Page 113 of Frozen Flames

“Understandable. We got off on the wrong foot, and I’m trying to untangle everything. That takes time, but it’s worth doing properly.”

She strokes my bearded cheek before toying with my hair. She does so many things and says so many things that make me feel good.And the thought that she’ll be my wife one day stirs something in me.

“You know…you should wear dresses like these during the week,” I tell her, hoping to lighten the mood.

She tilts her head to the side. “I’m not sure that would be appropriate attire.”

“Can’t we pretend I’m the boss and I get to decide? Maybe we can have athe patient is always rightpolicy,” I tease.

She laughs, and I take that moment to push her hair behind her ear. “Harvey.” Her laughter dies with her soft voice as she stares at me intently.

I pull her atop my body in a swift motion, glad I didn’t mess this one up. I love that she doesn’t question what I can and can’t handle physically. It soothes my soul when her fingers weave through my hair again as we’re kissing.

I could do this all day, all night.

Kiss her.

Be with her.

Talk to her.

When we pull back, I admire her face, her cute little ears and gold earrings.

“Are you okay with this so far?” I whisper, tilting my body against hers.

She simply nods. She doesn’t say a word before she kisses me again.

I don’t know if she means it or not. Perhaps she doesn’t want to take it too fast either, out of fear of heartbreak.

But she has nothing to fear—I won’t break her heart.

We kiss slowly at first, so slowly. I savour everything. Her lips, her smell, her tongue. It all gets me worked up, andGod, I want her. Especially while I’m drunk on courage, hard as stone, and I peed before she got here.

“I want you,” I tell her, moaning softly when she kisses my ear then my neck before she licks my Adam’s apple.

“Trust me, I want you badly too,” she says, breathless, as she grinds against me.

I want to feel her. I want to smell her and ravish her.

“We shouldn’t though… You drank a lot and…” she says, debating.

“Shhh.” I shush her with my finger. “I’m not wasted. Besides, doesn’t this feel right to you?”

“It does physically.” She sighs. “I just don’t know how right it’ll feel emotionally tomorrow morning.”

“I won’t hurt you, Claire. Not in the way you imagine. I asked for time not because I’ll go back to her. I promise you I won’t.”

“Okay,” she says simply, softly, her voice a mesmerizing melody to my ears.

I trace her cheek with my forefinger before brushing my lips against hers in a short kiss. One of my hands is holding the back of her neck as we stare at one another—knowing we both want and crave more, wondering if now is the right time.

She seals the decision for me when she slides off my lap to remove her dress.

I swallow, admiring the view of her face and body. When she removes her bra and underwear slowly, staring me down the whole time, I’m astonished.

She steps closer, then leans down and grabs my hand and places it over her heart. “Don’t hurt me,” she whispers, and I shake my head, focused on the softness of her skin as she straddles me again.

The moment of truth merges with my anxiety when she unzips my pants. I know that things went well last time, but now she’s straddling me naked, and the last thing I want to do is disappoint her.

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