Page 30 of Fighting Conviction
As he leaned away, cool air flowed between them, a quick reprieve on her burning skin. His strong hands kneaded her shoulders, but it had the opposite effect of loosening her up. When he ran his fingertips along her arms to guide her on how to aim the gun correctly, wrapping her in his strong embrace, her self-restraint went up in smoke. A moan escaped her, and every one of her muscles froze in embarrassment as she silently pleaded with the universe that Dev hadn’t heard it.
But all hope was lost when she realized the hard body covering hers was still as a statue. The air in the room stilled, so thick with her desire Ellie felt like her lungs were fighting against a wall to inhale. Dev’s chest rose and fell in deep breaths behind her, as if he was struggling against the weight of his need, too.
She wasn’t sure what he felt, and her stomach twisted at the thought she might act on a wrong assumption.
“I’m sorry, El—” He dropped his arms to release her, but in a snap decision, Ellie snatched one of his hands in hers and with the other, gently laid the gun down on the metal.
“Don’t.” She wasn’t entirely sure what she was begging for. All she wanted was to go back to the moment before she’d screwed everything up and mewled like a cat in heat. If she hadn’t stopped him just then, he would’ve rejected her. The thought leadened her stomach and she blinked back the sting in her eyes. His apology for making her need him was too much to bear.
Eyes blurry with tears, she stared hard at the shadowed devil on the paper target nine feet in front of her, too afraid to look at the one flush against her and face the look of pity that was likely there.
Dev swallowed roughly against the crown of her head. Letting go of his hand, Ellie picked up the gun before raising both arms to aim.
“Relax?” she asked, licking her lips while concentrating hard on the paper figure in front of her.
He nodded against the side of her head. “It’s normal, uh, to be tense during a fight, especially when you’re about to shoot someone. And I can tell from your shoulders how tired you are. They’re overcompensating by remaining tight. You have to loosen that tension…”
I have to loosen the tension? No freaking kidding.
“…But if your posture is relaxed—” His hard chest encompassed her entire body as he molded around her. “—and comfortable…”
God he felt so good. Since that first training day, he’d gone back to avoiding touching her as much as possible.
His rough calluses stroked up her arms until he gently raised them to see the target in her sights. Shivers followed the trail of his warm hands. “Keeping your emotions in check will make it easier for you to aim true.” His fingertips continued their pursuit up her arm and glided down her sides, leaving goose bumps as heat moved on to settle on her hips. “Or escape. You never know what kind of danger you could be facing.”
His low whisper against her ear was finally too much and she turned halfway to search his face.
“What if… what if I don’t want to escape?”
Dev leaned his forehead against the side of hers and closed his eyes. She was at an awkward angle, but when he squeezed her hips to pull her butt tight against his hard length, she didn’t dare move. Air escaped her lungs and he opened his eyes again. She swallowed in his cinnamon scent and their breaths flowed in tandem.
He stared down at her before dipping to whisper in her ear. His lips brushed the shell and her clit throbbed with each word from his deep voice.
“That would be dangerous, Ellie.”
She laid the gun down on the small table in front of her and ground her hips into his hardness. Her damp panties clung to her center and Dev’s curse covered up her moan. Pulses through her core were almost painful as it clenched at nothing, begging to be filled.
“What if I want your type of danger, Dev…” She desperately hoped those were the right words to convince him to relieve the ache between her thighs.
“Ellie, stop.” But his grip never loosened. “You don’t know what you’re saying—”
“You’re the only one who’s ever made me feel safe,” she whispered, pleading for him to hear the truth in her voice. He’d been her savior when she needed him. And good God, did she need her demon with broken wings right then.
“I’m the type of man who needs control.” He shook his head and tightened his lips. “But with you? I don’t know if I can keep it.”
She tried to turn around completely but he wrapped her in his embrace. One hand spread the width of her stomach, the other in the middle of her breasts. He bit her ear and she cried out in a mix of pleasure and pain.
“But if you want me to lose control, know this—” He ground his cock against her, pinning her hips to the metal ledge in front of her. “There will be no one to save you.”
“I don’t want to be saved from you.” She used a defense maneuver he taught her to whip around in his hold. Their chests heaved against each other and she met his deep forest green eyes.
“After a night with me, angel, I’m not sure you’ll have a choice.”
Dev’s lips crashed into hers and he shoved her up onto the small table. His kiss set fire to her need, flooding her body with heat down to her core. When his tongue teased the seam of her mouth, her own lips parted on a gasp and he thrust inside. One hand cupped her butt and the other delved into her hair, pulling her ponytail from its tie.
Ellie held tight to his bare shoulders. They were hot and sweaty from working out, even after being in the cold room, but she didn’t care. It only made his cinnamon scent stronger and she could’ve sworn she was getting intoxicated from it.
He turned her head slightly, finding a better angle for their kiss. His tongue took lead in the dance with hers and the rhythm pounded through their bodies.
