she was seriously doubting her ability to do so.
His eyes looked back down at her thigh, but his hands changed, his touch seemed softer somehow. He was still cleaning all the dirt off, but it was more of a caress than anything else. His hand smoothed over her skin, cleaning and exploring, tenderly touching the tortured areas of her skin, his fingertips a light touch, which was even more beguiling.
“You have beautiful skin, Kiera,” he said softly, his voice deeper, huskier.
She took a deep breath, wishing it didn’t sound so shaky. “I’m too white,” she argued, trying to think of anything to get herself out of this, to make him go away before she begged him to stay.
“Tell me you miss what we had together,” he demanded, his eyes capturing hers while his fingers continued to trail fire down her leg.
Kiera wished she could deny his command, but the way he was touching her had eliminated all her defenses to him. “I miss it,” she replied, trembling now as his fingers moved down to her knee, then her calf.
With those words, he stood up and Kiera was painfully disappointed that he was no longer touching her. But she’d been mistaken in his intentions. He didn’t hesitate a moment before he took her head between both of his hands and kissed her, deeply. His kiss caused her to moan with the contact. Her mouth didn’t stop him in any way. In fact, she encouraged him in the only way she knew how. She kissed him right back, forgetting that she was supposed to resist him. Forgetting that this job was only a stepping stone and he’d hurt her terribly the last time their careers had diverged.
It was only Axel now. His hands, his mouth, his tongue invading hers and she kissed him right back with every ounce of desire that had been stored up over the past six years for this man. She wanted him and all the remembered pain was hidden at the moment. It was only the desire, sure and strong, that was on her mind now.
His hands pulled her forward on the countertop and Kiera’s hands fisted on his shirt, trying to hold on even though her world was tilting precariously. If he were to stop right now, she might just fizzle out in a spark of heat so intense there would be nothing left of her afterwards.
Of course, if he continued, there was the possibility that the same thing could happen. Her only option was to pull herself closer, to mold her body against his. But that didn’t help her in any way either. She needed him so desperately she was in pain with that desire. She couldn’t wait. Her hands slipped underneath his shirt, feeling the velvet steel of his chest and stomach covered by a light dusting of hair. He was stronger, she realized. Her fingers explored the angles under his shirt, needing to discover all the changes that had occurred over the years but he was pulling at her. She didn’t understand and she almost growled when he did something to pull her hands away. But she realized that he was only taking his shirt off, giving her better access and her hands immediately jumped right back to his chest, her eyes following so she could see the changes as well as feel them. Her fingers moved over his skin, finding all those spots she remembered so well that drove him crazy. When they weren’t making love, those spots were only ticklish but as soon as their touch heated up, those spots were an instant erogenous zone and she loved every one of them, touching them all and wishing she could send him as far over the edge as she already was.
He growled himself and lifted her up, carrying her into her bedroom and placing her on her bed. “My turn,” he said and swiftly, efficiently, pulled the softball shirt up and over her head. He didn’t even hesitate, give her time to understand what he was doing before his hands had even released the clasp behind her back to free her breasts. The ugly but effective sports bra was tossed away and his eyes were hot as he looked down at her bare breasts.
“You’re beautiful,” he groaned before his head bent, lowered to kiss the tip of her breast. Her nipple pebbled underneath his lips and she arched against him, needing his body against hers. She was frantic now, needing him inside her