Page 33 of Shielded Hearts

Claim.

His body fired off monosyllables, but his brain pushed to slow things down.

With unhurried movements, he cradled Aspen like precious and fragile cargo. Gently, he eased her down, his hands supporting her until she sank into the pillowy top.

He let his touch linger like heat on her skin after the sun set, and he hovered over her, gazing deep into her eyes.

Her eyes blazed up at him like green fire. She wrapped her arms around him, urging him down on top of her.

“You’re warm. Are you sure you’re not part furnace?”

“Well, I did singlehandedly keep you alive back in that first cabin.”

“Itwasfreezing, but I remember there being a woodstove heating the place.” Her words came out as a rasp of desire even as she teased him.

“And I remember you using all the wood to heat bath water.” He dipped his head to sample the skin on her throat.

Arching, she let out a shivery sigh.

“Just so we’re clear, premium snuggling like this doesn’t come cheap,” he murmured against her pulse point.

“Mmm. How much is it going to cost me?”

He sucked a bit of her sensitive flesh between his lips, and she moaned, rolling her body against his. “I might be willing to bargain.”

She drew back to meet his gaze. A playful light twinkled in the depths of her eyes. “Let’s strike a deal. I take off my clothes…and you take off your clothes.”

He ducked his head in a nod. “Sounds fair to me.” A wolfish grin stretched over his face.

He pushed onto his knees. Aspen scrambled onto hers. Facing each other, they began to take off their clothes. First, he whipped off his shirt and cast it to the floor. She worked those dainty, fussy buttons on her black blouse and then slipped it over her arms.

When he reached for the waist of his jeans, she lifted her hands to the front clasp of her bra. A remote expression washed over her face, and she hesitated.

“You can leave it on if it makes you more comfortable.”

“It doesn’t bother you that they’re not real?”

He focused solely on her. “Princess, most men don’t care about what’s real and what’s not. They just like boobs. I fought with plenty of men who lost limbs, some of whom have prosthetics. What I see in you is a survivor.”

A soft puff of air passed her plump lips. A rosy flush settled in her cheeks. Holding his stare, she slowly undid the bra clasp. Her rounded breasts bounced lightly as they were freed from the silk.

Slowly, he reached out and touched her. Cradling her smooth, rounded breast in one hand, he leaned in and captured her lips. She stretched her fingers along his scalp, raking through his short hair as he nuzzled the part of her body she had hangups over but allowed him to share.

An honor that touched him deeply.

Moved, he dragged her off her knees and laid her on the bed. Gliding his mouth down the point of her chin to her throat, he teased her for long moments before he kissed a path down between her breasts to her navel.

As he worked open the button of her jeans, his balls clenched with need. Their first sexual encounter had been fast and furious, and neither had totally removed their clothes. This time, he would take his time with her and show her every pleasure he could.

With extreme slowness, he inched her jeans down her body and off her small bare feet. Next, he traced the slim string of elastic riding along her hip before he hooked his finger beneath it and drew her panties down.

Goose bumps pebbled over her skin. Passion clamped around his heart, and he couldn’t resist kissing her lower belly and nuzzling the short curls of her mound.

When he stretched out with his face between her thighs, she parted for him, inviting him in.

The folds of her pussy glistened with desire. He slowly rubbed his bristly jaw over her inner thigh and snaked his tongue out to taste her.

The first touch of his tongue pulled a harsh cry from her. She raked her fingers over his scalp and bucked her pussy into each swipe of his tongue. Over and over again, he lapped through her folds, flicking in and out of her sweet heat before dragging his tongue back up to her clit.

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