hand moving to cup her jaw. Then as if too spent to move, he tightened his hold. His voice was muffled as he spoke, his tone very gruff. “Are you okay?”
Moved beyond words by his concern for her and overcome with the need to comfort him, she pressed her mouth against his temple. Her own voice was uneven as she whispered, “I’m better than okay.” She stroked his head, then hugged him. “I think I’m in heaven.”
His chest rose on a deep intake of air, then he tightened his grip on her face for a moment. He didn’t say anything, but she felt him smile. And she hugged him again.
As if gathering together what remaining strength he had, Tristan slid his other hand up her back. “Hold on.”
She nodded, wrapping herself around him even tighter.
The muscles in his back bunched as he carried her across the kitchen. With a minimum of fuss, he carried her up the stairs into his room.
Amber knew she should let go and stand on her own, but the thought of separating from him was just too much to bear. Instead, she hung on even tighter, her throat cramping. She could not bear to let him go. She just could not. It would be like ripping her own body in half to disconnect from him.
At the edge of the bed and with Amber still wrapped around him, he paused, pushed his pants down and stepped out of them, then slid his hand under her robe. His touch was gentle, caressing. “Let’s get rid of this,” he said, his tone husky.
Trusting him to hold her, Amber straightened and let the garment slip off her arms and he maneuvered her pj top off, then she wrapped herself back around him. She felt him take a deep breath as she kissed him just beneath his ear. Another faint tremor coursed through him, and he tightened his hold on her.
His breath caught and he clutched her. Amber closed her eyes and hung on, his movement bringing on another contraction.
Finally, after what seemed like some eons, Tristan locked his arm around her hips, turning his face against her neck. He spoke, a tinge of amusement in his voice. “I think we’re both going to fall—hope for the best.”
Smiling in response, Amber flattened her hand between his shoulders. “Tell you what—I’ll leave the how in your skilled hands.”
She was rewarded with a husky chuckle. “Well then, you’d better hang on.” He shifted his hold, then with sheer strength and physical finesse, he got them into his bed, with her flat on her back and him cradled between her upraised knees. The feel of his body on top of hers made her go breathless and just a little bit crazy again.
Bracing his weight on his elbows, he lifted his head and gazed down at her, the moonlight washing his face. Taking her face in his hands, he studied her, a slow smile appearing. His voice was like rough velvet when he spoke. “Ooh-rah, Amber, you are something else.”
Holding back a grin, she reached up and caressed his mouth. “You have a few ooh-rah moves yourself, handsome.”
His smile deepened. “You’re a piece of work, you know that?”
She did grin. “I’m up for the challenge.”
He laughed, a low throaty laugh that sent delicious shivers up her spine. “Yes, you are.”
Aware that they were both avoiding what had brought them together, Amber raised her head and kissed him along his jaw. It was almost as if they’d silently struck another pact not to open too many doors, and that was okay. This was too special to risk.
Wanting to keep that comfortable easiness between them, she looped her arms around his neck and gave him another grin. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to see if she could make him react. Keeping her voice deliberately provocative, she murmured, “You’re very, very good, Marine.”
Chuckling, he gave her head a little shake. “You know how to be a tease. You make me crazy.”
Smiling at the ache in his voice, she ran her hand down his muscled back to his buttocks. “I bet I can make you wild and crazy.”
His expression altered, and even in the faint moonlight filtering in, she could see his eyes darken, his gaze becoming hot and intimate. Gazing at her, he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, then lowered his head, brushing his mouth against hers. “Oh, yeah,” he breathed, caressing her bottom lip. “That works for me.”
With that one light touch, Amber’s heart