Desire burned through Grace, causing her heart to pound violently against her ribs. Her breasts ached as they rubbed against his chest.
Logan stopped beside the bed. Her entire body grazed against his as he lowered her to her feet, so much so that she felt every hard ridge. The moment his hands dropped, Grace felt the loss. The loss of his touch. His warmth. It almost brought a chill to her limbs.
Slowly, Logan slid off his shoes. His hands then went to the base of his shirt, lifting it over his head.
Almost involuntarily, her gaze slid over his bronzed, muscled chest. Power. Strength. He was both those things. And for tonight, he was hers.
When his hands went to her cheeks, her gaze pulled back up to his deep brown eyes. So clear and open that she swore she could see inside the man.
“How far do you want us to take this, Grace?”
She took a small step closer, feeling his heat, his energy, radiating off him in waves. “I want all of you.”
She wanted everything.
His features didn’t change, but an array of emotions flickered in his eyes. Desire. Heat. Apprehension, maybe? Hesitation?
“I don’t want you to do something you’re not ready for,” he said quietly.
This man, this beautiful man, always trying to protect her.
Hands going to his chest, she caressed his skin. Silky smooth. His heartbeat pounded against her palm, its rhythmic cadence almost becoming a part of her. “I trust you. And I trust myself.” To stay in the moment. To not let the ugliness of her past seep into her current reality.
She pressed a kiss to his chest before stepping back. Holding his gaze, she toed off her own shoes. Then, clutching the bottom hem of her dress, Grace tugged it over her head.
A tickle of fear tried to feed its way into her bones. But this time, it was fear of his reaction. Fear of what he would think about the scars that disfigured her body.
Logan’s gaze didn’t shift from hers, intensity swirling inside their depths.
His hands went to his jeans, removing them first, then his briefs. She watched, imprisoned by her mounting desire.
Stepping closer, Logan put his hands on her shoulders, turning her gently so that she faced the bed, his front pressed to her back.
His hands lightly ran down her arms, leaving a trail of fire wherever they touched. Her hair was swept off her neck, replaced by Logan’s lips. A soft kiss placed right below her ear. The next on her neck. Then her shoulder.
She was vaguely aware of his hands shifting to the clasp of her bra. Of the lace falling to the floor with a soft whisper. One of his arms sliding around her waist. The other enclosing a breast.
A soft whimper escaped her lips, her pulse quickening. He took advantage of her exposed neck, feasting on her skin while he cherished and massaged her soft mound.
His kisses were too intoxicating. Like tiny bouts of electricity traveling from his lips right down to her core. Every so often he would pause, sweet endearments leaving his lips. About her beauty. Her sweetness. How their hearts were beating in sync.
When he shifted to the other side of her neck, she eagerly turned her head, sucking in a sharp breath when he also switched to her other breast at the same time.
It was an assault on her senses. A delicious torture. Her body throbbed for him.
She could feel his hardness behind her, but he made no move toward the bed.
“Logan.” She whispered his name so quietly it barely floated through the room.
“What do you need, honey?”
Every little part of him.
Turning in his arms, she held his gaze for a moment before reaching up and pressing her lips to his. This man was starting to feel like home, his lips so familiar she’d just about memorized them.
She felt his hands at her hips as they tugged down the last piece of material that separated them. He took a step forward, gently pushing her until the back of her knees touched the soft mattress.
Logan’s arm wrapped around her, lifting her, showcasing his immense strength, before laying her in the center of the bed.
She expected him to cover her body with his own. Press her to the mattress. Instead, he remained to the side, kissing her shoulder again. Then the top of her chest. He paused at her breasts, just for a second, then he was taking one of her pebbled nipples between his lips, feasting on her.
A strangled cry escaped her lips. She writhed beneath him, squirmed and arched as his tongue swirled her peak. With his fingers, he played with her other peak, flicking and tugging and grazing with his thumb.
The desire inside her mounted. A physical ache cocooning itself in her core, driving her to the edge.
After torturous minutes, Logan lowered himself down her body, shifting so that his head was above the apex of her thighs.
Her breath caught as his head lowered. Then, his tongue was swiping her clit.
