Page 30 of Luck of the Draw

Her eyes were still pressed shut, and even in the low, blue moonlight, Brennan could see rivulets glinting at him as they ran from her long, tear-matted lashes to her high cheekbones.

She was crying.

He slid his hand up and down her back again and felt her whole body shaking under his palm. Her breathing was shallow and rapid.

Something was wrong.

Well, yeah, obviously something was wrong. More specifically, if Skye had been reduced to a traumatized state in the middle of them doing exactly what they came here to do, there was a reason. Maybe something he’d done was a trigger. Maybe she thought he was about to do something kinky to her ass, and she was scared of butt stuff. Maybe a hundred other possible things.

Regardless of what specific thing it was, the point was there’s no way to be sure about a person’s history. That means it’s crucial to listen for cues that ensured they were still comfortable. Skye was clearly not. Brennan was a man who took pride in his ability to read even the most subtle of cues from a woman. It was part of what made him good lover and not just a man-whore. And now, for the first time ever, his companion for the night was crying. That wouldn’t do at all.

“Skye.” He stroked her ponytail to one side, nudging her shoulder and helping her lie on her back. “Baby doll, look at me.”

Her rapid, shallow breathing was the only sound in the moonlight-bathed room. He eased onto his side next to her and found her trembling hand.

“I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine,” she gasped through light panting.

“You don’t seem fine, but we’re going to make you okay again. All right, honey?” Brennan propped his head on his palm, attempting to assess her expression in the darkness, but was mostly just able to see that her eyes were wide, glittering, and still spilling tears. “Just try to take a deep breath.”

He stroked her hair back, and she continued her quick, shallow gasps for oxygen.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to…to…to…”

“No saying sorry, darlin’.” He picked up her hand, flattening her palm against his chest while he drew in deep breaths and exhaled long and slow. “Breathe like this, sweetheart.”

He pressed her hand more firmly against his chest, and she eventually matched his breathing.

“There you go.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Just like that.”

“I’m so sorry, Brennan.” Her voice was fractured.

“It’s okay, honey.” He kissed her cheek and rubbed his thumb across her forehead. “We don’t have to do any of this. It’s late, and we can just sleep.”

“I don’t want to just sleep,” she said quietly. “I want to keep going. It’s just stress from…you know…life. It’s nothing, I swear. I’m fine.” She slipped her hand away from his chest and drew it down the side of his waist, tugging his hips toward hers. “Come here.”

Only at her behest did he position himself above her, hovering his face over hers, and kissed her forehead, her eyelid, her cheek, and then her mouth. She held his shoulders and kissed his neck, and her hands slowly stopped shaking as she drew them down his back.

“It’s okay, Brennan.” She wrapped her knee around his hip as she took firm hold of him and directed him to her slick entrance. “I’m fine. Come here.”

Following her urging, he gripped the base of his shaft again, pressing the head against her entrance and her slick heat. Sparks crackled at the base of his spine. “I’m not going to fuck you, Skye.”

Her chin tilted up, and a tremble moved through her hips and legs. “No? Then what are you doing?”

He slid his cock up and down her entrance, causing her to exhale a tiny whimper and slip her hands over the sides of his hips. “I’m going to make love to you.”

Skye arched an eyebrow. Her expression bore a hint of incredulousness, but her lips curled into a smile. “Seems a bit forward to call it that with a perfect stranger.”

“It’s not forward.” He pressed against her slit, and his head was now partially buried inside her. “It’s a feeling. It’s how I want you to feel right now. With me.”

Claiming her mouth for a kiss, he briefly lost all grasp of words. She was so fucking tight and deliciously soft around him already. His lips lingered on hers as he assessed her expression.

She was staring at him. Eyes wide and clear in the low, blue light of the moon. “That sounds dangerous.”

“I’m the furthest thing from dangerous, honey.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and pushed into her a little more. “You’re safer with me than any other person in this whole city. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Her elegant, dark auburn brows drew together. She was even more incredulous now.

“I’m also not going any further until you let me know you’re one-hundred-percent okay,” he added.

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