It was as if he were memorizing every second, every bit of her because now that the danger had passed, this was their last time together. And though she knew it to be true, the pain of that thought lanced through her heart.
There was so much unspoken in the steamy bathroom and between them, but she couldn’t bring herself to think beyond the here and now. All she wanted was to feel, and Scott was so capable of making her do that. He unhooked the handheld shower sprayer and rinsed her off, gliding his fingers over the soap, pushing the foam off her skin, helping the soft sprinkling of water do its job.
Once she was clean, he knelt before her once more. Her sex clenched in anticipation, but his next move was so much different than she expected. So much . . . more.
He braced his hands on her hips and leaned close, pressing his lips to her now slightly visible belly. Her throat swelled, her heart filled, and intense feelings of longing swept through her, rendering her unable to think, let alone speak. He glanced up long enough to meet her gaze, to hold on, to force her to look into his eyes, which were glittering with the same raw emotion pulsing through her.
He rose and slammed his hand against the faucet, shutting off the water, then opened the shower door and guided her to the floor mat. He wrapped her in a towel and gently patted her dry, keeping her wrapped and warm. He grabbed another towel and dried himself. He dropped his towel to the floor and tugged hers off, too, before sweeping her into his arms.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, nuzzling her cheek against his, breathing in the warm, clean scent of his skin. She never thought she’d have even this much with any man, and Scott Dare exceeded all her dreams and expectations.
Even now, as he carried her determinedly into the bedroom and placed her in the center of his large bed, he was her white knight. She withheld her smile at the thought, knowing he wouldn’t like it.
Moving over her, he bracketed her between his thighs, pinning her pelvis to the mattress with his naked body as he stared into her eyes.
“You’ve been quiet,” she said, needing to break the silence, to know what was going on in his head even if she didn’t want to hear.
“I’m not sure you want to know,” he said, his jaw tight.
She had a hard time looking past his bronzed, muscular chest, which was just begging for her touch.
“Probably not,” she agreed. “But we’re going to have to deal with it sooner or later.” Not that she could concentrate at all with his hard, hot sex throbbing against hers.
“Yes, we are.” He lifted his hips and slid his cock over her damp sex.
She closed her eyes, and sparks flickered behind her lids at the erotic feel of him gliding against her. She whimpered and bent her knees, wanting him to take her hard and deep.
“No, Meg. Look at me.”
She forced herself to meet his determined gaze. “I know you don’t want to rely on me. That you need to stand on your own, and I respect that.” He leaned over and touched his forehead to hers before looking into her eyes once more. “I respect you.”
She swallowed hard, waiting for his next words.
“And know this,” he continued. “I’ll always give you what you need, even if it’s not what I want.”
“What do you want?” she asked.
He shook his head, his lips lifting slightly. “I can’t believe you have to ask. I want you, Meg. I love you.”
The words echoed inside her head, as if she were hearing them for the very first time ever. And in a way, she was. Nobody who’d said them to her in the past had meant them. Not the way Scott so clearly did. She’d never known her father, and she couldn’t remember ever hearing those three words from her mother. And come on, Let me move in, Meg. You know I love you wasn’t the same as this heartfelt declaration.
She’d never forget hearing Scott say it now, and her eyes filled with tears. “I love you too.”
“Thank God.” Scott felt the sheen of perspiration on his forehead and lower back. Sheer nerves. He’d never been so scared as when he’d taken that leap, waiting to hear if she felt the same way. He might not get to keep her now, but he wouldn’t lose her forever. He had to believe that or he’d lose what was left of his mind.
He had more to say. So much more, but now wasn’t the time. “I need to be inside you,” he told her instead.
She smiled, laughing through tears. “That’s my sweet-talking man.”
Yeah, he was hers. Even if she moved out and insisted on doing things on her own, he’d be there until she came around. But that was talk for after.
He braced his hands on either side of her shoulders, flexed his hips, and drove home. Home being the only word crashing through his mind as he sheathed himself completely inside her warm, wet heat. He groaned as she cushioned him in her silken walls.
“Fuck,” he muttered. “You feel so good.” Beneath him, Meg arched her back, pulling him deeper when he hadn’t thought it possible.
“I need to feel you everywhere,” she said, her fingernails scraping against his scalp.
He groaned and began to move, thrusting in and out, totally in tune to her every sigh, moan, and shift of her body. And though his orgasm was building fast, it was obvious hers was as well, her breathing coming more rapidly, the tugs on his hair more urgent.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking him against her body, taking what she needed from him as they drove
