Fatal Exposure - By Gail Barrett Page 0,45

of his skin sending frissons of excitement dancing along her nerves. Then he cupped her breast, and she gasped, her heart kicking like mad, her nipples pebbling into tight little peaks of need.

The hunger was relentless, insistent, insane. She had a gang hunting her down. Her stepfather wanted her dead. And Parker was a cop, dedicated to his badge.

But logic no longer mattered. Pleasure and instinct took charge. Everything inside her narrowed to her overwhelming hunger for this man.

She wanted to forget the past, forget the danger and fear. Forget the repercussions she’d suffer when reality came roaring back. She wanted to lose herself in the oblivion he offered, just glory in the moment and live.

He ended the kiss, and a moan escaped her throat. Then he rained kisses along her neck, the erotic rasp of his whiskers sending shivers cascading like fireworks over her skin. She ran her hands over his shoulders and back, thrilling at the shudders racking his taut body, his intensity inflaming hers.

Then suddenly, he hauled her into his arms. She gasped, then locked her legs around his waist, admiring his impressive power as he strode with her down the hall. He kicked open the door to his bedroom, and after a few short strides, deposited her on the king-size bed. He followed her down to the mattress, settling his weight over her.

But then he stopped. Propping himself up on his forearms, he gazed deeply into her eyes. “Are you okay with this?” he asked, his voice husky.

Does he know about the abuse? The sudden worry skittered through her, but she brushed her concerns aside. How could he possibly know about that?

“More than okay,” she answered truthfully, running her hands down his arms and back. It had taken years of therapy and hard work, but she’d finally freed herself from the sordid past.

And she’d never been more glad.

His lips grazed her neck. She let out a breathy sigh. She needed to feel his hands stroking her body, his naked skin on hers. He slid his hands beneath her shirt, and she arched with pleasure. His wicked mouth was driving her beyond control. Unable to stand the torture, she squirmed and thrashed against him, suddenly desperate for more.

As if reading her mind, he rose to his knees, ripped off his T-shirt one-handed and tossed it aside. “I need to see you,” he said, the roughness of his voice causing an answering spasm of heat in her blood. She peeled off her jeans and shirt, then flung her underwear onto the pile while Parker grabbed protection from the bedside table and made short work of his remaining clothes.

She paused, admiring his magnificent body, his beautifully roped tendons and sculpted muscles drying her throat. But it was his absolute focus on her, the stark hunger blazing in his eyes that threatened to do her in.

“You’re beautiful,” he growled. He moved over her again, his masterful mouth devouring hers. Then he kissed his way down her body, worshipping her, arousing every inch of her, drowning her in sensations so intense she wanted to sob.

She fisted her hands in his hair, lost to sensations. She tried to hurry him up, her frustration unbearable, and he chuckled against her skin.

Then his humor abruptly ended. He spread her legs with his knees and bracketed her face with his hands, his eyes fixed on hers. And suddenly she had the oddest sensation, as if he could see straight through to her soul.

As if he saw her.

The world fell away. She stayed trapped in his heated gaze, a riot of emotions thickening her throat. Because beyond the rampaging hunger, beyond the need erupting like a wildfire between them, was something else. Something deeper. A sense of connection. A feeling that she’d finally found a man she could depend on. A man who would guard and protect her. A man she could trust with her heart—a thought that both thrilled and terrified her.

Then his body drove into hers, the pleasure so exquisite that she cried out. And then she stopped thinking altogether, giving herself over completely, and surrendered to the shocking bliss.

Chapter 10

Brynn regained consciousness with a start, feeling disoriented and strange. She jerked open her eyes and searched the shadows, her gaze stalling on Parker lying facedown beside her in the bed. His thick black hair was mussed. Heat simmered from his powerful frame. His head was turned her way, his harsh face slack in sleep, the morning stubble on his jaw pronounced. The sheet