Page 55 of Ace of Spades
“I’m going to buy you a bigger bed,” he said after removing his boots and then stretching out next to her.
She lifted onto her elbow, glancing at the end of her bed to see his feet hanging off the end. “Well, I wasn’t thinking ahead when I bought it. That I’d have an overgrown man in it someday.”
“Overgrown, am I?” He flipped her onto her back.
“Yeah, but trust me. I’m not complaining.” She’d baited the lion when she’d threatened to find another man to play with if he wasn’t interested. The way his eyes had gone midnight black and possessive had sent a thrill through her. There was no other man she wanted, but she’d keep that fact her secret.
“I want your hair down.” She hooked a finger in the leather band, dragging it down his ponytail. Once freed, she combed her fingers through his hair so that it fell around his face and shoulders. There he was, her warrior man.
Except he was clothed. “Shirt off.”
Amusement glimmered in his eyes. “You have a bossy mouth.”
“That’s not my mouth’s only talent.”
“Dammit, Taylor,” he growled, yanking his T-shirt over his head. “Keep talking like that and—”
She leaned up and latched her teeth onto his nipple. His groin jerked against her, then settled in thevof her legs. “You were saying?” she said after letting go.
“Don’t know.” He took possession of her mouth, delving deep, possessing her.
Because, like her, Nate worked out hard almost every day, he had a fine body.Very fine,Taylor thought as she skimmed her hands over his chest, down to rock-solid abs. His skin rippled under her fingers, his reaction boosting her confidence. He liked her touching him, which suited her just fine, since it was one of her new favorite things to do.
It was hard not to pause whenever she touched one of the scars inflicted by his father, but she knew Nate. He didn’t want her sympathy or pity. She didn’t feel either emotion for the man, but she did for the boy who’d been horribly abused.
“Pants off,” she said when her hands reached the waistband of his jeans. She wanted him gloriously naked.
He sat up, straddling her. “Tiger, tiger,” he said, his lips curving into the wickedest grin she’d ever seen. “That bossy mouth of yours is going to get you in serious trouble.”
“I’ve always liked trouble.”
“That’s a damn good thing.” He grabbed the hem of her jersey. “Cause you’re in deep trouble, Ms.Collins.”
“You do remember that I can take you down, right?” Special Agent Nate Gentry was as serious as they came, but she was learning that Bed Nate had a playful side, and she loved it.
“I do. But you know what?”
She shook her head.
“By the time I’m finished with you, your knees are going to be as weak as a newborn kitten’s. You’re not going to be able to walk, much less best me.”
Every nerve ending, every bone in her body, and every pulse point screamed an enthusiasticYes, please!She tugged on his jeans. “Off.”
“Not yet. This goes first.” He pulled her up so he could remove her baseball jersey. “Beautiful,” he said, sliding his hands along her sides.
She hadn’t bothered putting on a bra when she’d changed, nor had she expected them to end up in bed. When he lowered his face andplaced whisper-soft kisses across her breasts, she sighed as her eyes slid closed. He swirled his tongue around a nipple and then blew on it.
“Feels so good.” She felt his mouth curve into a smile against her skin.
“Yeah?” He sat up, staring down at her. “We’ll get back to that, but first, you still have on too many clothes.” As he inched her jeans down, his gaze followed the slow reveal of her panties and then her legs.
When he lifted his eyes to hers, she sucked in a breath at the hunger she saw in them. No man had ever looked at her the way he did, as if she were his deepest fantasy come true. He was definitely hers.
Once her pants were gone, he straddled her again, holding most of his weight on his legs. The arrow of black hair disappearing into his jeans caught her eye. She traced her finger down it until she reached his waistband. With her thumb and index finger, she slipped the button out of its hole. He’d gone as still as stone. A sleek panther just before he pounces on his prey was the image that came to mind.
She wasn’t sure how eyes already black could turn darker, but his had, fathomless pools she could happily drown in. And the way he watched her—drinking her in with an intensity that set her body on fire—had her almost begging him to move. To do something. Anything. If he kept looking at her the way he was, she would soon burn to a crisp.
“Keep going,” he commanded, his voice harsh.
