Echoes at Dawn (19 page)

Her eyes warmed and the blue became darker.

“I do trust you.”

He squeezed her hand and then continued the rest of the way to the bedroom.

The awkwardness once they were behind the closed door was unfamiliar. Most of his liaisons, if you could call them that, were fast. Night out, ending in a hotel room. He usually bugged out the next day on assignment.

He liked to blow off steam as well as the next guy but he’d never let sex or a woman interfere with his job. What the hell was he supposed to do when the woman
was
the job?

And she wasn’t just any woman. She wasn’t someone he wanted to fuck to quick orgasm and then roll out of bed and into his combat boots.

He wanted to take his time, lavish her with the attention she deserved. He wanted to touch and taste every single inch of her beautiful body. But more than that, he wanted to slide into her mind and fill it with beautiful things to replace all the evil she’d been exposed to.

She tugged her hand from his and looked away, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth. She looked hesitant and adorably shy, and it made him want to pull her into his arms and promise her the world.

“Grace.”

She glanced up, her chin wobbling just a bit.

“I’m going to undress you, but you need to tell me if that’s okay. If you want me out of my clothes first so you
don’t feel at a disadvantage, I can do that. You tell me what you need and I’ll make sure it’s done.”

Her brow furrowed and she looked genuinely perplexed. It was then he realized that the thing he could do most for her was to simply take control so she felt secure at all times.

Without waiting for an answer, he moved in and slid his hands underneath the hem of her shirt. His palms skimmed over her lean belly and upward, dragging the shirt with him.

“Lift your arms.”

Slowly she raised her arms and he pulled the shirt over her head. His gaze was riveted to the soft swells of her breasts. So plump and delectable. Perfectly feminine. She was thin from weight loss, which made her breasts seem even plumper on her small frame. They were a perfect size, just enough to fill his hand.

And her nipples were a delicious pink. Soft around the nipple and then hard and erect, puckered and just begging for his mouth.

She started to cover herself self-consciously, but he put out a hand to stop her.

“Don’t. You’re beautiful, Grace. So very beautiful. You have nothing to hide. Certainly not from me.”

Her smile was wavering but her eyes lit up. She stared at him like he was the only man in the world. Like he was somebody damn special.

He fumbled with her pants and pushed downward until they bunched at her ankles.

“Sit down on the edge of the bed,” he directed.

He held on to her hand so she didn’t trip as she took the few steps back. Once she was perched on the edge, he pulled the pants off.

She was only in a simple pair of white cotton panties, but she rocked them like they were Victoria’s Secret’s sexiest lingerie.

“Lie back,” he said in a husky voice.

Slowly she reclined until she was on her back, her hair
splayed out around her. Her legs still dangled from the bed, her toes just grazing the floor.

He slid his hands up her legs, starting at her knees and working up to her hips. Then when his thumbs slipped under the band of her underwear, he leaned down and kissed the shallow indention of her navel.

She shivered and chill bumps dusted a fine layer over her skin.

Slowly, he eased the panties over her hips, uncovering the dark curls at the apex of her thighs. He continued sliding them down until they were free and he dropped them onto the floor.

He found her gaze again, read the stark vulnerability shining back at him.

“I’m going to love you, Grace. I’m going to taste you and touch you and I’m going to make you feel so very good. But you have to tell me if I ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Promise me that.”

“I promise,” she whispered.

He kissed one knee and then the other. Then he slid his hand between them and nudged them apart. He enjoyed the silky expanse of skin on the insides of her thighs. So satiny. His palms glided toward the juncture, spreading her wider as he went until her soft woman’s flesh lay open and glistening before him.

Reverently, he lowered his mouth, dying to have his lips on her. Just wanting her taste on his tongue.

Gently, he opened her farther, using the pads of his thumbs. She shivered uncontrollably, her legs tightening. He stroked her a moment, content to explore the soft folds.

He touched her clitoris, just a simple touch, and then followed it with a firmer caress. This time, her hips lifted and her hands balled into fists at her sides.

