Courage Under Fire (Silver Creek #2) - Lindsay McKenna Page 0,98

you know I was there for you, but I was afraid you’d interpret it as a sexual advance, when it wasn’t.”

“That’s too rich,” she murmured, shaking her head, “because there were so many times I wanted to reach out to you, touch you, let you know that I applauded who you are, but like you? I was afraid you’d think me wanting to touch you would be misread and you’d think I was flirting with you, or coming on to you.”

“Well,” he grumbled wryly, one corner of his mouth lifting, “we’re a pair, aren’t we?”

“Maybe we had to go through that period, Chase. There’s so much confusion over a touch or a look that can be misinterpreted by both parties. I’m not blaming anyone, but I was just as hobbled by it as you were.”

“Until now.”

“Yes . . . until now. I thought I was going to die earlier today. I’m still dealing with it. I was so afraid I’d never be able to kiss you, touch you, love you and have you love me in return. I know sex is a part of love, but it’s certainly not the most important part of a partnership. I’ve seen that with my parents and I’m sure you did with your father and mother.”

“I did. They taught me loving someone was more than just a toss in bed.”

“Well,” she said, leaning back and straightening, his arm loosening to allow her to do that, “I want you, Chase Bishop. I want to touch your heart, become one with your soul . . . and I want you to love me just as deeply.”

“That’s a tall order, Cari,” he said, holding her yearning look. “But I’ll do the best I can. Maybe if we have no expectation of the other?”

“Yes. It’s the expectation, I’ve found, that’s sets me up for disappointment.” She reached out, beginning to unsnap the front of his damp shirt. “My senses, my heart tells me we will not ever disappoint one another.”

“Well,” he said, glorying in her assertiveness, “if it happens, I’d like to think we’ll talk it out and learn how to fix it, to make it better for the other partner. Don’t you?”

“Always,” she said, smoothing her palms against his darkly haired chest, easing the canvas fabric away, delighting in the feel of his hard flesh tightening where she moved her hands, her fingers tingling as she slid them through the wiry hair across the breadth of him. His groan sent a shaft of heat straight to her core and she closed her eyes, simply absorbing the feel of him, the tautness of his skin, his calloused hands sliding gently to either side of her face, tilting her chin upward. Just the bare, feathery touch of his strong mouth against her parting lips created a keening moan that moved through her. Their first kiss was nothing like she imagined. Chase kissed her mouth tenderly, so worshipful, so sacred, as if she were some fragile, beautiful being, more goddess than human. All of that was communicated in the first brush of his lips introducing himself to her. How different Chase was from other men, who blundered on a first kiss, thrusting their tongue into her mouth, making her yelp and jerk away, angered by such an unwarranted assault upon her as a person.

She drowned in his mouth, taking his with her woman’s sensing, more firm, sliding, giving, taking until she trembled, feeling utterly adored, worshipped, and desired. As big a man, as muscular and powerful as he was physically, none of that was communicated in his mouth sipping at hers, kissing each corner, sealing and cajoling, spinning her deeper into raw desire.

Moaning, she withdrew, pushing the shirt off his broad, capable shoulders, seeing the thick line of bruises where the seat belt had laid diagonally across his chest. Hers looked the same, but for her, she saw the warrior in him, perhaps battered, cut, and bruised, but he was no less in sync with her as she was with him, regardless of any pain he or she might be experiencing. Instead, feeling so attuned to him, their breathing heightening, their hands moving across one another in gentle introduction, articles of clothing falling away, released to the blanket in small heaps here and there, until finally, they were naked and looking at one another with a need that humbled Cari as nothing before.

Whatever her awful moments with other males who took, grabbed, pinched, and bit at her body, Chase was