Slipping his hands beneath her short curtain of hair, he cupped her jaw and drew her mouth to his, needing the contact, desperate for the compassion and sensitivity and hope he knew he would find in her arms.
He felt her slide her hand beneath one of his, so that it was between his skin and hers. He wondered, then realized she was protecting the webbed line of scar tissue from his touch.
Does it hurt? he asked huskily, tenderness flooding him.
She dipped her head. No.
He could feel the heat in her skin and knew she felt humiliated Youre lovely, Cindy. Dont hide from me.
Its ugly to the touch.
No. Gently he pulled her hand away and kissed the hot skin, inching little love bites along the nearly undetectable web of scars, intending nothing but to ease her discomfort. Just holding her eased so much for him. Reality faded a bit, all hurt faded, as he held this wonderful, giving woman.
At first she remained rigid in his arms. But he didnt give up; he simply pulled her onto his lap and rained a shower of kisses over her jaw and neck, gradually coaxing the tension loose from both of them as he continued to taste her skin before shifting back to her mouth.
Her parted lips responded warmly, eagerly seeking his. With a low sound of consent and need, she pressed close, arching her body against him, fueling the urgency.
Her fingers curled in his shirt, digging into the muscles of his chest, as though she needed to touch him as desperately as he needed to touch her. That need suddenly swallowed them both, making them moan with it as it exploded around them. There was no going back. They couldnt, not when he couldnt imagine taking his next breath without her.
He rose off the stool, claiming her mouth with a frantic, almost violent hunger. With a soft little moan, she melted to him, chest to chest, hips to hips, her arms locked around his neck.
I need you, he whispered, feeling battered and bruised. So much-
I need you, too, she whispered, yanking at his shirt. He helped her, pulling it impatiently over his head. I always have-Oh, my goodness! Abruptly that fog of need and hunger disappeared from her eyes. Your stomach.
You always have? he repeated, wondering at her words. What do you mean, youve always wanted me?
Stricken, she stared at him, and whether she purposely avoided the question or was just horrified at his injuries, he didnt know. I-Nothing. Stone, look at you!
Stricken, she stared at him, and whether she purposely avoided the question or was just horrified at his injuries, he didnt know. I-Nothing. Stone, look at you!
He knew what it looked like-a huge, swirling, black and green and yellow and purple bruise that the span of her two hands, which she gently plastered against him, barely covered. Oh, Stone. Her fingers were so soft and enticing on his bare skin that he could hardly stand it. From the saw yesterday?
Yeah. Sucking in his breath did nothing to ease the tension that had gripped him from just having her hands on him. Itd been a long time for him, he decided, but still, he couldnt remember ever getting so hot so fast. What was it about her that so destroyed his carefully placed defenses? Was she real? Would she be his, stay his?
It must be painful.
What was painful was how much he wanted her. His arousal pressed against the fastenings of his pants, threatening to cut off vital circulation. Itll heal, he rasped, nearly swallowing his tongue when her hands slid down a bit, running over his hips.
Stone? she whispered, bold and incredibly shy at the same time, which was a sharp turn-on for reasons Stone didnt want to examine.
He was a man who, ever since Jenna left, only liked sophisticated women, preferably ones looking for no more or less than what he was willing to give. But he knew that this, with her, was different, and if they continued, nothing would ever be quite the same between them again.
Maybe a better man could have resisted, but Stone felt overwhelmed, uncharacteristically out of control, and he couldnt have turned from her to save his life.
The door, he murmured, pulling away long enough to walk through his office to the outer shop, where he locked the front door.
Bolting the office door, as well, he reached for her again, then was surprised when she flipped off the lights and plunged them into complete blackness.
No one can come in now, he assured her, bringing her back into the circle of his arms, loving the feel of having her there. Slender and willowy, yet with wonderful curves in all the places that mattered, she was a dream come true.
His dream, and not only did he want to see her, he wanted her to be just as certain as he was. No one will bother us. Were safe in here.
I know. I just Burying her face in his neck, she went mute and hugged him tight, apparently embarrassed.
He had no idea why she would want the anonymity of the dark. Maybe she was shy. Maybe she had something she wanted to keep covered, like a tattoo.
Which brought back, quite vividly, visions of another woman, a lifetime ago. Jenna, and her own discomfort in the dark, for shed gotten a small rose tattooed on her hip, and shed hated it. It had embarrassed her, but shed been stuck with it.
