Awaken to Pleasure - By Nalini Singh Page 0,34

to. "Thank you. You're a kind man."

When she pecked him on the cheek, hegrit his teeth against the urge to haul her to the floor and indulge his starving senses. Kind? If he'd been a kind man, he'd have tried harder to think of a way to help her without marrying her. The truth was, when the idea had come, he hadn't looked any further, because he'd wanted sweetTaylorfor his very own. And he would fight to keep her.

Santorinimen weren't known for their sharing nature.

Taylorfound a long, electric-blue gown in a shimmering fabric that was light enough for the tropical weather, but had a shine to it that meant it would do for an evening gown. It had no sleeves, and the soft curves of material at the neckline emphasized her breasts. The only things holding up the flimsy creation were two small diamante clasps on the shoulders. Up to that point, the dress was lovely. It was the fact that it had practically no back that had her biting her lip in indecision.

Looking over her shoulder into the dressing room mirror, she found the curved line of her spine framed in blue. She knew that if she went out in this dress, her husband's big hand was going to be on her bare skin for long periods of the night. She'd always known thatJacksonwould be very, very possessive about his woman. So, he would touch her in public, make his claim, make certain no one had any doubts about the fact that she belonged to him.

She shivered at the image, the tiny hairs on her body standing up. The thought ofJackson's hands on her didn't scare her, but it had taken Maggie to make her realize the depth of trust she had in him.

"What are you afraid of?" Maggie had asked earlier that day, deep into the long-distance session.

She'd remembered being pushed against the door in the basement, of the hand over her mouth in that park. "Pain, humiliation ... of having my trust broken again."

"Oh, soJacksonhurts you? Debases you?"

"No! How dare you say that?" she'd yelled, furious.

"If I'm so wrong," Maggie had paused, "then what are you really afraid of?"

It had taken her long minutes to answer. "My own cowardice. What if I can't be what he needs?"

"What if you can? Take one step and find out."

One step. Like havingJackson's hands all over her. It was a distinctly tantalizing image after the way she'd run her own hands all over him and received such pleasure.

Her eyes widened as she slipped out of the dress. In the mirror, her breasts were almost quivering with desire. Oh, yes, the thought of having her husband's hands all over her wasn't a reason against buying this dress.

The party wasn't as harrowing as she'd feared. Though she'd worked hard to climb out from under Lance's shadow, sometimes his barbs about her worth returned to haunt her. But, it appeared that her panic had been for naught. True to his word,Jacksonwas by her side throughout the night and once it became clear that she was very much his, people treated her with a sort of cautious pleasantness.

Taylorhad to hide her smile. She'd never inspired fear in anyone, but her dark and very Italian husband certainly did. She approved. In this world, he needed every advantage. It was enough for his wife to know that he wasn't a man who would hurt those he'd sworn to protect. No one else needed to be aware of his tenderness.

The only sour point came toward the end of the evening. A buxom blonde sidled up toJackson, as if Taylorweren't held firmly by his side, his big hand flat on her lower back. As she'd guessed, he hadn't stopped touching her for more than a few seconds at a time. On occasion, he'd move his thumb in an idle movement and her breath would catch while the bottom fell out of her stomach.

The heat of him was enticing enough but when he moved his hand ... she wanted to beg him to move a little lower. Oh yes, havingJackson's hands all over her was becoming more and more intriguing.

Especially if he touched her whole body the way he'd touched her back tonight. No pain, extreme possessiveness and a hot, wanting look in his eyes.

She had the feeling that if she'd been an ordinary woman with no hang-ups, they'd have either arrived at the party very late or not at all. The minute she'd walked out of her room, his