detonation of that kiss shocked everything inside her, senses and emotions and rationality, leaving behind nothing but burning need.
Dizziness flowed over her and a faint sound tangled in the back of her throat when his mouth slanted over hers, deepening the devastating kiss with a surge of possession that rocked her to her soul. The duel of tongues was shocking in its molten heat, vibrantly exciting in its mutual need and searing intimacy. She was vividly aware that her body was changing as it pressed against his, that her breasts were swelling and aching, her limbs weakening, her veins running with fire. It was a combination of feelings so intensely alive that she wouldn’t have fought them no matter what.
She barely heard Derek groan, but felt the vibration of the sound. She felt one of his hands slide down her silk-clad back to her hips, pressingher even closer to his hardening body, and a shudder of raw desire went through her at the starkly intimate sensation.
He ended the kiss suddenly, tearing his mouth from hers with an effort that was almost violent. “Shannon … you don’t know what you’re doing,” he said hoarsely, unable to resist the soft flesh of her throat.
“Yes, I do.” She could feel his other hand at the back of her head, his fingers moving in her hair caressingly, and lifted her chin to allow him more room to explore as his lips trailed down her throat. Eyes half-closed, she was mindlessly basking in the radiant fire of his body and her own. It was so warm.
He
was so warm and hard, and she needed him so badly. She couldn’t catch her breath and didn’t care, didn’t care about anything but these wonderful feelings.
“Stop me,” he whispered tensely against her throat. “For your sake—stop me.”
“Not even for my sake,” she murmured, wondering why he would say something like that.Why on earth would she want to stop him? She felt so alive, so wonderfully alive, and so much a woman. For the first time in her adult life, she truly felt like a woman. And she could feel the strength inside herself for the first time, a tempered steel core that had lain hidden beneath fears this explosion had ripped away; it was a strength she hadn’t imagined herself capable of, and she gloried in the knowledge that it existed within her.
Wonderingly, she repeated, “Not even for my sake. Make love to me, Derek.” And there was no shock left in the astonishing freedom she felt in that moment.
Even then, Derek might have been able to stop himself, because he knew what he stood to lose in the recklessness of his need and her response. And if Shannon had shown one instant’s hesitation, one flicker of uncertainty, it would have been enough to give him the strength he needed. But more than her words told him she wouldn’t hesitate. Her body told him. She was movingrestlessly against him, unconsciously seeking, and her trembling hands stroked his back, tried to draw him closer. And he couldn’t fight them both.
He tried.
Dear God, he tried
. His head lifted, his body stiffening with the fierce effort to take that first step back away from her. But Shannon’s arms slipped from around his waist and her hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, and when he felt her seeking touch, felt her lips as she pressed them to his chest, he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it.
“Shannon …” It was little more than a breath of sound. He framed her face in his hands and kissed her with all the gentle restraint he could manage, making a silent promise to her and to himself that this wouldn’t be a mistake. That he wouldn’t let this be a mistake. Then he lifted her into his arms and carried her up the steps and to the side of the bed.
She felt right in his arms, just as she had that first night, and he was reluctant to let her goenough to set her on her feet by the bed. He couldn’t stop touching her, couldn’t stop gazing into the dark amber fire of her eyes. She was so beautiful it almost stopped
Dizziness flowed over her and a faint sound tangled in the back of her throat when his mouth slanted over hers, deepening the devastating kiss with a surge of possession that rocked her to her soul. The duel of tongues was shocking in its molten heat, vibrantly exciting in its mutual need and searing intimacy. She was vividly aware that her body was changing as it pressed against his, that her breasts were swelling and aching, her limbs weakening, her veins running with fire. It was a combination of feelings so intensely alive that she wouldn’t have fought them no matter what.
She barely heard Derek groan, but felt the vibration of the sound. She felt one of his hands slide down her silk-clad back to her hips, pressingher even closer to his hardening body, and a shudder of raw desire went through her at the starkly intimate sensation.
He ended the kiss suddenly, tearing his mouth from hers with an effort that was almost violent. “Shannon … you don’t know what you’re doing,” he said hoarsely, unable to resist the soft flesh of her throat.
“Yes, I do.” She could feel his other hand at the back of her head, his fingers moving in her hair caressingly, and lifted her chin to allow him more room to explore as his lips trailed down her throat. Eyes half-closed, she was mindlessly basking in the radiant fire of his body and her own. It was so warm.
He
was so warm and hard, and she needed him so badly. She couldn’t catch her breath and didn’t care, didn’t care about anything but these wonderful feelings.
“Stop me,” he whispered tensely against her throat. “For your sake—stop me.”
“Not even for my sake,” she murmured, wondering why he would say something like that.Why on earth would she want to stop him? She felt so alive, so wonderfully alive, and so much a woman. For the first time in her adult life, she truly felt like a woman. And she could feel the strength inside herself for the first time, a tempered steel core that had lain hidden beneath fears this explosion had ripped away; it was a strength she hadn’t imagined herself capable of, and she gloried in the knowledge that it existed within her.
Wonderingly, she repeated, “Not even for my sake. Make love to me, Derek.” And there was no shock left in the astonishing freedom she felt in that moment.
Even then, Derek might have been able to stop himself, because he knew what he stood to lose in the recklessness of his need and her response. And if Shannon had shown one instant’s hesitation, one flicker of uncertainty, it would have been enough to give him the strength he needed. But more than her words told him she wouldn’t hesitate. Her body told him. She was movingrestlessly against him, unconsciously seeking, and her trembling hands stroked his back, tried to draw him closer. And he couldn’t fight them both.
He tried.
Dear God, he tried
. His head lifted, his body stiffening with the fierce effort to take that first step back away from her. But Shannon’s arms slipped from around his waist and her hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, and when he felt her seeking touch, felt her lips as she pressed them to his chest, he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it.
“Shannon …” It was little more than a breath of sound. He framed her face in his hands and kissed her with all the gentle restraint he could manage, making a silent promise to her and to himself that this wouldn’t be a mistake. That he wouldn’t let this be a mistake. Then he lifted her into his arms and carried her up the steps and to the side of the bed.
She felt right in his arms, just as she had that first night, and he was reluctant to let her goenough to set her on her feet by the bed. He couldn’t stop touching her, couldn’t stop gazing into the dark amber fire of her eyes. She was so beautiful it almost stopped
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