was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.
There were too many layers of clothing between them, though, when she was craving skin-to-skin contact. While she loved how Eagan looked in his leather duster, right now she wanted the coat gone. He smiled against her mouth as she jerked it down his arms and let it fall to the floor.
She was that much closer to all that sleek muscle. Next up, his shirt. But as she tugged it free of his jeans, a car drove down the street, its headlights passing over them. Della froze at the reminder that they were standing where anyone could see them. If the two of them were going to follow this encounter to its logical conclusion, the front of the diner was not nearly private enough.
“My bedroom is better suited for this sort of thing.”
Eagan rested his forehead against hers, his hands stroking her back. “Only if you’re sure, Della. I can stop now. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to if we go much further.”
Ever the gentleman. She placed the palm of her hand over his heart, glad that she wasn’t the only one with a pulse running at the red line. Staring up into his eyes, now more black than blue, she let her hand slide down and down until she cupped him through the heavy denim.
“I want you.” She gently squeezed. “I want this.”
He caught her wayward hand in his and brought it up to his lips for a soft kiss. “We should talk about what could happen if I take your blood again.”
She was in no mood for conversation. Before she could protest, he swept her up against his chest, guiding her legs around his waist.
“But not now. We can talk afterward.”
She buried her face next to his neck, drawing his scent deep into her lungs. “Perfect.”
And it would be. She just knew it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
NOW THAT HE NO LONGER had to hide his true nature from Della, Eagan didn’t hold back, taking the stairs three at a time. At the top, he headed straight for the bedroom and that brass bed that had haunted his thoughts for days. Not to mention his dreams. From the way Della dug her fingers into his shoulders and scrunched her eyes, maybe the speed hadn’t been such a good idea. He gave her a quick squeeze, hoping to reassure her.
Thanks to his night vision, he moved easily through the shadowed rooms. He considered the lamp beside the bed, but wasn’t sure if she’d want it on. The lights from the small Christmas tree by the window would be enough.
“I’m going to put you down now.”
Della nodded and released her death hold on him as he lowered her slowly, waiting to make sure her legs would support her before letting go. He crooked a finger and used it to lift her chin, trying to read her mood without invading the privacy of her thoughts.
“You still up for this?”
To his immense relief, she smiled, a teasing glint in her dark eyes. “As long as you are. If not, I’m betting I can fix that.”
She waited to see if he got the joke and looked pleased when he grinned. Damned if he could remember ever laughing with a lover.
“Believe me, I’m definitely up for it.”
To prove his point he picked her up by the waist and tossed her down on the mattress and followed her down, making a place for himself between her legs. Her eyes widened as he rocked against her, the slow friction driving both of them a little crazy.
She dragged him down for another of her mind-frying kisses as he worked his hands underneath that great ass of hers. God, he loved its perfect shape and fit. She immediately lifted her legs high around his hips, slowly driving him crazy as she brought her core into direct contact with his erection.
Time to get shed of all these clothes. He rolled to the side and stripped off his shirt. Della followed suit, sending her Santa T-shirt flying through the air to land on the rocker across the room. His pants were a little trickier to deal with, but the jeans along with his boxers closely followed.
When Della stood up on the mattress to shimmy out of her jeans, he was pretty sure his tongue was hanging out. All those luscious curves just for him. When she hooked her fingers in the elastic of her panties he stopped her. There were some jobs a man wanted to take