Page 183 of The Sound of Temptation

“I can’t believe I’m touching you.” His voice is gruff and low, and I can barely hear him over the thundering of my heart and rush of blood in my ears.

I can’t believe this is happening, either.

“Are you going to make me ask again?” the bold me, the new me asks.

His eyes narrow and his gaze fixes on my mouth.

“No.” His hand moves fast, gliding into my hair and grabbing a fistful of it, tight enough that it hurts, but I love it, my body comes to life in a way it hasn’t since the last time we were together. He grasps my chin and turns my head so that my left cheek faces the light that’s above our heads. He presses a kiss to my cheek and my eyes dr

ift closed.

“It was like seeing the sun rise for the first time, Beth. And I knew I wanted those eyes to be my view forever.” He runs his nose along my temple and then kisses the tender spot between my ear and jaw.

“To describe what I feel for you as love is like calling the sun hot. It’s so much more than that. I’ve lived on my love for you for my whole life, even before I met you…. I would never have stopped trying to find a way for us.”

I shiver at the tickle of his breath on my ear and the soothing, healing, balm of his words coat and fill the parts of my heart that have been hurting for so long.

“I’m just so happy, Carter. I was so scared that we’d never get here.”

“Me, too. But we should have known. Nothing - distance, death, doubt - has been able to stop this love. Now, we can add DNA to the list of our conquests.” He takes my ear lobe between his teeth and bites gently.

My heart quakes in my chest and I moan out my pleasure.

“Open your eyes, Beth,” he whispers and I do.

Carter has always looked at me like I was a miracle he was afraid to believe in — and I completely understood why. We’ve had to hold back so much…Even in the moments we came together — our love has never seen the full light of day. Until now.

Staring into his eyes is like falling back in time and hurtling toward the future all at once, fueled by two and a half years of pent up …everything.

“Tell me what you see,” he urges.

“I don’t know,” I answer, honestly.

“Then, let me show you.” The low growl in the back of his throat is all the warning I before his lips crash down on mine.

He wraps a strong arm around my waist and pulls me into his lap, spreading my thighs so I straddle him. He cups my ass and I rock my hips, press my chest into his, and feast.

Our kiss burns as savage and hot as a sun flare.

Our tongues are beasts that have been prowling, stalking, in impatient silence, that have finally captured their prey.

We lick, suck, steal air from each other’s lungs, and breathe deeply for the first time in a long time.

Hope shakes off its shackles and makes a roaring comeback.

There’s no space for doubt, because we’re locked in the embrace of a new commandment - Thou shalt not doubt the tenacity of love.

And we won’t.

Not ever again

Moving mountains is a mere trifle compared to what our love has done. It’s defied gravity. Traveled back in time and rearranged the future.

When Carter breaks out kiss, I tug him back.

“More,” I pant with unabashed greed.

His chuckle is a decadent confection of carnal delight and my body trembles from the inside out.

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