Page 230 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 5-8

His gold eyes moved over her the way his hands had the other day in the half-light of the fisherman’s hut. ‘Oh, I am, am I? So if it’s not my legal connections, what’s making you stay?’

The air around them seemed to tremble. ‘This,’ she said softly. And she leaned forward and kissed him.

CHAPTER EIGHT

ITWASN’TAKISS, just a brush of her lips against his, but as she pulled away, Sydney could feel her body shaking inside.

‘Do you—?’ he began. ‘Is this what you—?’

‘Yes,’ she said hoarsely.

If Tiger was fazed by the force of her words he gave no sign, he just closed the door and turned and reached for her in one movement, his mouth seeking hers, and she felt the heat radiating from him, and the hunger. The same hunger that was humming in her veins.

Only Tiger could quiet that chaos.

His hands were moving lightly over her body, caressing, pressing, stroking, his touch making her head spin, making her limbs tense with anticipation.

‘Tell me what you want,’ he whispered against her mouth. ‘Tell me what you like.’

This, she thought, her heart pounding. She liked this. She liked the warmth of his breath and the way his thumbs were drawing circles on her belly. She liked him. Everything about him. But she didn’t know what she wanted except that she wanted to see him unravel in the same way she had unravelled by the beach. And she wanted to take her time.

She pushed back from him, swaying a little, dazed by that knowledge, by the certainty of her desire. ‘I want it to be slow.’

The shutters weren’t closed, and in the moonlight spilling through the window his golden eyes were molten heat. She saw him swallow, felt her belly clench, tightening hard with need as a muscle pulled at his jaw. And then his mouth was on hers and he kissed her as she had kissed him, softly, his lips barely grazing hers and then he pulled back to nip at her lower lip, taking his time, deepening the kiss a little more each time.

They kissed like that for some time. Just kissing, his hands flush against her hips, not moving, just steadying her and she felt her pulse slow, desire rippling through her in slow, curling waves.

She leaned into him and he lifted his hands so that she could take a step closer, close enough that she could feel the press of his erection against her stomach, hard where she was soft and yielding, and the feel of him made her shudder all the way through.

Yes.

His desire was the biggest turn-on and she arched her back, her hips meeting his, and, breaking the kiss, she tipped back her head, exposing her throat to his hot, teasing mouth.

A shivery pleasure danced across her skin and her hands moved to his chest as she moaned softly. He had a great body. Hard, muscular chest. Broad shoulders. And a stomach that made her fingers pluck his shirt from his waistband.

‘Let me help,’ he murmured and then he laughed softly as she began tugging at his buttons. ‘I thought you wanted to go slow.’

‘I want to see you,’ she said hoarsely.

His narrowed gaze was trained on her face. ‘Then undress me.’ His words sent shivers of need chasing across her skin.

Her pulse twitched, and she pulled his shirt down from his shoulders, then unbuttoned his trousers and hooked her fingers into the waistband and tugged them down his thighs, taking his underwear with them.

Oh, my—

He was naked now. And aroused. Very aroused.

Her skin was shivering as if she were cold, but flushed with the heat of her desire.

‘My turn,’ he said softly, and she tensed, her body hot and damp, and aching as he undid the buttons of her blouse and opened it to his gaze. Her lips parted as he slid his hand over the hot, bare skin of her stomach, and then tugged the blouse down over her shoulders.

Now he turned his attention to her skirt, deftly unfastening it.

She felt the air snap to attention as her skirt fluttered to the floor around her bare feet. She was naked now aside from her bra and panties and she felt his gaze like a caress, a whisper of heat and intent that made everything melt inside.

This was how she had wanted sex to be. Slow and seductive and thrillingly sensual.

He made her want so much. She could imagine his hands on her stomach and on her breasts and between her thighs.

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