Redemption (Page 54)

She didn’t even notice she was walking until they were standing outside her bedroom door. Reality returned as she looked up and down the hall, they’d never had all seven rooms filled up before she realized. She also knew that she was just trying to distract herself from the man standing at her side by focusing on that fact.

"I would like to thank you, for helping us. You didn’t have to," she finally managed to say.

"I didn’t have a choice really."

She was forced to look up at him when he placed his hand against the wall beside her head and leaned closer to her. He was by far the most overwhelming, enticing man she’d ever met. Before she knew what she was doing, her fingers were resting against his chest. Though they were slightly cooler than humans, she could feel the heat of his body through the thin fabric of his shirt.

There was absolutely no saliva left in her mouth as his fingers played with a strand of her hair and his gaze continued to hold hers. "No, I’m pretty sure I didn’t."

The bloodlink again, she thought as she tilted her head back. If he’d expected a response, he wasn’t going to get one as she was pretty certain her brain had just completely stopped working. The only thing that still had any function left was her body as it was pulled irresistibly toward his.

He released her hair and pressed closer to her. "Tell me to go away Hannah."

She felt like she was trying to tread water that was way over her head as the husky tone of his voice washed over her. He’d leave if she told him to, she knew that. She was also well aware of what he wanted from her, but the last thing in the world she could do was tell him to go away. This was her choice to make, but as she studied him, she realized that much like him, she didn’t think she really had a choice anymore. Not when it came to him.

"No," she whispered.

Hunger flared so hotly in his eyes that for a few seconds they turned red before he was wrapping his arm around her waist and lifting her effortlessly off of the ground. Hannah didn’t have time to contemplate the consequences of her actions before his mouth was taking hold of hers. His mouth was hot and heavy as his lips slanted possessively over hers. His tongue touched against her lips and she eagerly opened to his heady invasion. All logical thought and reasoning fled from her as passion became a blistering inferno that threatened to consume her.

Her hands entangled in his hair as his hand found the knob behind her and he pushed the door open. Excitement thundered through her with the force of a thousand horses as he maneuvered her into the room and kicked the door closed with the back of his heel. Shivers of delight raced up and down her spine as she pressed closer to him. No matter how close she was though, it wasn’t enough; it simply could never be enough. She didn’t realize he’d managed to slide the buttons of her dress free until his hand pressed against the bare flesh of her back. Currents of electricity sizzled over her skin and she almost reached up to make sure that her hair wasn’t standing on end.

She’d given up on treading water and was now drowning within its tumultuous depths. She welcomed the feeling that came with it as his hands slid over her skin. A part of her didn’t recognize the out of control woman she was becoming; the other part had always known that this was what he could do to her. She tugged impatiently at the buttons of his shirt, desperate to feel the tantalizing skin the material covered.

The last button gave way with a pop and though she felt animalistic in her need to get closer, she calmed as soon as her hands pressed against the flesh of his ridged abdomen. A sound of relief escaped her, something within her eased as she pushed the shirt back from him. The intensity of his kiss eased, his mouth slid away from hers as he clasped hold of her face and tilted it toward him.

"Are you sure about this?" he inquired.

She’d never been more certain of anything in her life. Even if he broke her heart, she would forever look back on this day and know that it had been one of the best of her entire existence. "I’m sure."

"There’s no going back after this Hannah, it’s irrevocable."

That thought had frightened her the other day, now it was the only thing she wanted. Staying away from him was impossible and it was too difficult to try and do so. "I don’t want to go back."

His hands slid over her shoulders as he pushed the dress down her arms. Goosebumps broke out on her flesh but she wasn’t sure if that was because of the chilly air, or the anticipation of what was to come as she stood before him in her simple slip. Self-consciousness began to creep in as his eyes perused her with a hunger that made her realize just how much he would like to devour her, and just how willing she was to be devoured.

"I’ve never done this before," she told him.

There was no surprise in his eyes as they met hers. "I know."

When he came back to her, his mouth was far less demanding as he lifted her and carried her to the bed. The muted daylight filtering around the shutters illuminated the muscles in his arms and stomach as he placed her on the bed and shrugged out of his shirt. She craved him with every fiber of her being but trepidation filtered through her as he lay down beside her.

Then, all her apprehension vanished as his hands returned to her body and his mouth took hold of hers again. The rest of the world seemed to vanish and time stood still as everything within her became focused on him and the pleasure he aroused in her. She’d never been so completely lost in someone before. She hoped never to be found again, even when the pain of their joining lanced through her.

Her fingers dug into his back as she clung to him. "I’m sorry," he whispered in her ear.

Tears burned her eyes but she refused to shed them as she bit on her lip and managed a brief nod. She continued to cling to him as his mouth slid from her ear to her neck and down to the hollow of her collarbone. The discomfort began to fade as pleasure slowly stoked within her again. She buried her face in the hollow of his neck as his muscles flexed and bunched beneath her hands.