“Do you want me to—”
“May I?” He crawled back up, reaching for the front of her blouse. Slowly, he undid the buttons, one by one, baring her lace-covered breasts. He’d been dreaming about those sexy tits for two nights now, wondering how they would feel and taste. But again, he had to help Temperance get over her fear of being naked around him. So, he slipped the top off her shoulders, easing it down her arms, all the while keeping his eyes on hers. He could see the anxiety growing in those light hazel orbs. “Don’t be scared,” he said as he helped her remove her left arm from the sleeve. “There’s nothing to be worried about.
Her lower lip trembled. “I can’t help it.”
“Trust me, Temperance. I’m your mate. You’re the other half of my soul. This body, in whatever shape or form, was made for me. Has always been.” He took her right hand, the sleeve still hanging off it and covering her to her wrist, and kissed the webbed skin behind her palm and nuzzled it. “You’re beautiful to me, no matter what.”
He heard the sharp intake of breath, and she sat up, tugging the shirt off. He held her hand so that she wouldn’t cover herself, then finally looked up at her, bared before him.
The scars did indeed cover her from fingers to cheek, a patchwork of discolored skin and latticework of puckered flesh. He took in the entire sight before him, then looked her straight in the eye. “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
She shook her head. “But … my scars …”
“I’m not going to lie to you and pretend they’re not there or even give you trite or cliched expressions you’ve probably heard before,” he said. “But I want you to know, those scars have nothing to do with who you are as a person now.”
“And who am I, Gabriel?” she asked, her voice quavering.
“You’re Temperance Pettigrew, a talented and beautiful woman. You frustrate me sometimes, but you always make me laugh. You’re loyal and kind to a fault, but you would do anything for your friends, even if they were made of plaster.” When she snorted, he pounced on her, covering her body with his. “You challenge me and make me want to be a better person.” Lowering his head, he whispered in her ear. “And you’re mine, and I want you.”
Chapter Ten
You’re mine and I want you.
Those words, and Gabriel’s breath hot on her skin made Temperance shiver. But it was the truth behind them, the veracity she knew deep in her bones that made all her doubts fall away.
“Gabriel … I need you …”
The soft, needy growl from his lips made desire shoot straight to her core, making her slick in anticipation. His mouth devoured hers hungrily, eagerly, and she let him in, allowing his tongue to taste and taunt her at the same time, his masculine flavor dissolving on her tongue like herbed butter on steak. She wanted more—she wanted all of him.
Pushing him off her, she reached down and grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling it all the way up and over his chest. He helped her whip it off and toss it aside, then trained those sky-blue eyes on her.
God, he was beautiful. Reaching out, she traced the muscles on his shoulder with her fingers, feeling the hard muscle under his hot, tanned skin. She trailed her mouth alongside her hands, kissing every inch of him. His collarbones, the dip under his throat, the line between his pecs. When she reached the hard-tipped flat nipple, he let out a groan when she flicked her tongue out to tease him.
With a growl, he flipped her onto her back, making her squeak. “You’re mine now,” he said, grinning at her. Pinning her hands to her sides, he lowered his head, giving her a quick peck on the mouth before he went straight for her cleavage. His tongue traced the line between her breasts, burrowing deep into the flesh, tickling and teasing her until she was moaning and squirming under him.
“Gabriel,” she exclaimed when he tore the lace that held her bra cups apart, her breasts bouncing to freedom. Immediately, he claimed one nipple with his mouth, tongue lashing and lips sucking back. The sensations made her roll her eyes back in pleasure and rake her fingers into his hair to pull him closer.
She moaned in disappointment when he pulled away. Looking down, she saw him trailing kisses lower … “Oh!” His mouth was on her again, fervently licking and sucking at her slick pussy lips. Tongue, mouth, teeth worked at teasing her relentlessly until she had no choice but to be swept away in orgasm.
He didn’t stop at one orgasm or even two. Gabriel seemed to be determined to wring every ounce of pleasure he could from her, licking and sucking at her, teasing her clit and thrusting that talented tongue of his as deep as he could inside her. It only took a couple of hard thrusts before she was coming again, her hips lifting off the bed to meet his mouth, the growling and snarling in his throat pushing her over the edge.
“Gabriel … I need you so bad,” she panted. “Please.”
He grunted as he pushed away, fumbling at his jeans as he shoved it and his briefs down, his thick cock
