Page 18 of Mine to Protect

He groaned, hugging her tighter. His tongue twirled around hers like a raging hurricane crashing against the shore. Finding the clip of her bra, he unhooked it.

She straddled him, removing her top and tossing it to the side.

No one was as beautiful as Shelby. Nor was there anyone as sweet and kind. She was a unique individual, and Rhett was one hell of a lucky man to have been touched by her, even for such a short period of time. He didn’t care that he hadn’t known her deepest, darkest secrets.

He’d known enough to give her his heart five years ago, and even if he wanted to take it back, that was impossible. The most interesting thing to him about this had to be that he trusted her with it. A small part of him said he shouldn’t. He didn’t know if that was all the pains of the past or maybe a little fear of the future.

Needing to remove his clothing, he flipped her to her back. He hated separating their lips. As quickly as he could, he ripped off his shirt and wiggled out of his jeans. Before he had a chance to pull her back into his arms, she had her hands and lips on his stomach and was kissing her way south.

He sucked in a deep breath and piled her hair on the top of her head. He wanted to enjoy everything she had to offer. He didn’t want to be in control. Letting her take charge of whatever they did became more important than them doing anything at all.

If she wanted to stop right now, that would be fine with him. All he cared about was that she had all her needs and wants met.

And that, for this moment in time, he had the power to wash away all her concerns—even if only for one night. He was more than willing to take breadcrumbs.

For now.

Somehow, when this was all over, he’d ask her about maybe doing this right. He knew that he should stop her right here and now and start this off on a different foot. That he should take things slow.

But this felt as if they were getting closure for five years ago while saying hello all at once.

Or maybe he was kidding himself.

Did it even matter at this point?

His breath stopped short when she took him into her mouth. The things she did with her tongue and the way she touched him drove him crazy. He could only handle so much of this before he had to stop her; otherwise, he would explode, and no way would he let that happen too soon. Not before he had a chance to hear his name roll off her sweet lips in the throes of desire.

“Up here.” He tugged at her hair.

She licked her lips and smiled.

All the air in his lungs escaped like a bird flying into a perfectly clear window at full force.

He cupped the back of her neck and crushed her against his body. He kissed her so hard that he worried he’d bruise her lips. Turning her onto her back, he made his way down her neck, stopping at her breasts and taking some time with her tight, puckered nipples.

She arched.

This was the kind of woman he couldn’t get enough of. She was stronger than she gave herself credit for. She loved deeply. She was loyal, and she never asked for a lot when it came to herself.

All he wanted was to please her and make her happy. He knew how to do that in the bedroom. He was confident there. But he wasn’t sure how to carry that over into other areas. He didn’t know enough about her real life, and that hurt his heart in unexpected ways. In general, he wasn’t an overly selfish man; however, he found himself wanting to lock her up in this house and not let her go until they’d had the proper time to get to know each other.

But that was ridiculous thinking. That was the past catching up with his present. That was his mind reaching into the memories of Key West while he listened to her moan. He remembered exactly what made her body hum and was relentless in his touches.

She clutched her fingers in his hair, and her hips moved with his mouth. She whispered his name over and over again as her climax spilled onto his tongue.

The sudden desperation to fill her overcame him, and he couldn’t squelch it. He climbed on top of her and thrust himself into her, hard and fast. Her heels slammed into the backs of his knees as her fingers dug into his shoulders.

He could only hope that he didn’t hurt her as he continued to lose himself inside her in a way he’d never done before. It was almost as if he’d returned home from a long journey.

And she welcomed him with open arms.

“Rhett,” she whispered, kissing his neck right under his earlobe. “Yes. Yes.”

His orgasm exploded with so much power it made him dizzy. His breath caught in the center of his chest. It tightened, and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe.

As he lay on top of her, a pang of guilt filled his soul. As much as he wanted to be with her, he shouldn’t have climbed into her bed. He should have at least waited a few days before making a pass at her. It didn’t matter that she’d accepted him easily.

She was hurting, and maybe all she was looking for was some kindness. He could have held her and given her comfort that way.

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