After he teased the flesh into a taut bud, he swept his tongue over it. She cried out but he didn’t lift his head to check her reaction. He could tell by the instant tension that rolled through her body that she’d found pleasure.

He sucked tenderly, flicking the tip of his tongue repeatedly over the bundle of nerves, stroking and teasing.

“Rio!”

It came out more as a breathy sigh. It was the kind of sound that boosted a man’s ego. It told him he was pleasing his woman. That there wasn’t another man she was thinking of at this moment.

He worked downward, savoring her taste and the way she arched into him. He licked over her opening then reached down to slide one finger inside.

He nearly groaned. She was so damn tight and all he had was his finger inside her. How much more glorious would she feel all snug around his cock?

Even though his body screamed at him to get his damn pants down and thrust inside her warmth, he knew he couldn’t blow this. Grace deserved better than a quick lay. He wanted to give her more. He wanted this to be…Well, hell. He wanted it to be special.

Nothing like performance anxiety at the two-minute warning. Right now his dick was warning him that if he didn’t get inside the end zone soon, it was going to be all over.

He sucked in a deep breath, inhaled her scent and nearly came in his pants right there. He needed out of his damn clothes. He was about to crawl right out of his skin.

He kissed her again, withdrew his finger and glanced up to see her staring down at him, her expression dazed and eyes burning with desire.

“Don’t move a muscle,” he managed to grind out.

He hastily stripped, or he started to. He’d ripped his shirt upward when her husky voice reached his ears.

“No, don’t hurry. Please. I want to watch.”

He had to close his eyes and collect himself. Everything she did and said just did it for him. He couldn’t ever remember a woman being so curious and eager to see and enjoy him. His body. They were usually in as every bit of a hurry as he was. It was sex. Hot, sweaty,
quick
sex.

If he had his way, he was going to stretch this out the entire damn night.

He slowed down and eased the shirt up his chest, baring himself inch by inch to her avid gaze. And she was staring hard at him. He lost her a moment when he finally pulled it over his head, but when his gaze settled back on her, she was caressing him with her eyes.

Her enjoyment of him was there for the world to see. Shining in her eyes. Clear, unapologetic appreciation. It made him want to bow up and flex or do some other equally immature male posturing.

“Now your pants,” she whispered.

As she made the request, she rose up to one elbow then pushed back with her other hand so she could fully see him. Just to make sure she was completely satisfied, he backed up a step so she could see all of him.

When his hands went to his fly, he heard her breath do a little fast hiccup. Getting into the spirit of the striptease, he took his time undoing the fly and easing the zipper down. He locked on to her gaze, enjoying watching her every reaction. He wondered if she even realized how expressive she was, how every thought seemed to be reflected in her eyes.

With the fly open, he slid his thumbs around the waistband, paused a moment and then began to ease his pants down. As soon as his dick popped free, her eyes widened. Her gaze went up to his, then back down, then back up again.

He couldn’t help himself. He let out what might be the cockiest grin ever.

“Like what you see?” he drawled.

“Somehow I didn’t see you as going commando.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “That’s all you have to say? You little tease.”

She smiled and then blushed. “I’m just glad you can’t read my mind.”

His eyes narrowed and he advanced, his cock surging
upward even more. It was so damn tight and swollen that even moving was painful. He felt like he was going to split apart at the seams. He’d never been so goddamn hard in his life.

He placed his hands down on the bed on either side of her hips and leaned in until their mouths were close and he could feel her breath on his lips.

“Tell me what you were thinking, Grace.”

Her eyes widened again and she blushed even harder.

“Tell me. I want to hear every little dirty thought that went through that mind of yours.”

Her pupils widened, darkening her eyes to midnight blue.

“I was wondering how we’d ever fit,” she whispered as if imparting a secret.

He smiled and then kissed her. Hard. When he pulled away, he was still smiling. “We’ll fit, Grace. I’ll make damn sure of that.”

