With my other hand, I pushed his pants down, exposed him further. The cool air of the room made him shiver, and goosebumps rose on his skin. I wanted to set that skin on fire with my touch, to brand him as thoroughly as he had branded me.
 
 I slowly caressed the length of him, my thumb brushed over the swollen head, gathered the bead of moisture that gathered there. I wanted to taste him, to take him into my mouth and hear him beg.
 
 He read my mind, and a shudder ran through him. He grasped my hand, stopped my movements. “Not this time, Laurel,” he said.
 
 He put his hands on my hips, pushed urgently. I stumbled slightly, dazed by the force of his kiss, but he didn’t stop, hisgrip tightened on my hips as he practically lifted me onto the mattress.
 
 My heart was pounding, my breath came in short gasps. I knew I should slow down, take a moment to catch my breath, but my body was on fire, demanded more.
 
 His eyes were dark, glittered with a primal hunger as he looked at me. He reached for the hem of my shirt, tugged it upwards, bared my skin inch by inch. I raised my arms, let him pull it over my head.
 
 He undressed me with an urgency that matched the pace of my heartbeat. Pants, socks, and underwear were discarded, left me gloriously naked and exposed. I didn’t feel vulnerable, though; I felt powerful, my body demanded to be worshipped.
 
 He stepped out of his pants, his eyes raked over my naked form. I saw his throat work as he swallowed. He wanted me, and the raw, unleashed desire in his eyes sent a jolt of excitement through me.
 
 Without warning, he pushed me towards the bed. I fell back onto it, the soft sheets cool against my skin. He hovered over me, his eyes burned with an intensity that made me want to get lost in them.
 
 His hands grasped mine, forced me to put them on the bed above my head. I felt stretched out, vulnerable, but the position also made me feel powerful. I knew he could never handle more than I could dish out.
 
 “Keep them there,” he commanded hoarsely.
 
 I narrowed my eyes, a challenge sparked in their depths. “Or what?” I asked, a playful smirk touched my lips.
 
 He growled, and I felt a rush. This man, so used to being in control, was teetering on the edge, barely kept himself from falling into the abyss of raw, unchecked desire.
 
 I lifted my hips, rubbed against him suggestively. “You want this as much as I do, Rex,” I taunted. “Don’t you?”
 
 “More,” he bit out, his eyes closed briefly as if he couldn’t bear the sight of me anymore.
 
 His eyes snapped open, and I saw the battle that waged within him. He wanted to keep control, but I could tell he wasn’t sure if he could. Not this time.
 
 I lifted my hips again, deliberately rubbed against his arousal, and he let out a sharp curse, his control slipped further.
 
 “You think you can make me lose control, Laurel? You think you can make me beg?”
 
 I smiled, a challenge in my eyes. “I don’t think so,” I said softly, ran my hands down his chest, felt the steady thud of his heart beneath my palms. “I know so.”
 
 “You have no idea what you do to me, Laurel,” he said, his voice strained. “No idea what you make me want to do to you.”
 
 “Show me,” I whispered, my eyes never left his. “I want you to show me, Rex.”
 
 His eyes darkened even further, a mix of desire and something darker. My body responded to that look, a heady mix of fear and excitement coursed through me.
 
 Without warning, he shifted, moved between my legs. I felt the firmness of his erection and I wanted him, now.
 
 “Rex—” I started, my voice caught in my throat.
 
 His eyes glittered dangerously, and I felt the edge of his arousal press against me. He was poised above me, his weight pinned me to the bed.
 
 “Don’t hold back, Rex,” I whispered, my voice laced with challenge. “I can take it.”
 
 His eyes flashed, and he leaned down, his lips brushed my ear. “Asking for it, are you? Well, you’ll get it, Laurel. Every. Fucking. Inch.”
 
 His hands gripped my hips, held me still. With one swift movement, he thrust into me, filled me completely. A strangledcry escaped my lips, a mix of pleasure and pain as he stretched me wide.
 
 He stilled for a moment, gave me a chance to adjust to his size. But I didn’t want to adjust; I wanted to feel him. I wanted to feel every inch of him buried deep inside me.
 
 “Move,” I pleaded, my hips pushed up to meet his.