Page 71 of Operation Protector
“Oh.” She felt a chill go through her. “I thought…you wanted to.”
He let out a low, harsh laugh. “I do. God, do I. But I’m afraid you’ll regret it.”
“What is there to regret that I don’t already know about?” she demanded.
He just looked at her for a moment, his expression softening. He let out a low, wry and short chuckle. “Point taken. You pretty much know it all.”
“I want you,” she said firmly. “You, Colby Kendrick. Who you are, now and from now on.”
She saw the change come over him then, and before she could even put a name to it heat rippled through her in response. Thenshe realized it was fierceness, the same kind she was feeling. Heat, want, need all billowing through her in waves so potent she even imagined she could see the reflection of it in his eyes. Or maybe it was his own need, finally cut loose.
She hoped so.
And then he removed all doubt by sweeping her up into his strong arms as if she were as light as a leaf from one of those plants waiting outside. His mouth came down on hers again, heat spiked again and she barely noticed they were moving. She didn’t even register the room as he pushed open the door. All she saw, all she wanted to see was him, all she wanted to feel was his mouth on hers, and anywhere else he wanted to put it. Which had her thinking of all the places on him she’d like to kiss, to taste.
She wasn’t sure who removed what clothing, thought she might have tugged at his jeans while he was pulling off her sweater, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was within moments they were skin to skin.
He was as beautiful as she’d expected, strong, leanly muscled, powerful. They hit the bed, and the only thing she noticed about it was that it just might be big enough.
He reached over and pulled open a drawer in the nightstand and pulled out a small, clearly unopened box of condoms.
“Sometimes,” he muttered, “I’m thankful for my smart-ass friends.”
“If they provided those, so am I.”
He laughed, and she felt it down deep where his abdomen was pressed against her. She also felt the prod of another powerful part of him, clearly ready and able. He fumbled for a moment, sheathing that part, telling her it truly had been a while for him. As it had for her.
He rolled back, half over her, cupping her face in his hands. “You’re really sure?”
“So very sure,” she answered. “Just…it’s been a long time, so I’m not…used to this. Just don’t stop.”
“I won’t.” He almost growled. “But I’m going to go slow and easy until you tell me not to. And then, look out Ali Moran, because under all the chaos, I’ve been wanting this since the first time I saw you.”
“Ditto, Colby Kendrick.”
Then his mouth was all over her, finding places she’d forgotten existed, feeling sensations she’d forgotten she could. And when he finally slid into her, long and slow and deep, it was only a moment before she did exactly as he’d said, and told him not to be so careful.
And even in this it seemed they were in tune, because the moment she felt an incredible wave of sensation making her convulse around him, he groaned out her name and pulsed inside her. And there were no words she knew that could describe the wonder of it, of him.
Of them.
Chapter 32
Colby turned his head away from the clock on the nightstand, but it didn’t change anything. It was still time.
“I know,” Ali said quietly as she sat up in his bed. “We need to go.”
The memories of the hour and a half they’d just spent exploring, discovering and, in his case, learning his body was capable of things he’d never realized, flooded him. The last thing he wanted to do was leave this unexpected bit of heaven.
To leave her.
He didn’t dare watch her get up and start to dress. Just looking at her, at those curves, the soft, sleek skin, that glorious fall of red hair that he now knew was completely natural, made him ache all over again.
“I wish…” It was all he could say.
“Me, too. But Grace will be home from school soon, and Cutter and I need to be there.”
“I know.”
