Tyler wrapped his arms around her and captured her mouth under his. Sweet. Always so sweet. Open and ardent and tasting like soft woman. From the second he’d torn away the veneer of their platonic friendship and kissed her two years ago, he’d searched for this sense of connectedness with every other female he’d touched.
As he sank into the kiss, he wondered if he’d ever find it with anyone else. His road seemed to lead back to Del.
Tomorrow was far away, and he had no idea if he was truly built for the long haul, but he’d stay with her and love her well until this road ended.
Pulling back, he cupped her cheek. “God, I’ve missed you.”
A little smile lifted her rosy lips for a moment, then the frown came back. Damn, she was working hard to fight tears.
“I missed you, too. I wanted to talk to you so badly so many times.”
Her words were like a stab to the chest. He didn’t want to blame her; he hadn’t tried hard enough to get over his hurt and pride and stay with her. Her rejection had stung like a bitch, and he’d gone off to lick his wounds. Now he knew that she’d been through a lot, but he looked at all his wasted time and wanted to punch a f**king wall.
“Why didn’t you? I was aching to hear from you.”
“I . . .” She shook her head. “I didn’t know what you’d say. I wasn’t anything like the girls you dated. I know me asking you to leave that night hurt you. Part of me wondered if you’d take Eric’s side, since you two were so tight. I guess I didn’t want to burden you.”
What the hell? “I would never have skipped out on you when you needed me.”
“You’re different now. It’s clear you’re more . . . solid.” She shrugged. “I think at the time I felt incredibly guilty for betraying Eric in my heart. And I was most afraid of hearing that you’d done it for Eric and didn’t want me anymore.”
Her confession shocked him, and fire charged through his veins. “I know the guilt. I felt it, too, for making love to you because I wanted to for reasons beyond Eric asking. But regardless, we gave him exactly what he wanted. Don’t ever forget that or take the blame on yourself.”
“I’ve worked hard to get to that realization, too.”
“I felt guilty because I wanted you too much.” He swallowed. “I still do.”
After a breathless pause, Del wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her mouth to his. She didn’t have to ask him twice. He angled his head and nudged her lips apart, opening her wider to him, sinking deeply to drink in that addictive taste of hers and the rightness flowing between them.
Refusing to waste another second, he tore off her T-shirt, exposing her delicate shoulders, narrow rib cage, so-soft skin. Tyler kissed his way down her jaw, her neck, nipping at her lobe, loving the way she turned her head to give him greater access. She clutched him, keeping him close, and moaned softly.
The sound went straight to his cock. Tyler closed his eyes. He wanted to pin her beneath him, taste her until he felt her pleasure on his tongue, then force his c**k into her so he could drown deep inside her. He wanted to do every nasty, possessive thing to her that he’d ever imagined.
But now wasn’t the f**king time to unleash his inner caveman. She needed comfort.
With a ragged sigh, he propped himself on his hands, lifting his body off her. Slow, dumb ass. Go slow. “You okay? I’ll back off.”
“No.” She panted, reaching for him. “More.”
Did she know what she was saying? He eased down onto her again. “How long has it been?”
She bit her lip. “Since the night we conceived Seth.”
Shock blanched him, but a possessive fever rolled right behind it. It didn’t matter that she’d been married to someone else. He was the last man she’d taken into her body. And right now, he burned to keep it that way.
Mine.
No way he could go slow now.
Tyler covered every inch of her, pinning her to the bed as he gave her a blistering kiss. He pressed her mouth open wider, demanding she take more. Del opened sweetly, accepting the ferocity of his desire, which only made him rage hotter. He wrapped one arm around her waist. The other worked the clasp of her bra. In seconds, it melted away. He tore it from her body and flung it across the room.
Del gasped and moved to cover herself. Tyler wasn’t having any of that. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the bed, glancing down at the lush press of her br**sts against his chest, her beaded ni**les searing his skin.
“Don’t,” he growled. “I’m going to get my mouth on those, angel. I’m going to roll them around on my tongue, suck and kiss and lick them until your pu**y is soaked and you’re scratching at my back.”
“Oh God.” Del’s voice wobbled.
Yeah, she was finally starting to get the idea that he wanted her fiercely. And she still didn’t completely understand. But she would.