Page 68 of Merrick

He started to turn away when she grabbed his arm. His first instinct was to shove at her, but he turned and saw the tears shimmering in those magnificent eyes and just like that, he felt his resolves crumbling.

He went still for a second before turning and shoving her against the door. “Damn you.” He whispered against her mouth before seizing her lips hungrily. He swallowed her cry and heard someone groaned. His hands were all over her, running over her arms, her back and settling on her butt as he lifted her against him.

His body was hot and heavy with need, his lower body throbbing. He poured two months of anger and pain into the kiss and when she responded in kind, he went mad. Dragging her to the floor, he rolled her as he tried to get to her skin. She fought to get his jacket off and managed to tear at the pearl buttons of his shirt.

His tie almost strangled him, and he had to stop to help her get it out of the way. But she was not satisfied with that. He had torn the sleeve of her dress and was working on getting her panties out of the way, all the while, his mouth was still fused to hers.

“Wait! Jesus! Wait.” He sat on his knees and wrestled with his belt and zipper.

“We should…” A groan escaped him with she reached in and cupped him. He was hard as a rock and burning hot.

With a cry of defeat, he plunged into her with a force that shoved her several inches backward. They were on the heated floor, but that did not matter to them.

Nothing mattered except the two of them and what they were feeling. Hiking up her knees, he drove into her and seized her lips again. She was still wearing her boots and nothing else.

Emotions washed through them like a violent river and the first orgasm stole her breath and had her fingers biting into his skin.

Tearing his mouth from hers, he ravaged her neck, her throat and tolled until she was on top of him. His hands reached up to cup her breast, fevered eyes watching her own go blind with passion. When she arched her back and stiffened, he reared up and tugged a nipple into his mouth.

Chapter 15

He somehow managed to pick her up and carried her to the sofa in the corner of the room where he collapsed. Drawing her into his arms, he pulled the throw over them, his breathing ragged.

He had emptied himself into her and was now weak and far from satiated. There was a reception going on a few feet away, but he did not care about that. Their clothing was strewn all over the floor, but that did not matter.

She was still trembling. Wrapped around him, her slender curves pressed to his, he felt the tremors passing through her. They would have to talk, but right now, he just want to hold onto the miracle of her being here with him.

Several minutes ago, he was floating in a sea of thick despair and now, he felt as if he was on a cloud. God! How he loved her.

She lifted her head to look at him and he felt a jolt at the look on her exquisite face. He could never hate her.

“What?” He asked mildly, his fingers roaming her back.

“We just had sex on the floor,” she looked around the room, realizing for the first time they were in an extensive library. “With ancient volumes staring down at us, not to mention pictures of what I assume to be generations of Pendergast.”

He chuckled at that – the poignancy of her usual direct approach giving him pause.

“We did.”

“I have never done it on the floor before.”

“Any regrets?”

“None whatsoever.” She turned to look at him, a sober expression on her face. “Michael came to see me, to intervene. Ithought all was lost,” she shook her head. “Even now, I don’t see how you can ever forgive me for my part in what happened.”

“I told myself that I never could.” One hand drifted up to stroke her cheek and he felt a pang at how much weight she had lost. He had believed he was the only one suffering, but he was wrong. “I was so angry with you; I could not function. And there was the pain. I could not sleep. I started drinking.”

“Merrick…”

He shook his head. “Just let me get this out. I blamed you for everything, but that was wrong. I refused to see what the hell was in front of me because Jason was family.

Then when I met you, I did not care about anything else. I had been given a second chance at happiness, and it blew me away. Nothing else mattered.” He smiled crookedly. “You changed my focus and my goals.

All I wanted was you.” He saw the tears swimming in her eyes and felt his heart quivering. Was it any wonder he was in love with her? Completely and irrevocably tied to her? She was strong and tough, but there was heart and soul there.

“I am sorry.”

“I know, baby.” He shifted so that he could face her. “Are you willing to marry me?”

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