GRACE’S
eyes widened once more and she glanced down as if seeking confirmation herself. He curled his hand around his length and stroked up and down, allowing her to see for herself his size.

“See? Not so bad,” he said in amusement.

She still didn’t look convinced, but he figured if she was still worrying about the size of his cock when he got inside her, then he was doing it all wrong anyway.

After a gentle squeeze to the head and a moment to ward off impending orgasm, he put his hands on her shoulders and once more guided her down. This time he wanted to feast on those perfect breasts.

He wanted to lick down one side of her body and back up the other. And although he loved breasts as well as the next man, he was dying to fondle her ass and spend time exploring every curve and swell of that delectable backside. A curvy behind did it for him every time, and while Grace may be slender from her ordeal, she still had an ass to die for. He’d done his share of fantasizing about cupping it as he plunged into her.

Or of palming it as he took her from behind.

Hell, he’d even imagined taking her anally, which caused him to call himself all sorts of foul names. She was so damn sweet and gentle and beautiful and he was playing out scenes in his head from some skanky porn movie.

He positioned himself between her legs and lowered his body down so he could finally have his mouth on her taut nipples. His cock brushed over her pussy and lay sandwiched between their bodies, the tip touching the soft skin of her belly.

He angled himself so he could reach her breasts without having to move. He loved the feel of her surrounding his cock. She twisted restlessly beneath him, and he knew she was growing impatient. That made two of them.

He licked over one hard point, licked again and then sucked gently. Her fingers dove into his hair, surprising him with the ferocity of her grip. Her fingers were clenched tight around the long strands, her hand balled into a fist at his scalp.

Hell, she’d probably pull him bald, and he didn’t really give a damn. She could pull it all out as long as she was screaming his name while she did it.

“I like that,” she breathed.

He smiled against her breast then lifted his head to meet her gaze. “I like it too. You have beautiful breasts, Grace. The entire package is beautiful inside and out.”

Moisture gleamed in her eyes and he leaned up to kiss her full on the mouth. “I didn’t say it to make you cry. It’s the God-given truth.”

She caressed his cheek, rubbing soft fingers over the roughness of his jaw. “Thank you for that. For giving me back some of what I’ve lost.”

“If I have my way, you’ll get it all back.”

He kissed her lips once more and then angled himself toward her other breast. He cupped it in his palm, plumping it upward so the nipple protruded even farther. He grazed his teeth over it ever so carefully, giving it a gentle nip before sucking it fully into his mouth.

She gripped his hair again, directing his movements. He quickly discovered she liked the light touches followed by hard sucking motions.

He rubbed his cock up and down the seam of her pussy and then onto her belly, mimicking movements their bodies would be doing soon. Each time he suckled at her breast, she grew wetter and slicker around his dick. He’d definitely found her sweet spot. She responded more avidly to having her breasts touched and kissed than she had when his tongue was inside her pussy, though she hadn’t exactly
not
liked that.

“You’re driving me crazy,” she said as she pulled him back down to her breast.

He chuckled, wincing as she gripped his hair tighter. She may be timid and shy about the whole lovemaking experience, but when it came to what she liked, she wasn’t hesitant whatsoever.

He kept his mouth on her breasts, but he slipped one hand down between them. He slid his fingers through her wetness to her opening, testing her readiness.

She was hot and wet, and as soon as he breached her entrance with just the tip of his finger, she arched up and moaned.

Oh hell yeah, she was ready.

He kissed her one more time for good measure and then pulled her down the bed so that her behind was perched just on the edge and was at just the right height and angle for him to take her.

“Hook your legs around me,” he directed. He didn’t want her uncomfortable, and being so close to the edge of the bed, if he didn’t support her legs, it was going to be a hell of an uncomfortable ride for her.

She readily looped her legs around his waist and he slipped his hands underneath her behind, loving the feel of those lush cheeks in his palms.

He withdrew one hand, slid a finger inside to better prepare her and then he grasped his cock and fit it to her opening.