Page 34 of Tempting Tessa

She swiveled enough to stare up into his handsome face. The distress she saw there made her heart clench. The deeply creased brow, the tightness around his lips and eyes, the anger simmering underneath his still-obvious shock—she felt it all, too. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re a victim in all this, just like the rest of us.”

“I still can’t believe she would intentionally betray us and her country.” He dropped his hand and rubbed his eyes. “Until I prove she’s guilty, I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt. There’s too much about this that we don’t know.”

She cupped his cheek, his short beard tickling her palm. He still had hope. Hadn’t had such things stomped out of him. “I wish I’d had a brother like you growing up.”

He slid his fingers around her wrist, drawing her hand to his lips. They grazed her palm, and his eyes turned darker. “You have me now,” he said so softly that it sent a shiver of desire through her.

His breath was warm against her skin, and that tight control she kept on things splintered. She hadn’t allowed herself to feel anything for anyone since Jessie’s death, and that death had been thrown in her face like ice water.

But Tommy had shown up on her doorstep, wounded in more ways than one. Despite Meg’s recruitment efforts, Tessa might have joined the swans just to find him. She hadn’t needed to, though. He’d come to her. Not Meg or anyone else. Tommy trustedher. Hestilltrusted her, and she could see his heart in his eyes, so soulful, so devastated.

She slid her hand to his neck, parting her lips and easing closer to him in an open invitation.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close, dropping his mouth to hers.

Tessa's world dissolved. Surprise mingled with relief as she realized how desperately she'd needed this release from the suffocating fear that had gripped her since the revelation about Jessie being alive.

As their tongues danced, their bodies pressed closer, and for a fleeting moment, she could pretend that the shadows weren't closing in, that she was just a woman in the arms of the man she loved.

Love. It couldn’t be. She wouldneverlet herself be so vulnerable.

His strong hands molded her against him, solid and unyielding, as if he could ward off the demons nipping at her heels. In this stolen moment, she wanted to believe in loyalty and courage and trust someone else with her heart. After all, hadn't he risked everything to protect her? Hadn't he proven himself worthy of her faith?

Tessa's resistance crumbled like sand under his passionate onslaught, and with a shaky sigh, she allowed her defenses to drop. Tommy's groan of triumph spurred her on, their kisses deepening and intensifying with each passing second. His hands slid up her back, and then he deftly freed her from her clothes.

First, her shirt.

Next, her bra.

He stepped back. Cool air caressed her heated skin, and she ached for more as he openly raked his gaze over her shoulders and breasts.

With a growl, he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the nearest sofa. His hungry eyes held hers as he lowered her onto the cushions.

She slipped out of her slacks as he discarded his clothes carelessly on the floor. His body was a work of art, honed and taut, and she couldn't take her eyes off him.

Tommy joined her on the sofa, his muscles flexing as he circled one of her nipples with his thumb, gazing into her eyes. “Are you sure about this?”

She nodded, her heart in her throat. “I'm sure.”

A soft smile curved his lips as he brushed a stray hair from her face. “God, I've wanted you for so long,” he whispered before his lips found hers again.

His hands roamed her body, memorizing every curve and secret place. With each touch, she felt herself opening up to him in ways she’d never thought possible. He made her feel safe and cherished, and she was utterly consumed by desire for him.

She trembled under the touch of his hands, her body a canvas for his exploration. He touched and kissed and licked every inch, building the throb between her legs until she thought she’d go mad.

Tommy's muscles rippled beneath her hands as he moved on top of her. She tasted the salt of his skin as she kissed his throat, his chest. Her tongue left a trail of wet heat, and she wanted to switch positions so she could get access to parts lower.

Tommy had other ideas.

A symphony of moans and gasps escaped her lips when he sucked at her neck, then lowered his mouth to each of her breasts. Her breathing was already ragged and desperate. His fingertips traced patterns on her skin as he went lower and lower, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. She closed her eyes, arching into his mouth as he lowered it to the aching spot between her legs.

His hands were rough yet gentle as they pushed her knees wider to give him full access. She surrendered to his exploration with a mixture of vulnerability and desire. He slipped his tongue inside, a skilled artist tracing every contour with tenderness and reverence. Stroke after stroke, she felt as though a new chapter was being written in the story of her body.

As her climax hit, Tessa stuffed her doubts and fears to the back of her mind, allowing herself to drown in the sensations he evoked in her. “Tommy,” she cried out.

He kept up his onslaught until the orgasm subsided, then let her surf the bliss as he teased his fingers over her hips, across her stomach, and laid a hand on her chest. She cracked open her eyes to see him staring at her. “I love to feel your heartbeat,” he said, pressing his palm more firmly to her chest where her heart was thudding wildly.

Staring into his face, she felt the walls she'd erected around her heart replaced by a blissful abandon she'd never thought possible. “We’re not done,” she murmured.

---