fear.
Fear that she wouldn’t be good enough for him.
How bloody humiliating.
The need to run gathered inside her, but then Joseph’s fingers slid into her hair, pulling out her ponytail, letting the soft mass of it flow over her shoulders. And as his fingers tangled in her curls, tugging her head back, the need began to seep away. There was a fierce, intent look on his face. He didn’t say anything, just bent his head and kissed her again, gentle at first, then more insistent, drawing their bodies together, skin to skin. His hands slid around her back, undoing her bra, drawing the straps down and off her shoulders. She shivered as it fell away, bringing her hands up to cover herself, an automatic gesture. But Joseph, lifting his mouth from hers, circled her wrists in an iron grip, holding them down at her sides. Her heart thudding in her chest, Christie met his gaze.
“You are beautiful,” he said softly, emphatically. “Believe it.”
And just like that, the urge to run vanished.
Maybe she could believe it. When he looked at her like that, she could believe anything.
Tension eased, loosening its grip on her muscles so that when he released her wrists, her arms stayed at her sides and she let him look at her. His hands settled on her hips and he bent his head, pressing a kiss to her throat. Christie closed her eyes as she felt his hands slide up her body until they cupped her breasts, her nipples hard against his palms. Her breathing became ragged and she let out a small moan as his lips brushed against her sensitized skin.
The moan turned into a gasp, the heat of his mouth closing around one nipple. A hand pressed into her back, steadying her, preventing her from pulling away from him, and she gasped again, the sensation of his mouth on her breast becoming more intense by the minute.
Oh God, she was drowning and it felt so damn good. So right.
She almost didn’t register it when his long, clever fingers began undoing her jeans, easing them down to her knees. Then he pushed her down on the bed on her back, tugging them the rest of the way off. It was only when he sat up and away from her that she realized that somehow, he’d also pulled off her panties so she was lying on the bed naked. And that at some point along the way, he’d gotten rid of the rest of his clothing as well.
Habit made her raise her hands in another attempt to cover herself. But Joseph pressed his palms to hers, pushing her hands down on the bed on either side of her head, their fingers intertwined. Then he eased his body over hers.
His weight settled down on her, the heat of him burning her skin. Unbelievable. She’d never needed anything as badly as she needed to touch him right now, but her hands were trapped under his, and though she pushed against the contact, he didn’t let her go.
Instead he looked down at her. “Are you ready for me?”
“Yes.” She’d never been readier in her entire life.
“Then there’s only one more thing we need.”
He brought out a silver packet from one of the bedside tables, and understanding dawned. Good thing he’d remembered, because she hadn’t.
Moments later, he pushed her down, his body moving between her legs. His hands lifted her. She gasped and then cried out as he entered her in one smooth, fluid movement.
Then he stopped, braced on his arms above her. “Look at me,” he whispered.
Helplessly, Christie obeyed. His gaze held hers. She felt like she was falling upward into night, drowning in the dark depths of his eyes. His hands moved to the back of her knees, lifting her legs up and around his waist, settling himself deeper inside her. She panted, flames of pleasure igniting everywhere.
“You’re so hot,” Joseph whispered as he bent to kiss her throat. “In every sense of the word.”
She took an uneven breath. “And you…you are…” But she couldn’t finish because he began to move at that point, a slow, experimental push. “Oh, God…” She sighed, losing
Fear that she wouldn’t be good enough for him.
How bloody humiliating.
The need to run gathered inside her, but then Joseph’s fingers slid into her hair, pulling out her ponytail, letting the soft mass of it flow over her shoulders. And as his fingers tangled in her curls, tugging her head back, the need began to seep away. There was a fierce, intent look on his face. He didn’t say anything, just bent his head and kissed her again, gentle at first, then more insistent, drawing their bodies together, skin to skin. His hands slid around her back, undoing her bra, drawing the straps down and off her shoulders. She shivered as it fell away, bringing her hands up to cover herself, an automatic gesture. But Joseph, lifting his mouth from hers, circled her wrists in an iron grip, holding them down at her sides. Her heart thudding in her chest, Christie met his gaze.
“You are beautiful,” he said softly, emphatically. “Believe it.”
And just like that, the urge to run vanished.
Maybe she could believe it. When he looked at her like that, she could believe anything.
Tension eased, loosening its grip on her muscles so that when he released her wrists, her arms stayed at her sides and she let him look at her. His hands settled on her hips and he bent his head, pressing a kiss to her throat. Christie closed her eyes as she felt his hands slide up her body until they cupped her breasts, her nipples hard against his palms. Her breathing became ragged and she let out a small moan as his lips brushed against her sensitized skin.
The moan turned into a gasp, the heat of his mouth closing around one nipple. A hand pressed into her back, steadying her, preventing her from pulling away from him, and she gasped again, the sensation of his mouth on her breast becoming more intense by the minute.
Oh God, she was drowning and it felt so damn good. So right.
She almost didn’t register it when his long, clever fingers began undoing her jeans, easing them down to her knees. Then he pushed her down on the bed on her back, tugging them the rest of the way off. It was only when he sat up and away from her that she realized that somehow, he’d also pulled off her panties so she was lying on the bed naked. And that at some point along the way, he’d gotten rid of the rest of his clothing as well.
Habit made her raise her hands in another attempt to cover herself. But Joseph pressed his palms to hers, pushing her hands down on the bed on either side of her head, their fingers intertwined. Then he eased his body over hers.
His weight settled down on her, the heat of him burning her skin. Unbelievable. She’d never needed anything as badly as she needed to touch him right now, but her hands were trapped under his, and though she pushed against the contact, he didn’t let her go.
Instead he looked down at her. “Are you ready for me?”
“Yes.” She’d never been readier in her entire life.
“Then there’s only one more thing we need.”
He brought out a silver packet from one of the bedside tables, and understanding dawned. Good thing he’d remembered, because she hadn’t.
Moments later, he pushed her down, his body moving between her legs. His hands lifted her. She gasped and then cried out as he entered her in one smooth, fluid movement.
Then he stopped, braced on his arms above her. “Look at me,” he whispered.
Helplessly, Christie obeyed. His gaze held hers. She felt like she was falling upward into night, drowning in the dark depths of his eyes. His hands moved to the back of her knees, lifting her legs up and around his waist, settling himself deeper inside her. She panted, flames of pleasure igniting everywhere.
“You’re so hot,” Joseph whispered as he bent to kiss her throat. “In every sense of the word.”
She took an uneven breath. “And you…you are…” But she couldn’t finish because he began to move at that point, a slow, experimental push. “Oh, God…” She sighed, losing
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