wanting.
But they couldn’t give in to it again, not without regrets. Not without plummeting to that insanity that guaranteed turmoil and pain.
But she pulled free and rose to her knees. “Cade, please,” she begged.
“No. It’s just-”
“No, it’s not.” She clutched his head between her hands and her gaze pleaded with his. “It’s not just the fire. It’s more. It always has been. I need you. I-”
“Jordan, no.” But he felt his resistance crumble.
“I need you,” she whispered again. “Please.”
She brushed her lips over his and kissed him again, letting him feel her desire. Working her magic with her body and tongue, fueling the torment, stoking the flames.
He felt her rush of hunger, the passion in her kiss as her hands roved his face and his jaw. Her breasts stroked his chest. Her kiss turned raw and urgent. His own needs shut down his brain.
She was good. Damned good. And hell, he was only human. She wanted him; he wanted her. Was that so wrong? And they’d almost died just now. Why shouldn’t they indulge in a moment of pleasure?
With a low growl, he wrapped his arm around her waist and yanked her hard against him. Then, pulling her with him, he dropped back to the packed-dirt floor.
She landed atop him, then pulled herself upright. “Cade.” Her lips were swollen, her voice breathless. “Your shoulder-”
“Forget it.” It throbbed like hell, but not as much as the ache in his groin. His pulse beat hot and hard as he pulled her head down to his. Then he covered her mouth in a deep, driving kiss, fueled by years of wanting.
He felt the satin of her lips, the fever of her tongue, her soft shudders as he delved her sweet depths. He smelled smoke and desire, and woman. Jordan.
Needing physical contact, needing to feel her body tight against his, he lowered his hand to her hip and pressed her back. Her soft weight settled on his groin, shorting his nerves. She rocked against him, making soft, low moans in her throat, and his heart leaped in tattered spurts. A thick, quick surge of desire jolted through him, and he groaned.
And suddenly, he needed to see her, all of her, to feel her hot, naked skin slick on his.
As if sensing his thoughts, she broke the kiss and rose to her knees. Her languid eyes rested on his, hot and dark with arousal. Her hair fell in unruly waves down her back. Her swollen lips parted in an erotic invitation to bliss.
His gaze traveled from that sultry mouth to the tantalizing curve of her breasts. To the nipples jutting beneath the tight T-shirt, beckoning for his touch.
His hand trembling, he reached up and traced the outline of her curves through the thin shirt. He stroked the tempting fullness and fondled the pebbled nipples, feeling her tremble and shudder around him.
“Oh, Cade,” she whispered, her voice uneven. She reached down and lifted the hem of her shirt, then yanked it over her head. His gaze stalled on the wonder of her breasts, the stretchy scrap of lace highlighting the blinding perfection.
He tried to swallow, but his throat seemed stuffed with ashes. He wrenched his gaze to hers and saw the scalding heat, the growing hunger. The memories of those steamy, torrid nights. Of how they’d loved each other, with an honesty and passion that had left them reeling.
She flicked one strap off her shoulder and let it drop. His gaze followed the motion, just as she planned. He quirked his mouth, recognizing the ploy, but still helpless to resist it. She knew him too well. And she wielded the power to drive him wild.
It was as if this one woman had been made to match his body, his mind. As if she were his ideal counterpart, his destined mate.
And no matter how many times they’d come together, it had never been enough. He’d still felt that unending hunger and constant craving.
The other strap slid off her smooth shoulder and his pulse roared through his veins. And then she rose, lifting herself out of reach, and unhooked her bra.
The lacy scrap fell away and his gaze riveted on the swell of her breasts, the dark nipples glistening in the dim light, the utter beauty of her bare flesh.
His pulse pounded as he dragged his gaze up to hers and their eyes latched. And she mesmerized him with her need, seduced him with that slow, savage burn.
The snap on her jeans popped, and his blood leaped in expectation. The zipper rasped in the scorching silence, while his blood surged hard in his ears.
She rose to her feet and stepped aside. His gaze fell to her flat, satiny belly, to the provocative arch of her hips. Her thumbs hooked the waistband of her jeans and she inched them over her legs, down her long, lean muscles and velvet skin. His fingers curled, then flexed, yearning to skim the curving length.
His gaze fastened on the final scrap of lace glimmering in the dim light. His breathing grew labored and his heart rammed against his rib cage.
She pushed the lace down, then kicked it free. His feverish gaze swept over her, lingering on the dark thatch between her thighs and the luscious peaks of her breasts. Desire ripped through him, urgent and hot.
His gaze drove into hers. And he saw the answering heat, the clawing need. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sultry-with arousal and something more.
She stood before him, completely naked, exposed to his fervent gaze. Hiding nothing. Vulnerable.
The look faded from her eyes, but he felt the effects down to his soul. As if she’d reached out and twisted his heart. And instincts surged, beyond lust, to the deep-seated need to protect her, to guard her heart and keep her safe.
Thick, fierce emotions wadded his chest, and suddenly, he knew that this moment was different. That they’d experienced a connection, an honesty they’d never shared before.
But then she lowered herself to him, sliding her bare legs over his hips, and the sight of her naked skin on his fully clothed body emptied his mind. She rubbed against him, stroking the hard, rigid length of him in a movement so erotic that pleasure bolted straight to his groin.
He cupped her breast and watched her limpid eyes close. Her head tipped back and her full lips parted. Her wild hair tumbled over her back.
His body was rock hard now, his muscles rippling with impatience. “Jordan.” His voice sounded dredged from the earth.
“Yes.” She shifted to one side and unzipped his pants. And the feel of her gentle hands on him nearly made him weep.
Almost unable to form a coherent thought, he grasped for sanity. He forced his throat to work. “Jordan, wait. I-I don’t have anything, any protection.”
Her eyes met his, and he saw the flash of pain. And he remembered when they hadn’t needed protection, when they’d made love skin to skin.
“It’s all right,” she said. “It’s not the right time.”
“But-”
“It’s all right, Cade. I promise.” And then she slid over him and took him slowly into her body. Into the hot, tight flesh, to the delirium of pleasure. And the protests died in his throat.
He gave in and surrendered to rapture. And she moved against him, scalding him with her heat, stoking the flames, creating a need so violent that it dragged a groan from his heart.
He surged upward, driving into her, and felt her unravel. Her breath came in shallow gasps, her forehead furrowed. Her eyes closed and her lips parted, and she let out a keening cry.
He hooked his arm around her neck and pulled her face down to his. And then he fused his mouth to hers, claiming her, branding her with a deep, torrid kiss with no restraints. Honest and savage and raw.
And then he gave one last thrust and exploded inside her. Waves of pleasure jolted his senses. Dire need melded with bliss. He was where he belonged, with the woman he loved.
And as the tremors slowly ebbed, and the urgency subsided back into need, he wondered again how she could
