Page 41 of Her Last Hope
“What’s the second reason?”
He let out a long breath. “The adrenaline rush you get when you stare death in the eye.”
“That’s quite the experience.” Her laugh filled the room and tickled across his bare skin.
He laced his fingers through hers. “But when you survive, you’re still left with the pain of life.”
She nodded.
He stared down at their hands, running his thumb over her cut up skin. Working with his brothers didn’t happen very often, but he couldn’t think of anyone else he’d want by his side in battle.
“You okay?”
“Just tired,” he admitted, closing his eyes. “Ramey won’t be here for another half hour, so we might as well rest a bit.” He slid down, pulling her with him and tucking her ass up against him. With his arms looped around her, he allowed himself to relax. “You’re the one who is special,” he whispered before nibbling on her ear. “And irresistible.”
She rolled in his arms, locking gazes with him.
The world around him blurred out in a dizzy haze of gray and black, bringing her porcelain-like skin and rosy, full lips into a technicolor kaleidoscope.
“What are we doing?” she asked, her eyes searching his for something he wasn’t sure he had the answer to.
“Waiting to fly to Miami and find this Hollywood guy and bring Skyler home.”
She pursed her lips, cocking her head.
He took her hand, kissing the soft skin in the swell of her palm before pressing it against her chest, looking for her heartbeat. “Pretending just a little that we don’t hurt so bad that we’d almost rather stare death in the eye than live again.” Two weeks ago, this sentiment would have been fact. For ten years, living had scared him more than dying. The only reason he didn’t toss himself into the death wish pit had been his family.
His mother and all of his brothers had been his lifeline. They’d been there for each other through thick and thin. They’d all lain down their lives for each other.
Nick would lay down his for Leandra and not think twice about it.
“I know when this is over, you’re going back to your PI office in New York, and I’ll be heading back to Tampa and my next assignment.” He fanned his thumb across her bruised cheek. He suspected the blast had caused a few more bumps and bruises on her body, and he wanted to kiss them all. “I can be a selfish man, and I want to have you until I can’t have you anymore.”
She splayed her fingers across his chest; her touch sizzled his skin like rain dropping on hot pavement, causing steam to rise. “We’ve got a half hour?” The leftcorner of her mouth lifted slightly as she raised both brows.
“Maybe a little less now.” He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her head and parting her perky lips. “Just enough time to make you scream my name.”
“Might be the other way around.” Her hand danced down his stomach, fiddling with the button on his pants.
He groaned as the tear of his zipper echoed in his ears. Her warm hand covered him as he grew harder. His chest heaved, sucking in a deep breath, staring into her beautiful dark eyes, getting lost in her. His tugged at her shirt, pulling it out of her pants. “This needs to come off now.”
She got to her knees, lifting the tight fabric over her head. Her full breasts bounced in her lacy bra. He reached up, finding the clasp, freeing her glorious mounds into his hands. He kneaded them before taking her tight nipple into his mouth.
Her hands caressed his scalp, her fingers gliding through his hair in gentle strokes. When he glanced up to see her staring down at him with loving eyes, he paused, letting her nipple fall out of his mouth. Rising to his knees, he cupped her ass, pressing his mouth against hers. His tongue parted her lips, finding hers and engaging it in a slow and tender dance.
Enjoying the slowness, he carefully removed the rest of her clothing, enjoying the soft curves of her body. He kissed her ankles and the soft spot behind herknees. He caressed her round breasts as his tongue glided across her stomach, her hips lifting off the bed, encouraging him to give a little attention to the spot that made her a woman.
He kissed her swollen nub, lapping slowly, getting drunk on her taste. All he could think about was entering her at the precise exquisite moment her climax rocked her body, squeezing him tight.
The hunger to hear her call his name tugged at his control. He’d do anything to please her. To make her feel like she was the most special and important person in the world.
Gliding a few fingers into her warm and ready body, he glanced up.
She’d arched her back, lifting her hips toward him, tossing her head from side to side. He tried desperately not to care beyond those feelings he’d had over the years for other women.
But she wasn’t other women.
And he had real, hard and fast, feelings for her. The kind you couldn’t deny without letting a little piece of you die.