A jolt of fire, so hot she felt like she was burning from the inside out, blasted through her body. The unbidden cry that released from her lips was so loud it echoed through the room, splintering the silence.
He swiped his tongue over her again, his hands encircling her thighs, his shoulders widening and exposing her. It was heaven and it was hell at the same time. He played with her body like she was an instrument he was intimately familiar with. Like he knew exactly what she needed to go higher.
He was relentless.
With every passing second, she became more feverish. More desperate. Soon Grace was rocking her hips. Whether she was trying to get away or closer, she wasn’t sure, she just knew that she needed more of him.
“Logan…” She was close to the breaking point when finally his head lifted. His soft kisses trailed up her body until he hovered over her, their lips fusing together. He held most of his weight off her as he lifted his head. Grace almost wanted to cry at the separation.
“One more time, Grace—tell me you’re sure.”
She wrapped her legs around his hips, tugging him closer. The contact was shattering, in the best possible way.
Her hands went to either side of his head, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. “I’ve never been more sure of anything. I want you, Logan.”
He leaned across the bed, grabbing a foil wrapper from the nightstand and tearing it open. He sheathed himself quickly before returning to her. A bit more of his weight pressed against her this time. His hardness was right there at her entrance.
For the first time, a small trickle of doubt hit her. Her breath stuttered in her throat.
What if she couldn’t do this?
She felt Logan tense, his intelligent brown eyes seeing everything as they studied her face. “Grace…”
At her silence, he quickly rolled onto his back, taking her with him so that she straddled him. “You’re in control, Grace.”
Wetting her lips, Grace lifted herself up, wrapping her fingers around his length and positioning him at her entrance again. Slowly, she lowered, feeling the delicious stretch of her walls around him until he was seated inside her depths.
Logan’s hands went to her hips, the muscles in his arms visibly bunching. The man almost looked like he was in physical pain.
She lifted her hips slowly before sliding back down his length. Pleasure cascaded through her limbs. Logan’s fingers tightened on her hips, digging into her softness, while her own fingers dug into the hardness of his chest. A perfect symphony of yearning and fire simmered inside her as she began to move up and down, igniting the most exquisite need.
Soon, it didn’t feel like enough. She needed more. She wanted to feel his weight against her chest. She wanted to hand the control over to him.
Slowing her pace, she touched his shoulder, pulling him as she eased to her side.
A frown marred his brows, but slowly he went with her, rolling until she was on her back once again. She could see the doubt raging inside him. “Are you sure?”
Her hand moved to his neck, stroking the skin. “I trust you.”
His features softened. “You tell me to stop, and I stop. No questions asked.” He grazed her cheek with his finger.
He lowered his body, and she felt him right there. They didn’t break eye contact as he slid back inside her.
There was no doubt. His weight now felt like a safe haven.
When he was seated inside her, he stilled, one hand cradling her cheek. “Everything okay?” His voice sounded strained. Like it was using all of his strength to remain as he was.
“So much better than okay.”
His eyes shuttered. When they opened, they were the most beautiful shade of chocolate brown. “Stay with me, baby.”
He started to move, lifting his hips and lowering in slow, even thrusts. Closing her eyes, she breathed him in. Her hands gliding over his muscled arms, his hard chest.
Every movement was measured. Controlled. Healing. She could see the toll it was taking to keep his thrusts slow. Her fingers dug into his arms, urging him to move faster. He did, but only slightly. She still felt the tension in his body.
The man surrounded her. Claiming her. It was beautiful and intense and emotional.
Logan lowered his hand, touching her core. A soft cry released from her throat as she bowed off the bed. His finger moved in rhythmic circles while his thrusts remained deep and even.
It was when his head lowered, his mouth capturing hers, tongue slipping between her lips, that she finally broke.
She cried out as the orgasm took her, her body convulsing and throbbing. Logan kept moving, his arms straining to hold his weight, before suddenly he buried his head in her neck as he growled and tensed.
Then there was stillness. Their deep breaths the only sound penetrating the quiet.
Tears hit the back of her eyes. She’d just done something she thought she’d never be able to do again—and it felt amazing. “Thank you.” She breathed the words, not sure how she would ever be able to let this man go. He’d changed everything.
