fear and anticipation.
His hands and mouth were everywhere. A sensual assault on her senses. Magic. Gentle caresses mixed with firmer, rougher touches. He slid down her body until his mouth hovered over one taut nipple. And then he flicked his tongue out and licked the tip.
She cried out, nearly undone by the shock of such a simple touch. Pleasure rocked over her and she shuddered violently, her fingers suddenly digging into his flesh, marking him.
Not satisfied with the intensity of her reaction, he closed his mouth over the rigid peak and sucked strongly.
Her vision blurred. She gasped but couldn’t seem to draw air into her lungs. Oh, but it was heaven. So edgy. She couldn’t even find the words to describe such a decadent sensation as his mouth sucking at her breast.
But then his hand slid between them, over the softness of her belly and lower.
She held her breath as his fingers tentatively brushed through her sensitive folds and then he found her heat, teasing, touching. He knew better than she knew herself exactly how to pleasure her. Where to touch her. How to touch her. Each stroke brought her to greater heights.
It was as though she was being wound tighter and tighter. Tension coiled in her belly. Low. Humming through her pelvis. She wasn’t ignorant of orgasms, but this was nothing like she’d ever experienced before. It was powerful. Relentless. Nearly frightening in its intensity.
His fingers left her and he carefully parted her legs. His hand glided soothingly up the inside of her thigh and then he stroked her intimately again as he positioned himself above her.
His mouth left her breasts and she moaned her protest. He covered her lips once more with his own and then whispered softly to her.
“Hold on to me, love. Touch me. I’m going to go inside you now. I’ll be gentle. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
She trembled from head to toe. Not in fear or trepidation. She was so close to release that she feared the moment he pushed inside her the barest inch that she’d go over the edge, and she wanted it to last. She wanted to enjoy every single moment of what was to come.
“Wait,” she choked out.
He went still, the tip of his erection just touching the mouth of her opening. Strain was evident in his face as he stared down at her, but he held himself in check.
“Are you all right? Did I frighten you?” he asked urgently.
She shook her head. “No. No, I’m fine. I just needed a second. I’m so close. Just need to catch up.”
He smiled then, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light. “Tell me when.”
She reached up once more, feathering her hands over his shoulders and to the bunched muscles of his back. Her gaze met his and she drowned in those beautiful amber eyes. “When.”
He swallowed hard and his lips tightened into a harsh line. Then he closed his eyes and flexed his hips, pushing into her inch by delicious inch.
At one point he stopped and she stirred restlessly, a protest forming.
“Shh,” he murmured as he kissed the corner of her mouth. “Give me just a moment. I don’t want to hurt you. Better to have done with it quickly.”
She nodded her agreement just as he surged forward, burying himself to the hilt.
Her eyes widened and a strangled sound escaped her throat as she sought to process the sudden wash of conflicting sensations that bombarded her from every angle.
He was deep. Impossibly deep. She surrounded him. He surrounded her. Their hips were flush against each other. His body covered hers possessively. There was a burning ache deep inside her, and she couldn’t discern whether it was pleasure or pain.
She just knew she wanted—needed—more.
She whimpered lightly and struggled, not against him, not in protest. She wanted something she couldn’t name. She wanted … him. All of him.
“Easy,” he soothed.
He kissed her, stroked his tongue over hers and then deepened the kiss just as he began to move inside her. Gently. He was so gentle and reverent. He lifted his body off of her and arched his hips, pushing deep then retreating.
Then he levered himself down, resting on his forearms, never breaking away from her eyes.
“Okay?”
She smiled. “Very okay.”
“You’re beautiful, Ash. So very beautiful. So innocent and perfect and mine.”
His. The possessive growl in his voice thrilled her and sent another cascade of pleasure through her body.
“Yes, yours,” she whispered.
“Tell me how close you are. I want to make sure you’re with me. I can’t hold off much longer.”
“Then don’t.” Her voice shook. She was nearly beyond the ability to think much less speak. Her body was taut. Her senses were shattered and she was so very close to losing all control. Just one touch. One more touch …
He gathered her close and thrust again. And then again. He forced her thighs farther apart, plunged deeper and she lost all sense of herself.
She cried out his name. Heard him murmur close to her ear. Soothing. Comforting. Telling her beautiful things she could barely make sense of. She was spiraling at a dizzying speed, faster and faster until she closed her eyes.
It was the single most beautiful, spectacular sensation she could imagine. She’d wanted wonderful, but this far surpassed even her most erotic fantasies.
When she regained at least a modicum of sanity, she was firmly wrapped in Devon’s embrace and his mouth was moving lightly over her neck. For that matter she was on top of him. Her hair was flung to one side while he nuzzled at the curve of her shoulder, moving up and down to just below her ear and back to her shoulder.
She raised her head to stare down at him, still feeling a little fuzzy around the edges. “How did I get here?”
He smiled and slid his hands over her naked body. They stopped at her behind and he squeezed affectionately. “I put you here. I like you covering me. I could get used to it.”
“Oh.”
He raised one eyebrow. “Speechless? You?”
She sent him a disgruntled look but was too wasted to follow up with any sort of admonishment. Okay, so obviously she was speechless.
He chuckled and pulled her down against him. She settled over him with a sigh and he rubbed his palm over her back, stroking and caressing as she lay draped over him like a wet noodle.
“Did I hurt you?”
She smiled at the concern in his voice. “No. It was perfect, Dev. So perfect I can’t even find the words to describe it. Thank you.”
He lifted a strand of
