Mine to Hold (Mine #3)(17)
Author: Cynthia Eden

She liked the roughness of his hands. She liked to touch him.

“I want to stay with you.”

His fingers curled around hers. “Remember that.” Then he bent and kissed her. She leaned into him, because right then, Claire thought that maybe, just maybe, she could have a chance.

Everyone else could live and love.

Why not her?

***

Noah shut the door of the suite.

I’ve got her. She won’t leave again.

Claire glanced back at him. She tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. Her gaze was nervous. Hesitant.

Did she know just what he wanted to do with her? To her?

Fucking Claire Kramer had been incredible. And he planned to do it again and again.

“I won’t be easy this time.” He felt it was only fair to warn her.

Her eyelids flickered.

She didn’t realize just how furious he’d been when he returned to find her gone. Women didn’t slip away from his bed in the middle of the night, acting as if screwing him was somehow shameful. They stayed. They begged for more. But…

I never want Claire to beg.

He didn’t want her to beg for anything.

“I don’t remember ever asking you to be easy,” Claire said, surprising him. She turned to face him fully. She was wearing a snug pair of jeans and a loose top.

She looked even sexier than she’d been in that black dress.

“It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be fast.” Fair warning, Claire. They were lucky they’d made it up the elevator. He’d thought about taking her there, but then he’d remembered the security cameras installed there. He didn’t want anyone else seeing Claire’s passion. “And it’s going to be right here.”

He yanked his shirt off and tossed it to the floor. His hands went to his belt. To the snap of his jeans.

Claire’s gaze was on his chest. Her blue stare…heated.

His c**k jerked, swelling even more as it pushed against the zipper of his jeans.

Claire walked toward him. Her eyes were on his chest. “I wondered…” She licked her lips.

Sweet hell. Lick me.

“I wanted to touch you before,” she confessed.

Wait, hold the hell up. Claire had wanted to touch him? His heart was jack-hammering in his chest.

Her hand rose, hovering above his shoulder. Then, while he barely breathed, her fingers lowered and skimmed over his flesh. Lightly, carefully.

“You’re always so warm.” Her voice was husky. Pure sin. “I like that.” Her fingers slipped down.

His body wasn’t perfect. Far from it. Scars snaked across his chest. Some from wounds he’d gotten while he was enlisted, and the newest came from the attack he’d survived in Chicago.

The world might think he led the easy life.

They thought wrong.

“I knew there was more to you,” Claire said as her head bent. “You’re not just the businessman.”

Hell, no, he wasn’t.

Her lips brushed over the scar on his shoulder. Then the one that was too near his heart. The bullet that had nearly ended him.

His muscles stiffened.

Claire slid down his body. Her mouth skimmed over the scar that wrapped around his side. Then she went even lower.

Her knees dropped to the carpet.

Fuck me.

“Baby, as much as I like where you’re going, I can’t wait.” Her mouth on him…there’d be no control then.

He didn’t want to hurt Claire. He was far too close to the edge.

He pulled her back to her feet. Stripped her in seconds.

“But—”

“Here, Claire. Now.”

Then he put her against the door. “Are you on the pill?”

Claire shook her head.

“Don’t move,” he growled out the order.

She didn’t.

In seconds, he was back. He wanted to go bare with her. To drive deep and feel her hot grip all around him. And he would…

Soon.

But this time, he’d use care.

He lifted her up against that door frame. “Wrap your legs around me.”

She did.

“Hold tight.”

She did.

And he thrust into her as hard and deep as he could go.

Just as Noah had known…the feel of her sensual grip pushed him right over the edge. There was no holding back this time. No slow build. No sensual foreplay.

He thrust, and he took.

And he wanted everything that Claire had to give.

She was arching against him. Squeezing him with her tight little sheath. She was so tight it was almost as if she were a virgin.

She’s mine.

He lifted her up, easily controlling the motions of her body. Then he pulled her back down as he thrust again. He made sure his c**k slid over her clit, and Claire gasped.

Then she moaned.

He did that same move again and again. He was so wild for her, so desperate. He pinned her to the door. Thrust deep. Loved it when her nails scraped over his skin.

He put his mouth on her throat. He could feel the frantic beat of her pulse beneath his lips. Her scent surrounded him.

When she came, it was his name that she cried out.

He erupted right after her.

Noah’s breath sawed out of his lungs as the release pounded through him. It seemed to never end, and her sex was squeezing his c**k and damn near making his eyes roll back into his head.

Finally, finally, his heart rate started to slow down. He was still holding her against the door, and he hoped he hadn’t scared her. He’d be better next time. He’d be—

“I like that,” Claire whispered. “Can we do it again?”

Hell, yes.

He kissed her.

***

Noah glanced at the clock. “Come on, Claire, we need to go. The jet’s waiting on us.” The sooner he got her back to New York, the better he would feel.

The bathroom door opened. “I’m ready.” She was wearing all black—the woman just looked good in black. Black pants. Black top. Those sexy shoes he loved.

Get her on the plane, then f**k her. Those were his immediate priorities.

He grabbed her bag. “Let’s go.”

She nodded and hurried to keep up with him. He didn’t want to tell her why they needed to rush. Claire would just worry. She’d been in the bathroom when he got the phone call that tipped him off about the visitors coming their way, so she didn’t know what was happening.

I’ll tell her…later.

When he got her in the elevator, he pulled Claire into his arms. He kissed her long and deep. The woman still tasted like candy to him.

But he forced himself to pull back a few seconds later. The doors slid open. He locked his fingers with hers. Claire. He finally had her just where he needed her to be.