ear, the caress of his lips to her cheek were purely rapturous sensations. He toyed with her for long moments, kissing her cheek, letting his breath warm the flesh of her neck and shoulder. It was almost torturous! She wanted to feel his mouth against her own, taste the warm moisture of his kiss! She was breathless, struggling to appear calm and unruffled. It was nearly impossible to remain still!
Finally, he turned her body, cradling her head and shoulders in one arm and gazing somewhat drowsily down at her. He let his fingers lightly caressed her neck, traveling down toward her shoulder. For a moment he toyed with the strap of her camisole, pushing it from her shoulder. Rivers shuddered with delight as the strap slipped further down her arm. Caressing the bareness of her arm with one powerful hand, he paused a moment before placing a moist, lingering kiss on her shoulder. He kissed her there again, letting his fingertips caress her shoulder then and sending Rivers’s body into another fit of goose bumps
“You’re…you’re just trying to get my mind off of the storm,” Rivers stammered in a whisper.
“Darlin’, the storm’s just startin’ down here,” Paxton mumbled.
And then, at last, he let his mouth discover hers in a driven, succulent kiss. He held her tightly, cradled against him, as his free hand traveled over the soft smoothness of her neck, shoulders, and arms. His touch was igniting to her senses! Paxton had kissed her before. He’d touched and held her before. But never in such a soft, intimate manner as this. The sensation of his strong, calloused hands on her skin was magnificent! Oddly, the thought briefly passed through her mind that he was to be trusted—but for the scandalous truth of their circumstances, Paxton Gray was a gentleman and would not let his hands stray to any part of her being inappropriate.
Rivers’s hand had been resting gently against Paxton’s chest, but now instinctively slipped beneath his shirt, torn open by the violent wind. His skin was heated and caused the tips of Rivers’s fingers to tingle with delight in the feel of him.
Their kisses were as the first hint of a storm, refreshing, calming, with the promise of more. And then, just as the storm had done, their passion grew, mounting into a powerful force. Rivers let her hand slide upward and around to the back of Paxton’s neck. Paxton pulled her against his own body, and she thought he might crush her, so tightly did he hold her. She basked in the sensation racing through her entire being, in the bliss of touching him in such a familiar manner.
It further enchanted her when she felt him shiver, his own body suddenly consumed with goose bumps, as her hand traveled caressingly over his strong, impressive chest once more. He tightened his embrace, seeming unable to quench some raging crave, for his kisses were near to unmerciful.
Suddenly, doubt and fear, the devil’s finest tools, infected Rivers’s mind. It couldn’t be happening! She couldn’t be wrapped in Paxton Gray’s arms, his mouth working a bewitching spell of affection and desire over her! It couldn’t be real! It was simply the circumstances, the state of her undress finding him so easy with her.
Rivers abruptly broke the seal of their kiss, turning her face from his.
“You’re…you’re only teasing me again. Jolee isn’t here to witness this, Paxton. And I’m not something for you to play with,” she cried.
“I’m not teasin’ ya this time, Rivers. And I’m well aware Jolee ain’t here to be watchin’,” Paxton whispered as he took her chin in hand, turning her face back to his. He stroked her dusty, tear streaked cheek with his thumb and smiled. “When this storm is over, I’ll be my charmin’, heartless self again. You can go back to thinkin’ I’m an ol’ grouch, who don’t care about nobody. But for right now…down here in the cellar, where no one but you can see me, I’ll tell you a secret. You know that Ruby
Finally, he turned her body, cradling her head and shoulders in one arm and gazing somewhat drowsily down at her. He let his fingers lightly caressed her neck, traveling down toward her shoulder. For a moment he toyed with the strap of her camisole, pushing it from her shoulder. Rivers shuddered with delight as the strap slipped further down her arm. Caressing the bareness of her arm with one powerful hand, he paused a moment before placing a moist, lingering kiss on her shoulder. He kissed her there again, letting his fingertips caress her shoulder then and sending Rivers’s body into another fit of goose bumps
“You’re…you’re just trying to get my mind off of the storm,” Rivers stammered in a whisper.
“Darlin’, the storm’s just startin’ down here,” Paxton mumbled.
And then, at last, he let his mouth discover hers in a driven, succulent kiss. He held her tightly, cradled against him, as his free hand traveled over the soft smoothness of her neck, shoulders, and arms. His touch was igniting to her senses! Paxton had kissed her before. He’d touched and held her before. But never in such a soft, intimate manner as this. The sensation of his strong, calloused hands on her skin was magnificent! Oddly, the thought briefly passed through her mind that he was to be trusted—but for the scandalous truth of their circumstances, Paxton Gray was a gentleman and would not let his hands stray to any part of her being inappropriate.
Rivers’s hand had been resting gently against Paxton’s chest, but now instinctively slipped beneath his shirt, torn open by the violent wind. His skin was heated and caused the tips of Rivers’s fingers to tingle with delight in the feel of him.
Their kisses were as the first hint of a storm, refreshing, calming, with the promise of more. And then, just as the storm had done, their passion grew, mounting into a powerful force. Rivers let her hand slide upward and around to the back of Paxton’s neck. Paxton pulled her against his own body, and she thought he might crush her, so tightly did he hold her. She basked in the sensation racing through her entire being, in the bliss of touching him in such a familiar manner.
It further enchanted her when she felt him shiver, his own body suddenly consumed with goose bumps, as her hand traveled caressingly over his strong, impressive chest once more. He tightened his embrace, seeming unable to quench some raging crave, for his kisses were near to unmerciful.
Suddenly, doubt and fear, the devil’s finest tools, infected Rivers’s mind. It couldn’t be happening! She couldn’t be wrapped in Paxton Gray’s arms, his mouth working a bewitching spell of affection and desire over her! It couldn’t be real! It was simply the circumstances, the state of her undress finding him so easy with her.
Rivers abruptly broke the seal of their kiss, turning her face from his.
“You’re…you’re only teasing me again. Jolee isn’t here to witness this, Paxton. And I’m not something for you to play with,” she cried.
“I’m not teasin’ ya this time, Rivers. And I’m well aware Jolee ain’t here to be watchin’,” Paxton whispered as he took her chin in hand, turning her face back to his. He stroked her dusty, tear streaked cheek with his thumb and smiled. “When this storm is over, I’ll be my charmin’, heartless self again. You can go back to thinkin’ I’m an ol’ grouch, who don’t care about nobody. But for right now…down here in the cellar, where no one but you can see me, I’ll tell you a secret. You know that Ruby
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