Page 83 of Stick Side
Her hands shook ever so slightly as she lifted them to his naked torso. She used her fingertips to reverently trace the outline of his abdominals.
He groaned. Her touch was perfect, but also not nearly enough.
He lifted one of his hands until it covered both of hers. He guided her hands up his body and pressed them more firmly against his pecs.
Her groan sounded the way he was feeling. Blissful, but in need of so much more.
Melody’s eyes flared and then blinked when their gazes connected, leading him to suspect she had seen the fire in her eyes reflected in his. No surprise there. He was burning for her. Patience was a virtue he’d always subscribed to, but enough was enough. He needed to have her or he was going to incinerate.
“Can we really do this in here?” Melody questioned, excitement and uncertainty warring in her voice.
“I’d hide you from view if it came to that,” he promised with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
Melody arched a challenging brow as she continued to tease him with the press of her hands against his chest. “You’d let your mom see your naked backside?”
He shot her a look. “It’s not like she hasn’t seen it before. The woman did change my diapers, you know.”
“Yes, but that was your baby bottom,” she reasoned. “Are you sure you’d be comfortable letting her see your manly glutes?”
A reluctant laugh escaped his lips. “I would certainly prefer she didn’t,” he admitted bluntly, “but I’d take that metaphorical bullet for you.”
He chuckled when Melody started humming the refrain of Bruno Mars’ chart-topper, “Grenade.” Would she truly catch a grenade for him? Under the right circumstances, he’d probably throw himself in front of a train for her.
They took turns exchanging lyrics, but where Melody sang hers, he settled for speaking his. He was well aware he couldn’t hold a candle to her in a vocal duet, but her smile suggested she didn’t mind his lack of musicality one bit.
Ben took a moment to simply smile at her. He appreciated the way her playful manner had cooled his ardor to a more manageable level because he really wanted to make this good for her. So good, in fact, that she wouldn’t be able to imagineever being with anyone else ever again. Perhaps he really wasn’t so far removed from his troglodyte ancestors as he’d always thought, because he felt a strong desire to claim her and make her his.
Time stood still as he memorized the sharp angles of her cheekbones, the delicate slope of her nose, the dark fan of her eyelashes, and the aroused flush of her skin. He savored the trusting warmth in her eyes and the accelerated rise and fall of her chest.
He used the hand still holding her hands pressed against his chest to massage the soft skin of her fingers. As much as he wanted to sink into the delicious warmth of her body, there was something about Melody that made him want to slow down and savor every look, every touch.
They smiled into each other’s eyes as he used his fingers to trace delicate circles up her arm. This. This right here was what life was all about. Soul-deep connection that could be communicated with little more than a look or a tender touch.
Melody’s tongue darted out to lick at her lips. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She breathed into the charged silence, her voice barely a whisper.
Contentment exploded in his chest as he took in the stunning sight before him. He smiled before answering simply, “Because you’re ready.”
Chapter 43
Melody
Becauseyou’reready.Melodyblinked as the words echoed in her head.
She was drowning in sensation. Her heart was pounding. Her pulse was racing. Her skin was tingling. Every sensation was so dynamic that the air around her practically crackled.
Every heartbeat sent yearning coursing through her veins. Her senses were heightened to such a degree that her whole body was practically vibrating. She wanted to kiss, lick, suck, bite—anything that would bring Ben’s body into closer contact with hers. She’d never felt anything like this before. It was exciting, but also a little unsettling, which only served to fan the flames of her desire.
She was so deeply anchored in the moment that the world around her could have crashed and burned and she doubted she would have been able to register anything outside of this cocoon she and Ben had created.
She shivered at the way his heated gaze seemed to devour her. She was still half dressed, but she might as well have been completely naked for the way he was looking at her.
“You’re so beautiful,” he observed as his fingers traced an intricate pattern onto the naked skin of her upper arm. “So incredibly beautiful,” he reaffirmed with the type of veneration she might expect from someone standing in front of a priceless piece of art.
Her whole body tingled as his admiring words reverberated through her system. There was something about the sensual baritone of his voice that sent shockwaves of pleasure coursing through her system. With its perfect blend of lust and reverence, it was the quintessential bedroom voice. No question, itdidthings to her. Sexy, needy things.
Anticipation fluttered in her breast like a wild beast as he bent down to place a gentle kiss on the curve of her shoulder. His lips were a whisper of a touch. And yet, the barely-there sensation managed to send an additional wave of pleasure crashing through her.
Melody pulled in a shaky breath. She’d read that passion was like a fire that one couldn’t stand in without being consumed by it. It was a sentiment she hadn’t quite believed until this very moment.
