Hanchart Land by Becky Barker Page B

criticism to heart and forced herself to calm down. He was trying to stay in control, and she'd been urging him to lose it. Her only defense was his ability to completely shatter her control.
    "You haven't told me everything you like, yet," he declared as he slid down her body and recaptured a nipple with his mouth, sucking deeply. After giving equal attention to the other breast, he slid lower, easing the gown down her body as his mouth discovered new territory. Her stomach muscles clenched as she felt a shower of kisses across her abdomen. She gasped as he continued to explore the soft flesh of her thighs.
    Susan was sure she would hyperventilate at any minute. It was becoming more and more difficult to draw air into her lungs as his mouth continued to discover ultra-sensitive flesh. Her body was taut and quaking with explosive tension she prayed he knew how to relieve.
    He gave her a brief respite as he pulled back to toss her gown aside, and then his hands and mouth went back to work at driving her insane with need. When his fingers began to knead the delicate flesh at the cradle other thighs, she nearly came off the bed.
    "Luke!" she cried, throwing her head back against the pillows as he stroked her to a frenzy of need. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides and the strength of his caresses brought her hips off the mattress.
    Then he was sliding his full weight over hers, but this time her only distress stemmed from not being able to drag him close enough. She clutched at his shoulders and clung to him with all her might.
    They were both soaked with sweat, their breath coming and going in harsh pants. Their eyes were glazed with a passionate fever as they met and locked. Luke nudged her thighs apart and settled between them.
    "I'll be gentle with you," he whispered roughly, "but I can't promise it won't hurt."
    She was beyond caring until he tried to complete their union. Pain and panic invaded her along with his big, powerful body. She tensed, alarm filling her eyes as her muscles reflexively fought the intrusion.
    "Easy, it'll be all right," he swore gruffly, battling to gently, but firmly penetrate her unyielding flesh.
    Susan wasn't as sure. She'd gone from pliant to tense in an instant. His tension was just as fierce. The effort he was making to control his desire was evident in every sharp line of his face. She forced herself to lie still and stop resisting.
    Then Luke wrapped his arms around her and reversed their positions, bringing her on top of him with their bodies still straining to become one.
    Her eyes lit with surprise, but she felt infinitely more comfortable and in control. After a few additional seconds to adjust to the feel of him, she felt a resurgence of desire. This time it seized her with twice the force and ten times more primitive need for satisfaction.
    Her already flushed features caught fire as Luke's hungry eyes trapped her own. She felt wanton, yet wildly uninhibited for the first time in her life. She felt in control and took control of their loving.
    Her eyes never left his as she began to rock her hips against the turgid strength of him. Her earlier cravings were nothing compared to what she experienced now, and the tempo of her movements increased in a frenzied rush until her control shattered and the satisfaction she'd been seeking suddenly radiated within her.
    She cried out, shocking herself with the ragged sound of her cries. Then she felt a final, violent upward thrust of his body, and she collapsed against him in exhaustion.
    For a long time after, all they could do was fight for air into deprived lungs. Susan knew she was dead weight on his chest, but she couldn't have moved if her life depended on it.
    She was enthralled by the whole experience he’d given her. The lifetime wait had been worth the reward. She felt closer to him than she'd ever felt to another human being. Neither of them had confessed their love, but instincts told her Luke couldn't have made such