Melt by Natalie Anderson

now. The present. This is your present…and mine.”
    His smile was slow, his lips tickling the edge of her palm. And then his tongue came out to play, a lick against her skin.
    “Are you going to unwrap your present?” she asked, removing her hand while she still had strength in her muscles.
    “I always unwrap my presents very slowly, too, you know.” He ran light fingers down her arm. “To prolong the pleasure.”
    She stilled, suddenly shy.
    “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked as he kissed down her neck. “Do you have any idea that every single man here thinks you’re utter perfection? They all want to whisk you away.”
    “They don’t.” Now he was over-egging it.
    He nuzzled the side of her neck—almost kissing her but not quite. And while her knees were weakening, other muscles were just itching to get into action. Heat burst through her body.
    “They do,” he murmured. “You’re this can-do goddess, so fragile-looking but so strong.”
    She wasn’t as strong as she probably needed to be. She was vulnerable—to him. And she needed to believe in only his touch. That was all she could afford to need.
    So she reached up, capturing his face between her hands and brought him down to kiss her—ending all conversation. It wasn’t words that communicated now.
    He swiftly took the lead, understanding what she needed. Yes, he kissed her long and deep and slow—infusing her body with nothing but anticipation. She shivered as he stepped back to slip her T-shirt over her head. Breathing as hard as she, he looked down at her breasts—breasts so swollen they were spilling over her bra cups.
    But he said nothing, just planted his wide hands on her waist and bent to trail kisses of fire across the lace edging.
    His hands slid to her back, first up to unclasp her bra and then lower to undo the zip of her skirt. As the skirt fell to the floor, he fell to his knees—kissing down her sternum, her belly. But then he paused and looked at the odd shapes poking through her small briefs.
    “Ah.” He smiled, tracing a finger around some of the shapes, making her shiver when he let that finger slide lower. “I think I’ve found some of my present.”
    She smiled down at him. Was it wrong to feel such pleasure and power with having a fully clothed big man on his knees before her—all his passion barely leashed? Oh, she wanted it. She wanted all of it.
    He hooked his fingers into the elastic at her hips and then tugged her knickers down. Her handfuls of condoms scattered to the floor.
    “So many presents,” he murmured, sparing them a quick glance before leaning in to whisper against her upper thighs. “I can’t wait to play with them.”
    But then he pressed his mouth to her most vulnerable flesh.
    Groaning, she shamelessly spread her legs wider for him, yearning for more intimacy. Her body was on fire and so unbearably close so soon. Her hips rocked, her most sensitive spot desperate for his touch. She’d been desperate for this for too long already.
    Without warning he lashed her with his tongue—again and again and on the third stroke it hit.
    Shaking uncontrollably, her legs failed as ecstasy rippled through her.
    “Hunter,” she moaned, doubling over—gripping his shoulders to keep balance as he lifted his hands and held her hips firmly so he could taste every orgasmic contraction shuddering through her.
    His tongue worked yet more magic, kissing, savoring, inserting into her slick heat. She needed more.
    “I need to lie down.” She needed all of him inside her.
    “Not yet.”
    She heard the pull of his zipper and he shucked his shirt in record time. As he stood, he left both his jeans and boxers at his feet. In his hand was one of his little square presents. He unwrapped and rolled it on. “Now I’m wrapped and ready for you.”
    He backed her up against the small ladder that led to the top bunk and lifted her so one foot was on the lowest rung, lifting her other leg to wrap