thoughts and gazes still entwined. Keoni’s line of vision swept her face finding the bruises. The features of his face turned fierce.
“Who hurt you?” The placid tone belied the violence vibrating beneath the surface of his skin.
“My ex.”
He lowered his forehead to rest against hers. “Show me.”
She squirmed in his arms, resisting the imperative in his voice.
Keoni refused to be denied. “Show me.”
Giving in, she opened her mind to his, allowing him full access to the memory of her last night with Raphael. The argument. The surprise of the first punch, disbelief at the second, and anger when the third opened her lip. Keoni witnessed it all, relived the ensuing fight, the pain of each blow, and the cold reality: Raphael didn’t love her.
His pretty bird was a fighter. She’d scratched the guy’s face raw, bit and slapped, kicked him in the balls, but she had been no match for the stocky man—wider at the chest than Keoni. Raphael had tossed her around her apartment with as much regard as yesterday’s trash. And soon the only question had been whether she’d still be breathing when he left her.
Their foreheads parted, and Keoni slid his face across her cheek. Continuing the motion, he nuzzled her neck soothingly. Ciaran breathed slowly, reveling in the feeling of his arms around her, his skin on hers, and the care he sent flooding into her senses. The shock of his tenderness overwhelmed her. Keoni hurt more for her than she hurt for herself. She cried out, touching her cheeks. The pain he’d absorbed on her behalf wounded her so deeply she’d begun to cry.
“Look at me,” she whispered.
Her eyes searched his, and she saw the same things she always saw within them, his perennial joie de vivre, pride and honesty. Instant heat flooded her body. Without considering consequences, she grabbed his face in both hands. Her tongue licked along the scar on his chin and up to taste his lower lip. Hesitating only to wonder at how the imperfection enhanced his beauty, she kissed him with everything in her.
Mmmmm. She leaned back to look at him. He grinned. Gorgeous bastard. He had an arsenal of smiles, each one designed for a different kind of damage. This particular expression promised body-rocking sex. It shattered her resolve to stay away from men. She heard it crumble as she devoured him lips, tongue and all.
Keoni carried her to the shower, returning every hungry kiss along the way. Before stepping inside, he dropped her legs but kept one arm around her waist. The contact of their bodies remained unbroken while he chucked off his baggies. She sighed into his mouth as the swim trunks slid to the floor.
Ooooh sweet damn, the man had his entire hard length pressed against her stomach, raw silk and sculptured stone. It could have been another delusion—she couldn’t actually hear her resolve crumbling—but she’d swear he spanned the space from bikini wax to belly button and she loved it. So much so, she swore when he lifted his head to look at her.
Nooo, her mind wailed. Don’t give me time to think. If she pondered where his kisses led she’d kick him in the short and curlies and run screaming.
“I don’t want to hurt you, manu.”
Keoni licked the curve of his lower lip, his breathing harsh and deep.
“In my state of mind, I could sex you black and blue.”
All right, then. Her heart rate sped up with excitement Apparently she’d be on the receiving end of a good, hard tumble. Clever boy, she didn’t mind at all. Ciaran pressed her lips to his throat, making sexy little noises to fuel his passion. When his erection jumped against her belly she knew she’d taken away his self-control, and mentally crossed it off the list of options available to him.
He gently placed her on her feet. “Can you take it rough, manu? ”
“Oh hells yes,” she said, grabbing his face and pulling him down for more snogging.
Keoni groaned into her lips, his expression strained. “Easy,” he
“Who hurt you?” The placid tone belied the violence vibrating beneath the surface of his skin.
“My ex.”
He lowered his forehead to rest against hers. “Show me.”
She squirmed in his arms, resisting the imperative in his voice.
Keoni refused to be denied. “Show me.”
Giving in, she opened her mind to his, allowing him full access to the memory of her last night with Raphael. The argument. The surprise of the first punch, disbelief at the second, and anger when the third opened her lip. Keoni witnessed it all, relived the ensuing fight, the pain of each blow, and the cold reality: Raphael didn’t love her.
His pretty bird was a fighter. She’d scratched the guy’s face raw, bit and slapped, kicked him in the balls, but she had been no match for the stocky man—wider at the chest than Keoni. Raphael had tossed her around her apartment with as much regard as yesterday’s trash. And soon the only question had been whether she’d still be breathing when he left her.
Their foreheads parted, and Keoni slid his face across her cheek. Continuing the motion, he nuzzled her neck soothingly. Ciaran breathed slowly, reveling in the feeling of his arms around her, his skin on hers, and the care he sent flooding into her senses. The shock of his tenderness overwhelmed her. Keoni hurt more for her than she hurt for herself. She cried out, touching her cheeks. The pain he’d absorbed on her behalf wounded her so deeply she’d begun to cry.
“Look at me,” she whispered.
Her eyes searched his, and she saw the same things she always saw within them, his perennial joie de vivre, pride and honesty. Instant heat flooded her body. Without considering consequences, she grabbed his face in both hands. Her tongue licked along the scar on his chin and up to taste his lower lip. Hesitating only to wonder at how the imperfection enhanced his beauty, she kissed him with everything in her.
Mmmmm. She leaned back to look at him. He grinned. Gorgeous bastard. He had an arsenal of smiles, each one designed for a different kind of damage. This particular expression promised body-rocking sex. It shattered her resolve to stay away from men. She heard it crumble as she devoured him lips, tongue and all.
Keoni carried her to the shower, returning every hungry kiss along the way. Before stepping inside, he dropped her legs but kept one arm around her waist. The contact of their bodies remained unbroken while he chucked off his baggies. She sighed into his mouth as the swim trunks slid to the floor.
Ooooh sweet damn, the man had his entire hard length pressed against her stomach, raw silk and sculptured stone. It could have been another delusion—she couldn’t actually hear her resolve crumbling—but she’d swear he spanned the space from bikini wax to belly button and she loved it. So much so, she swore when he lifted his head to look at her.
Nooo, her mind wailed. Don’t give me time to think. If she pondered where his kisses led she’d kick him in the short and curlies and run screaming.
“I don’t want to hurt you, manu.”
Keoni licked the curve of his lower lip, his breathing harsh and deep.
“In my state of mind, I could sex you black and blue.”
All right, then. Her heart rate sped up with excitement Apparently she’d be on the receiving end of a good, hard tumble. Clever boy, she didn’t mind at all. Ciaran pressed her lips to his throat, making sexy little noises to fuel his passion. When his erection jumped against her belly she knew she’d taken away his self-control, and mentally crossed it off the list of options available to him.
He gently placed her on her feet. “Can you take it rough, manu? ”
“Oh hells yes,” she said, grabbing his face and pulling him down for more snogging.
Keoni groaned into her lips, his expression strained. “Easy,” he
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