Stone had never been able to convince her that he didnt care about a damn tattoo, he just cared about her.
But Jenna had no place here, no place at all.
Cindy did, and she wanted the dark, which was a small request. It shouldnt matter, but somehow it did. Itd been so long for him, too long, and even then, he couldnt remember it being like this. He wanted it to be real. Honest. And he wanted to be able to look at her.
Do do you hate the dark? she questioned softly.
It was the scars, he realized suddenly, hoping for her sake that there werent more than hed already seen. She was trembling now, and he held her close. Its all right, he murmured. Its all right. Well just-
No, she said quickly, urgently, pulling him closer. Please, I want this. I want you. Its just that-its been so long.
His chest tightened because he found her admission unbearably moving. Its been a long time for me, too.
And there in the dark, amidst his grief and fear and incredible hunger and need, they came together.
The embrace of her body was as perfect as the embrace of her emotions. Wishing he could see her expression, he touched her face.
Love me, she whispered.
Yes.
His name sighed from her lips, both a question and a prayer. In answer, Stone streaked his hands beneath her blouse, cupping her breasts, feeling the tips harden against his palms. With a rough needy sound in his throat, he peeled away the material of her top and bra and took her into his mouth, making them both moan. She was soft and warm and tasted like heaven, and her sweet body drew things from him hed forgotten existed. But he would have given it up just to see her face, and to know she was feeling everything he was.
Jenna tried to speak, and ended up murmuring something unintelligible. She was stunned because shed had no idea how powerful, how absolutely right it would feel to be with him again like this. It was the same, yet subtly different. Maybe it was their maturity; maybe it was simply that even in this short amount of time shed grown to care about him so much more than shed ever been capable of before.
She didnt understand, only knew that whatever it was, it made her weak and strong, needy and sure all at the same time. That Stone was trembling, too, made it even more poignant, and she touched his tense jaw. He spread her thighs and pulled her in closer until their bodies were flush, until hed nestled her warmest neediest part to the warmest neediest part of him.
She gasped and he shuddered, tightening his hold on her. Raising his head, he kissed her mouth again, and then again, while rocking his hips slowly and purposely against hers, until lights danced in her head and her body was on fire.
She needed to tell him the truth before complicating everything with yet another deception, but she wanted him and the wanting went so much deeper than the physical. It was surging, fierce and undeniable.
Stone.
I know, I know.
Please, now.
He reached around her and shoved whatever he had on the desk to the floor. Lifting her, he set her on the cool surface. The dark consumed them, yet her eyes had adjusted enough that she could see his body loom close, and she knew a true spark of regret that they couldnt do this properly, in the light, with honest emotions flowing.
How she wanted that, but if he caught a glimpse of that damn tattoo she hated, he would know the truth.
And he would never forgive her.
He was looking at her now, and though she had no way of seeing his expression, she knew it would be powerful, piercing. His eyes would be boring into hers almost painfully, forcing her into the intimacy of what they were doing, because with Stone it was all or nothing.
Gently he laid her back, stretching her out on the desk.
This should be on a bed.
Afraid he would stop, she reached for him, unable to get enough of how he felt, so hot and hard and wonderful, beneath her fingers. Please-
Wait, Cindy-
Dont you want me?
A rough laugh escaped from him. Cindy, I want you more than I want my next breath.
Pushing aside her blouse and bra, he cupped her breasts, making a very male appreciative sound that turned her on every bit as much as his touch did. Dipping his head to an upturned aching nipple, Stone danced his hands up her thighs, bringing up the hem of her skirt as he went, until hed reached her restlessly shifting hips. Shed thought it difficult to breathe before, but then he skimmed those long fingers over her panties. Hooking them with his thumbs, he tugged them off, leaving her bare, trembling and completely exposed, and more needy than shed ever been in her life.
I wish I could see you. He dropped to his knees, startling her, then pressed her legs wide apart with his big hands and kissed her. There, oh, there.
I wish I could see you. He dropped to his knees, startling her, then pressed her legs wide apart with his big hands and kissed her. There, oh, there.
Nobody had done this to her since since him, and the sensations that swamped her were all the stronger for the new emotional bond theyd shared. Slowly, deliberately, he proceeded to drive her absolutely out of her mind, first with his tongue, then his teeth, grazing, sucking, nibbling until her entire world shrank to this one little pinnacle of delight.