Part 13 (2/2)

He bent, rummaging for the aforementioned condoms and tossed the box on the bedside table. She had enough presence of mind to pull the curtains and put the chain on the door, but then his hands slid over her hips, drawing her to him for a long, drugging kiss. As soon as his lips touched hers, pure lightning crashed through her. Kyra ran her hands over his hot, hard chest, up and over his shoulders. Her nails dug in as he nipped her lower lip, demanding a deeper taste of her.

By the time he broke away long minutes later, they were both trembling. She gloried in the fact that his hands weren't steady as he pulled her s.h.i.+rt over her head. Kyra wriggled out of her jeans on her own, leaving her clad in peach panties and a matching camisole. His gaze found the dusky points of her nipples through the satin, and she felt the look between her thighs.

Kyra pulled the cami over her head and tossed it toward a chair. His touch skimmed upward over her ribs, hesitating only a few seconds before closing on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. It wasn't a fierce touch, more reverently possessive, as if he were acknowledging something beautiful that belonged to him. She knew she should be worried or offended, but she couldn't resist the seduction of his hands. Rey rubbed his thumbs back and forth across her nipples, abrading them, but he knew not to pinch. Instead he tugged with tender fingertips, mimicking suction.

Her breath went in a shuddering rush. She needed his mouth there. As if in answer, he bent his head, laving her nipple in a tight circle, then he bit, lightly. Yes, like that. Yes, like that. Kyra swayed, breathless with the delicious contrast between demand and delicacy. Kyra swayed, breathless with the delicious contrast between demand and delicacy.

”We're going to slow things down now,” he murmured in a black velvet voice. ”Lay back.”

Instinctively, she wanted to protest. She didn't need foreplay, but by the look in Rey's eyes, there would be no arguing with him today. Kyra sank onto the bed, conscious of every angle and curve. His dark gaze seemed to skim her skin, touching the lees and hollows of her body.

”Want me?” she whispered.

He didn't waste words. Instead the heat of his mouth brushed the inner curve of her ankle, a delicate kiss that curled her toes. Kyra spread her legs, stifling a moan. She knew where he was heading, but n.o.body had ever done it before. Men didn't tend to waste such niceties on a woman they picked up for the night.

His teeth followed his lips, grazing a path up the curve of her calf. When he licked the soft skin behind her knee, Kyra lifted her hips. It was impossible not to imagine his mouth at work elsewhere, devouring her with the complete intensity and focus he dedicated to every task. Levering up on her elbows, she reached out to touch his head, smoothing the raven strands.

”Close your eyes,” he whispered. ”I don't want you watching me. I want you feeling feeling .” .”

”Oh, I am.” A s.h.i.+ver swept over her, but she did as he asked.

Everything intensified when her lashes swept down. Flashes of sensation punctuated the darkness, and her world centered on the gifted mouth now nuzzling her inner thighs. Rey fastened his teeth gently on the skin and tugged, then swirled his tongue in lazy circles. Heat and dampness contrasted with the rasp of his jaw.

A little moan escaped her as he licked along the edge of her panties. Hoping he'd take the hint, she lifted her hips again. This time, he slid them down her thighs and off to join her clothes on the floor. Dimly she realized she was naked, and he was fully clothed. There was a certain t.i.tillation in that awareness.

When his fingers grazed her l.a.b.i.a, she stiffened a little. She'd thought he would use his mouth, but what he was doing felt good, so she stayed quiet. Rey pressed and caressed her outwardly until she felt a steady stream of moisture within. The longer he delayed touching her more intimately, the more sensitized she felt. With what felt like thumb and forefinger, he ma.s.saged her lips until she found her pelvis rising and falling, trying to force a little contact with her aching c.l.i.toris.

Kyra moaned as he s.h.i.+fted and a phantom flare of heat traced along her folds. By the time his mouth graduated from teasing to greedy, she'd come unhinged. Her hips bucked and she tangled her hands in his hair. He worked his tongue against her, licking up and down everywhere but the spot she wanted it most. She tried to raise his head up, but he seemed determined to drive her out of her mind.

”Come on,” she begged. ”Finish me.”

Silky hair brushed her thighs when he slid upward. Strong hands cupped her a.s.s, lifting her to his mouth like a pagan sacrifice. Kyra's thighs spilled open, and she had no hope of hiding anything from him. His lips closed on her c.l.i.t, firm, soft, heated. Each pull made her writhe against him, utterly open, taken by his lips and tongue to a place where she could only thrash and groan, beyond speech.

o.r.g.a.s.m broke upon her hard, leaving her s.h.i.+vering in his arms. The waves went on and on, subtly enhanced by the magic of his mouth. He whispered to her in languages she didn't know. When she opened her eyes long minutes later, his hands were on her back, stroking her as if she were a wild thing he had to tame.

Kyra felt like she should say something poetic, but that wasn't her style. Instead, she offered, ”Those pants have to be strangling you by now. Wanna take 'em off?”

h.e.l.l , yeah. She lay there like a contented kitten while he stripped out of his jeans. Her tawny eyes following his every move reinforced the feline image. He'd loved watching her unguarded emotions while he touched her. That was why he'd demanded she close her eyes, so that barrier would drop. It had been even better than he'd imagined, and over the last few weeks, he'd imagined a lot. She lay there like a contented kitten while he stripped out of his jeans. Her tawny eyes following his every move reinforced the feline image. He'd loved watching her unguarded emotions while he touched her. That was why he'd demanded she close her eyes, so that barrier would drop. It had been even better than he'd imagined, and over the last few weeks, he'd imagined a lot.

