The Soul Collector - By Tamela Quijas Page 0,61

after him, she collided into the rock hardness of his chest. Almost collapsing, only his hand kept her upright. His breath had escaped him in a loud and choking gasp, and he stared into her fearful features.

At the same moment the incident occurred, Ethan was more preoccupied with a malfunctioning digital camera. For some undetermined reason, the battery had died on the expensive bit of equipment. He had been attempting to find another, speaking to the man carrying the boom mike. Distracted, they hadn’t witnessed the contact.

Eva forced an inane giggle at her own clumsiness as the technician turned. Forcing repeated apologies, she thanked Lucien for steadying her, claiming she had fallen headlong into the wall.

“You jeopardized my existence.” He managed in a low tone and wrapped his arms about his torso. His gloveless hands were a stark and amazing shade of white against his silk shirt.

“I'm sorry, Lucien. I'm so sorry I touched you.” She approached him, her heart aching, and she longed to erase the pain from his shivering body.

“I regret….”

Her nearness disconcerted him. Barely able to manage the words, his attention became riveted. To his more normalized vision, he observed the glow seeping from her lashes. A sprinkling of stardust drifted across her rounded features and settled on her sleeveless blouse.

“What do you regret, Lucien?”

He blinked and attempted to shake the image of glowing stars from his eyes, the bed depressing with her weight. She was careful not to touch him, a hand's width separating the curve of her luscious thigh from his rigidly muscled leg.

“I….” He couldn’t speak as she peered into his shadowed face. She blinked and a scattering of light rose from her flesh and dispersed, as weightless and downy as feathers.

“Do you regret knowing me?”

Lucien remained silent. Her breath escaped her with a soft sigh and the air filled with shimmering stardust. On his own accord, without his normal reticence, he leaned forward. His eyes closed with undefined rapture and he ran the tip of his tongue over his lips, capturing the distinct flavor of peppermints.

Oddly enough, Lucien didn't experience the explosive sensations that usually assailed him.

Instead, there was deep warmth and sweeping calm, accompanied by the slight sound of his heart. The slow thud of the organ was barely perceptible at first, increasing in tempo when he brushed his mouth against her startled lips. He was unable to stop from stealing a forbidden kiss, savoring the resonance of his rapid pulse and the warm blood flooding his veins. A low and contented sigh slipped from him and he leaned in closer for yet another taste. His lips became lightly insistent as he parted the tender flesh of her mouth, coaxingly running the tip of his tongue over the moistness.

Lucien longed to gather the rays of starlight radiating from her. He wanted to become part of the world she mutely promised with her every action, and lose himself in her.

“Lucien?” Eva questioned, confused when he pulled back. His expression was bemused, and flushed with a tenuous bit of color.

“Yes, Evangeline?”

“No body jarring impact?” She questioned. “No gasping lack of air?”

“Don't question the moment,” he whispered huskily. “Whatever reprieve I've been granted, I’ll gladly accept.”

Eva trembled against him, the depth of his meaning echoing in her ears. His tongue traced her lower lip, teasing the sensitive flesh into tingling life. She inhaled a shuddering breath, savoring the undeniably earthy scent radiating from his clean flesh. Beneath her fingertips, his body thrummed. Her hands clutched his shoulders, the silk of his shirt smooth beneath her touch. The thudding of his palpitating heart and the rush of breath flowing from him was apparent, as was the bright stain of color flushing his cheeks.

Eva closed her eyes as his features filled her vision. His gaze was dark with need as he grazed her lower lip with the tip of his tongue, and a low-pitched moan escaped her. Her lashes fluttered, and her grip tightened as she endeavored to remain steady, the world crumbling into a gaping nothingness around her.

She floundered to suck in a desperate wisp of strangled air. His firm lips slid across her sensitive skin and brushed her jaw, leaving behind a scintillating trail of raging fire. Except for the gentle pressure of his mouth against her sensitive flesh, Lucien didn’t place a hand on her. Eva pressed closer, her restless and trembling body seeking his lean length.

“Evangeline, I haven't any regrets, where you're concerned.”

The muffled heat of the words whispered against her neck. He