling a hand into her hair to grasp her nape. "Don't get upset until I've explained, okay? Listen for a minute."

Though her lips puckered, and she hissed a breath out her nostrils, she nodded once.

He gazed into her eyes, determined not to mess up this time. "I've got problems. I know that, but I don't understand why. Thought I was over my first marriage, thought I'd gotten past my parents dying, but I guess I haven't, not really. Didn't think Calli marrying Aidan and moving across an ocean bothered me, but I was wrong about that too. I don't know why that bothers me. It's not Aidan, I'm cool with him. It's… Shit. I don't know, but I have to figure it out before I can marry you. Wouldn't be fair to drag you into my mess."

Jamie's lips relaxed, but she still wore a tense expression. "I'm already in your mess. Hip deep and getting dragged down."

Her words, spoken in a soft voice, smacked him like a brick in the face. She felt dragged down? Christ, no wonder she was hanging out with her douchebag ex. A rich guy who had his shit together must've seemed like a breath of fresh air.

"I get why you feel that way," he said. "I'm sorry. I never meant to get you stuck in this quicksand my life has turned into. Everything was great in the beginning and for so long after that. I don't know why things changed, but I have to figure it out. And I can't do it alone."

Still trapped in his arms, mashed to his body, she couldn't turn away but could only avert her eyes. "You're going back to America, aren't you? To get therapy or whatever help it is you need."

"No. I'm staying put." He swept a lock of hair from her face with one finger. "I love you. I'm not giving up on us until you tell me it's over, for good and forever. Weird as it is, Emery and Iain both helped me see what I need to do. Leaving you was not the answer. Sex only is not the answer. I need help, but not from strangers."

She turned her eyes up to his, hers glistening with the start of tears.

The sight of it made his heart hurt.

He took her face in both his hands. "I need your help. I need you, Jamie, nobody else."

She squashed her trembling lips between her teeth. "What can I do?"

"Not sure. We can figure it out together, okay?" He touched a kiss to the tip of her nose. "If you still want me around. I know this is a lot to ask —"

"Of course I want you." Her smile was faint and shaky, but her voice sounded solid. "But I need something from you too."

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