Dusk Til Dawn by Kris Norris

wearing in that house…I swear I haven’t been soft since.” He pressed against her, accentuating his point with a tilt of his hips. His erection lengthened along the side of her ass. “Makes me wonder if I ever will be. But as much as I love it.” He thumbed the clasp, dropping a kiss between her shoulder blades as he flicked it open, gently easing the sides apart. “I’m afraid it’s got to go.”
    She held her breath as he smoothed the straps forward, dropping the bra at her feet. Her nipples puckered as the cool air beaded her skin, making them painfully tight. The pads of his fingers grazed her chest, drawing small circles around the taut buds. Her head fell back against his chest, dipping to the side, as his fingers brushed the tips, drawing a breathy moan from deep inside.
    “God, Annie. I could spend days touching you. Discovering every sensitive spot. Learning which places make you laugh, which make you twitch, and which make you scream my name.” He pinched the buds, taking her to the brink of pain without ever pushing her over. His thumbs rolled them firmly between his fingers, only to release them as he placed feather-soft flicks around her breasts. “I get the feeling these belong in the last category.” He kissed her shoulder. “Do me a favor? Wait here.”
    His feet padded toward the corner, and she fought the urge to turn, watch his body move in the gleam of the candlelight. He was unlike any man she’d ever seen. Strong, ripped, but with a sensitive side he hid beneath layers of pain and guilt. She suspected there was a story behind his friend’s death—the real reason he kept the flag and the fatigues. But she could wait until he was ready to tell her.
    The rasp of a zipper echoed through the room, and she was just about to turn when his fingers brushed across her hip. She jumped. Damn, she hadn’t heard him move.
    He chuckled, his warm breath skirting across her shoulder. “Easy. I didn’t mean to startle you. Guess I’m just used to being silent.”
    “Not a bad trait, unless you’re standing in the basement of a deserted building waiting for a ghost to jump out and yell ‘boo’.”
    “Point taken.” He kissed the base of her neck. “Open your legs wider for me.”
    A tap to her hip followed the raspy command, making a new pool of moisture coat her cleft. God, his voice. There was no doubt he enjoyed being in charge, and she couldn’t help but wonder how far he’d take it.
    He tapped her hip again, slightly harder. “Are you challenging me?”
    She shook her head, certain her voice would crack if she spoke. That, or it’d sound husky and raw, betraying the fact she found his order just a bit too arousing.
    Annie took a deep breath, slowly moving her feet apart until there were as wide as her shoulders. He nudged her side. She huffed, but inched them slightly farther, wondering what he had planned when a light smack landed on her ass.
    She snapped her head around, staring at him over her shoulder. “What was that for?”
    “For making me ask three times.” He held up a finger, silencing any protest. “Are you denying it?”
    She tilted her head, studying him when it hit her. This wasn’t merely about a playing some roles. It was about trust. The man was trained. She hadn’t missed the subtle comment Avery had made earlier—how Dylan could be deemed a lethal weapon in his own right—and she knew if Dylan had any intentions of hurting her, he would have done so from the start. While he came across as tough, fierce, it was no different than this game. A role he played to keep his demons at bay. To keep those he cared about alive.
    Calm settled over her. The fact he wanted to play, that he was seeking her trust, meant she’d broken through the first few layers of his defense, and this was the test. If she cried foul, he’d most likely retreat in on himself again.
    She gave him her best provocative smile, loving how her body clamored for more of his play. Already her