Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
Then his lips brushed hers, and a million butterflies took flight in her stomach. He tilted her head up, and she parted her lips when his tongue slid across the seam, seeking entrance. She tasted him. Gideon. His touch was gentle. Lips just brushing back and forth. He transferred his hold to her nape, one large palm curling around her neck possessively while the other fit along the back of her head.
The pressure was slow and steady as he drew her closer to him. She would have stayed a distance away, not because she didn’t want to be as close as possible but because she didn’t know where he was injured, and Javier had indicated that he could have died. There was no resisting. She should have, but the temptation was too great. She wanted his kisses. She needed them.
Her heart accelerated. Pounded. Her breasts ached. Her nipples hardened into tight peaks. Her stomach somersaulted. She clutched at his shoulders, digging her fingers into the hard muscles there, her only anchor when his teeth tugged at her lower lip with exquisite gentleness. Her sex clenched, panties going damp. Gideon might be at death’s door, but he was lethal.
He kissed the corners of her mouth, his tongue teasing at the seam and then along her bottom lip again. He placed a velvet caress along her upper lip and then, without warning, bit down harder on her lower lip, his teeth sinking in and holding to tug until she gave a little gasp. At once, his tongue slid over the little sting, soothing and caressing.
His lips coaxed hers and she opened to him. His fist bunched in her hair, tightened in her scalp as his tongue swept in. Just like that, she belonged to him all over again. He was pure fire pouring into her. Ruling her. Hot bright flames showered down around her like rain. They came together in a storm of such intensity that it felt like a crown fire raging out of control. The hunger kept building rather than abating as they fed one another more and more explosive fuel. The blaze roared hotter than ever.
Rory couldn’t stand the weight of her clothes and wanted them gone. She needed to touch his skin, not the fabric of his shirt, and she found the hem so she could slide her palm under it. The moment she did, she encountered a long piece of gauze. She pulled her hand back and let out a small sound of anxiety.
“Gideon.” She whispered his name as she leaned against the hand in her hair.
“Red,” he whispered against her lips.
The name he called her felt like a flame.
“We have to stop.”
“Why?” He pressed his forehead tight against hers. “I’ve been waiting a lifetime since the last time we kissed. I never want to stop.”
“If your doctor was here, he’d throw me out.”
“He’d have to get through me to do it.”
“I think we can be a little patient. Besides, I was afraid we were going to set your house on fire.” She pulled back to look around her. “It’s a nice house. I never really looked at it before. I wanted to go to the rooftop and just hurried up the stairs, but this is beautiful. You told me about renovating the outside structure, but you didn’t talk about the inside much.”
Rory was talking too fast, the way she did when she was nervous, trying to distract herself. It was difficult to force herself to let go of him, but she managed. “Are you hungry? The restaurant gave us napkins and utensils if you’re fine with just eating out of the takeout boxes.”
“That’s fine, Red.” There was definite amusement in his voice. “I’m hungry and I don’t eat off fancy plates.”
“Do you have fancy plates?” She caught up the bags from the restaurant and sorted the boxes and utensils, hoping everything was still warm enough.
“As a matter of fact, I do. Rose, Jaimie and Rhianna went shopping for the plates and silverware. They sent me so many pictures I was ready to shoot all three of them.” He laughed, remembering the photographs coming into his phone one after another. The three women were clearly having fun. Too much and at his expense. He had threatened to shoot them, but sadly, they weren’t in the least afraid of him.
Rory’s laughter sounded even better than he remembered. “I love that for you. Your friends must be very fun women.”
“They’re more like siblings and they’re pains in my ass. Jaimie is married to Mack, and Rose is married to Kane. We all grew up together. Rhianna grew up with us as well. She’s younger and always wants to be Miss Independent. I suppose she’s as capable of taking care of herself as the rest of us, but none of us like to think so.”