Santa Soldier Bear - Meg Ripley Page 0,48

think I just want to get you naked to cuddle in bed with me all day,” she said as she slowly began unbuttoning his shirt.

“I’m up for that, but I can’t promise you I’ll behave myself. Not with such a gorgeous woman at my side.” He ran his fingers through her hair as she pushed his shirt back from his hard abs and ran her hands over his chest. His dark hair narrowed into a promising trail at the waistband of his jeans, and she unbuckled his belt to see just where it led. Melody skimmed her palms over his backside as she removed his pants and his boxer briefs.

Naked, the two of them moved backward onto the bed together, their skin sliding pleasurably against each other as they got between the sheets, and Melody felt her spirit lift to new heights she’d never experienced before. Roman held her close as he made love to her, worshipping every part of her body with his hands and his mouth, murmuring how much he loved her in her ear. The best part was that she actually believed him. She’d spent far too much of her life thinking she would never truly be loved by someone, that the fairytale endings were for everyone but her, yet it was happening right before her eyes. Her body ripened in his hands as he pulled her close, his hardness insistent against her inner thigh.

“I love you, Melody,” he said with one more kiss, his rough palms on either side of her face as he looked into her eyes. “I’ve loved you from the minute I saw you, and I don’t ever want to let you out of my sight again.”

“I love you, too, Roman. So much.”

He plunged into her then, and as full of passion she already was, Melody discovered there was even more. She surged and rolled with him, her hips moving of their own volition to keep time with his, her hands continually finding some new, exciting plane of his hard body to explore. The morning light streamed through the window, illuminating their bodies and making a gleaming halo around his hair as he pleasured her. Roman moved so carefully, yet she felt the intensity and desperation in his shaking muscles as he sought to claim as much of her as he could.

Melody closed her eyes, letting the rest of the world melt away as she gave herself over completely to this feeling. She focused on the way his body felt inside hers, throbbing in perfect harmony with her heart, and how both her human and snow leopard sides reveled in the soul connection between them. Her breath caught in her throat as her muscles wound up like a spring, clenching tighter and tighter until she could hardly even breathe.

Roman must have felt it, too, because she felt his girth expand, filling her even more. That was enough to push her over the edge, making that knot of muscle melt in an instant as she let go. She clenched her jaw and clawed at his back as their flesh spoke to each other in an ancient exchange they couldn’t control.

Her mind buzzing and her muscles quivering, Melody curled up in the crook of his arm as Roman pulled the covers over the two of them. She listened to his heartbeat, knowing that soon enough, they’d both be listening to another heartbeat that was developing in her belly. This had been the perfect Christmas.

13

“Roman! Have you finally returned to us?” Austin strode forward through the terminal and embraced his clanmate. Roman recognized him immediately, with his lantern jaw, piercing eyes, and signature Stetson. “And I take it this is the lovely Melody. I hope that little charter plane wasn’t too interesting of a ride.” He swept off his hat and kissed her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, blushing a little.

“Old Henry said to tell you everything’s fine at the ranch,” Austin said as he took Melody’s bags from her.

“I hope he didn’t have too much trouble taking care of my part of things,” Roman hedged. He’d hated to ask anyone to do that much work for him, but he couldn’t exactly just leave all the livestock to fend for themselves.

Austin shook his head. “I don’t think he minded at all, really. He doesn’t have an excuse to get out into the fresh air as much as he’d like to these days. In fact, it also gave him an excuse to head over to