Need ricocheted through him-and that was exactly why he couldn't take her right now. Reyes left his boxers on out of self-defense. She might take his decision for tenderness or consideration, but it was more basic than that. His response to her pleasure had rocked him too much. For an agonizing moment, he'd feared he would come, too. That gave her an unacceptable level of influence over him, compromising his ability to make good decisions. Therefore, he had to prove to himself he was still in charge, both of his emotions and this operation. Things had gotten murky; time to clear them up.

So Reyes wrapped his arms around her and tucked her close. Kyra gazed up at him with sleepy eyes. ”Not tonight, you have a headache?”

”No,” he said quietly. ”I'm going to let you recharge for a little while. There's no rush. We have all night, right?”

Her lips curved into a heartbreakingly sweet smile. ”Right.”

Kyra spooned up against him, back to his chest, and tucked her sweet little a.s.s against his d.i.c.k. At first he thought she was wiggling to try to drive him nuts, but eventually he realized she'd been trying to get closer to him. She nestled her head beneath his chin and sighed softly.

Reyes sensed the moment she drifted off, languid and warm. Next to her, he felt like a live wire, every nerve jumping, but he wouldn't be ruled by his emotions or his urges. When he took her, it would be controlled and methodical. It would serve his purposes, not simple biology. Through force of will, he relaxed his body by muscle groups and then he too closed his eyes and slept.

When he woke, he realized with crystalline clarity that he'd never have detachment where she was concerned. His d.i.c.k still felt diamond-hard, nestled up against her a.s.s. If he had to wait another minute to get inside her, he'd die. His hands shook as he reached behind him for a condom. He pulled his p.e.n.i.s through the slit in his boxers. The packet crinkled as he tore it open and rolled the latex on.

She murmured a little in her sleep at his movements; the idea of waking her with an o.r.g.a.s.m had him nearly ready to come, added to the previous stimulation. d.a.m.n, she'd tasted sweet, and she felt even better. He brushed his fingertips between her l.a.b.i.a and found that she was still wet, still warm. Good. Good. She must be enjoying her dreams. She must be enjoying her dreams.

With a gentle hand, he tilted her hips, lifted one of her legs gently, and pushed into her from behind, inch by tantalizing inch. She gave a little whine, almost in protest, but he thought that came from the excruciatingly slow speed of his penetration.

He'd never made love to a woman soft with sleep before. Reyes always woke them up before pouncing like a tiger, giving them the opportunity to say no; he liked it hard and rough with plenty of teeth. Given his general preferences and his history, it was safer to acquire consent beforehand-and just because a woman said yes once that night, it didn't guarantee her cooperation again. They'd done it that way the first night, but nothing had gone as planned with her since.

Tonight, however, he trusted that she wanted him. Alarm and excitement warred for supremacy as he began to move, gentle strokes into her that made him feel as though she she did the taking, sinking hooks deep into his heart. Reyes ran his hands over her body, caressing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and belly until she arched beneath his hands like a cat. did the taking, sinking hooks deep into his heart. Reyes ran his hands over her body, caressing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and belly until she arched beneath his hands like a cat.

He knew the instant she roused to full wakefulness, swiftly confirmed by her murmured, ”Mmm. So it's not not a dream.” a dream.”

”No,” he managed huskily.

”That's good. Can we . . .?” In answer, he angled her hips slightly, pus.h.i.+ng her forward for stronger thrusts. ”Yeah, that. Exactly.”

His breath came faster as he took her with fierce tenderness. He had to be closer than she was so he found her c.l.i.t with his fingers, jacking her intensity to match his own. They came together, shuddering, with only the quiet rasp of their breathing to mark the moment. It surprised him how much he wanted to hear his name on her lips . . . and she didn't even know, at least not in its entirety. He'd almost forgotten his name wasn't Rey.

Reyes rolled away to dispose of the condom, and then he reached for her again, so needy that it frightened him. She curled into him, arm across his waist. It wasn't that he wanted to screw her again-although he did-it was that he simply craved her closeness. He wanted to lie with her in the half-light and listen to her breathe, inhaling her scent.

It was totally f.u.c.ked up. Now he could only see one way to end her, a.s.suming he wanted to complete the job. He'd cup her head in his hands, bestow one final kiss, and then twist. Clean. Fast. She wouldn't feel much pain. Contrary to what he'd thought before, it had had to be up close and personal, however great his distaste. to be up close and personal, however great his distaste.

He didn't want to, but he'd taken money for this job. He couldn't throw away years of work, establis.h.i.+ng himself as the the go-to man who always got the job done. He couldn't walk away from this job with his reputation intact; Foster would see to that. go-to man who always got the job done. He couldn't walk away from this job with his reputation intact; Foster would see to that.

Maybe there was some middle ground, some acceptable compromise.

But he doubted it.

No, if he let Kyra live, he had to commit to her cause. It would be all or nothing. Could he do that for a con woman with even less a sense of responsibility than he he had? Did he want to? had? Did he want to?

”That was amazing,” she said dreamily, rubbing her cheek against his chest.

Reyes gazed down at her face, studying the fans her lashes made against freckled cheeks. ”I hope you didn't mind . . . I couldn't wait for you to wake up.”

She smiled. ”I think that's the nicest thing anybody ever said to me.”

His heart clenched. ”That's pretty sad.”

Her expression clouded. ”It is, isn't it?” Kyra dipped her chin, hiding her face from him then. Her words came out soft and abashed, m.u.f.fled by his skin. ”I think I'm falling in love with you. I'm probably not supposed to say it first because you'll get all panicky thinking about mortgages or something, but . . . it's true. And I get fed up with telling people what they want to hear. I won't do that with you.”

Each word struck him like a fist in the chest, and he couldn't get his breath, not because he was freaked out by the idea of a mortgage-he owned his condo free and clear-but she'd given of herself so freely when he knew how closely she guarded her emotions. h.e.l.l, she wasn't even used to being touched.

And he was going to use that against her.

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