Page 17 of Banner

I bite my lip and rake my eyes across his chiseled features.Everything about him screams masculinity and power and it’s those attributes that make me feel safe, because he doesn’t use them to lord over me, but to protect me.My body softens and I continue to take him in.His dark, thick hair is mussed, and his cheeks are pink from sleep, and that cupid’s bow… My tongue swipes across my bottom lip at the memory of his mouth on mine.

Lifting slightly, I take in my husband’s full glory.Broad shoulders, thick arms; he’s strong, but nobody sane would ever question that logic given his reputation as the most feared man in the city.What little I’ve experienced of him I can see why.

Continuing my exploration, I run my eyes across the wide expanse of his chest, down the ridges of his rock-hard abs, and lower still, following the thin trail of hair to the tented sheets around...Jerking my head up, I lock eyes with Banner and there’s an amused look on his face.

I squeak and he smiles.

“Good morning, Mouse.”The raspy timbre of his voice creates a surge of moisture between my legs.I’m not sure why he keeps calling me a mouse, but I’m too embarrassed at being caught gawking to question it.

“Good morning,” I whisper.

With unimaginable strength, Banner tightens his arm around my waist and jackknifes up into a sitting position and I squeak again in surprise.His hips twist and with great care, he guides me onto my back.With his hands braced on either side of my head, he stares down at me with a soft expression on his handsome face.

“How’d you sleep?”

Curious about how it feels, I lift my hand and graze my knuckles against his scruffy jaw.Surprisingly, it’s softer than I expected.Realizing he’s waiting for an answer, I shift my gaze to his and admit, “Better than I have in a long time.”

Amusement twinkles behind his eyes.

“What?”I can’t help but grin at his mirth.

His eyes widen comically, and he says, “We got married yesterday.”

I tilt my head, confused.“Yeah?”

“If someone had told me a week ago that on Saturday, I’d wake up next to my sexy as fuck wife, I’d have called bullshit.”

This is true but I can’t get passed him calling me his sexy as fuck wife.I hope he means that.“A week ago, I thought I was going to end up shackled to—” Banner growls and my voice trails off.

“I’ll slit his throat before I let him get near you again.”There’s a violent truth shining in his eyes, but it doesn’t scare me.Instead, his impassioned vow spurs me into action.

Feeling braver than I am, I take a deep breath, slip my hand around the back of his neck, and pull.

Banner stops right before our lips can touch and his eyes search mine, for what I’m not sure, but he must find what he was looking for because, in the next second, he closes the distance and slants his mouth over mine.His tongue flicks across my lips and instinctively I open them, allowing him entry as he carefully moves and settles his big body between my thighs.My nerves kick into overdrive but I’m still not afraid.

“I want you,” he groans as he grinds his stiffened cock against my center.

I moan loudly in response.

“Fuck.”He pulls back, his chest is rising and falling rapidly.

“What’s wrong?”I search his face looking for clues, confused as to why he stopped.I’m no expert, but he seemed like he was enjoying this as much as I was.

He closes his eyes tightly and shakes his head, “I’m sorry.”

I can hear the remorse in his voice, but it’s unnecessary.Placing a gentle palm on his cheek, I voice the words I know he needs to hear, “I want this.”

His eyes fly open and dart between mine.“What,” he says but it’s not a question.

I nod my head.

“Thank fuck,” he mutters, slamming his lips against mine.The kiss is rougher than our first, but it’s perfect.It feels like it goes on for hours before he pulls back slightly to trail his lips down my neck, nipping at the tender flesh as he goes, before soothing away the sting with his talented tongue.

“Yes,” I hiss.

Banner lifts his head and watches as his hand squeezes my breast before dipping his head and wrapping his lips around the pebbled peak and pulling.

My eyes flutter closed as feelings of unbidden pleasure consume me.“Ah,” I cry out, and my head arches back inadvertently pushing my chest closer to him.

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