Page 7 of Take Me, Tex

I tilt my chin up, meeting his eyes with all the courage I can muster. "Don't."

Chapter 5

Tex

Shesaysdon't.

Don't be a gentleman.

Don't hold back.

Don't walk away when everything in me has been screaming to claim her since the moment I found her stranded on the side of this mountain with ink on her cheek and vulnerability in her eyes.

So, I don't.

I close the space between us in one step and cup her face in both hands, my palms rough against her soft skin, tilting her head up to meet mine. Her breath catches—a soft, sharp soundthat goes straight to my blood—and those perfect lips part just slightly, like an invitation I've been waiting for all my life.

That's all I need.

I kiss her like I've earned it.

Like she's mine.

Like the mountain sent her here for this exact moment, and I'm not fool enough to question fate when it lands something this perfect in my lap.

She melts against me with a soft whimper that sends heat flashing through my bloodstream like lightning through a storm cloud. Her hands fist in the front of my shirt, the fabric bunching under her grip, and she yanks me closer like she can't bear even an inch of space between us.

I lift her right off the floor without breaking the kiss, her body light and warm in my arms, and she wraps her legs around my waist like it's the most natural thing in the world. She tastes so fucking sweet, and when she nips at my lower lip, I growl low in my throat.

She's perfect. Responsive. Made for me.

I carry her to the couch, my hands spanning her waist, lowering her onto the cushions as carefully as I can manage with blood roaring in my ears and need pulsing behind my zipper like a second heartbeat. The quilt is soft beneath her, and her hair spreads across the pillow.

Her thighs part instinctively, hips shifting in a way that makes my mouth go dry, and I fit between them like I was made to be there. Like every choice I've made, every path I've taken, has led me to this moment, this woman, this perfect fit.

"Nora," I growl against her neck, pressing kisses to the soft skin there, licking the salty sweat from her skin. Her pulse beats quick and strong against my lips, and I can feel the vibration of her soft moans in my chest. "You sure about this?"

"Yes." Her voice is breathless, desperate, and her hands are everywhere—my shoulders, my back, tangling in my hair. "Tex, please—don't stop."

Don’t.It’s quickly becoming my favorite word.

I slip my hands beneath that worn T-shirt—myT-shirt—and discover she's not wearing a bra. The discovery hits me like a physical blow, and I have to close my eyes for a moment to steady myself. Her skin is soft and warm, and when I run my thumbs over her nipples, she arches beneath me with a gasp that makes me want to do wicked things.

My mouth finds her breast, tongue circling one perfect peak while she writhes beneath me, her breath coming in short pants that sound like music. When she gasps my name like a prayer, I feel something primitive and possessive rise in my chest.

I want to take my time.

I also want to ruin her in the best possible way.

So, I do both.

I tease her until she's writhing under me, her body moving restlessly against mine, moaning and gasping and begging in words that get more fragmented with each pass of my tongue. My name on her lips turns to a whimper, then a curse, then a broken, needy cry that makes my blood sing.

I strip her slowly, worshiping every inch of skin I uncover with kisses and touches that make her shiver and arch. Her body is perfect, all soft curves and warm hollows, and I map every inch with my hands and mouth until she's trembling and desperate beneath me.

Then I strip myself, watching her eyes go wide when she sees me—like she didn't quite expect the full mountain man package—but she doesn't look away. Instead, her gaze travels over me with an appreciation that makes my skin burn, and when she reaches for me, her touch is soft and sure and everything I've been craving without knowing it.

Her hand looks so tiny wrapped around my cock, and the sight nearly undoes me. Then she leans forward to take me in her mouth.

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