Page 31 of Don't Burn Bridges
He didn’t rush her or close the distance between them right away. He stood there, watching her as though making sure of something. She felt seen and measured at the same time.
It soothed her more than anything else.
She took a step toward him and then another, letting the space between them disappear.
His hands reached for her first—one at her waist, the other sliding up along her arm, slow enough that she felt every goose bump he raised. The touch sent a shiver through her, not from nerves but from the way it lingered, erotic and possessive. It had been over two years since a man had touched her like this, and her body answered him with an eagerness that surprised her.
Her palms pressed lightly against his chest, feeling the solid rise and fall beneath her hands. The steady beat of his heart didn’t match the way hers had picked up, but it calmed her all the same, giving her something to focus on as the rest of the world slipped away.
He lowered his head and claimed her lips once more. His hand tightened at her waist as she leaned into him. Her fingertips skimmed over the muscles of his back, and she lost herself in the way he kissed her—slow, patient, and utterly consuming.
This wasn’t careful. It wasn’t distant. And for the first time in longer than she wanted to think about, she didn’t feel like she had to hold anything back.
Her breath caught as his mouth moved from hers, tracing along her jaw and the side of her neck, each touch pulling a different reaction from her—sharper, deeper, and harder to ignore. She tipped her head back, giving him better access.
A desperate moan slipped out before she could stop it. Another followed.
Her hands moved on their own, exploring the solid line of his shoulders, the warmth beneath his shirt, and the strength in him that felt both reassuring and dangerous all at once. The uneven catch of his breath and the flex of muscle beneath her fingertips told her she wasn't the only one struggling to stay in control.
That realization spread through her in a way that made everything else fade.
This wasn’t just him. It wasn’t just her. It was them—both caught in the same tide, the same need that had been building since the moment they met.
Her forehead rested against his, her breath uneven as she tried to catch it—tried to slow down enough to think. It didn’t work. She didn’t really want it to. And even if she did, he made it impossible.
Being in his arms swept everything else out of reach. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she wasn’t bracing for the next bad day, the next decline, or the next loss. The months of watching her mother fade, of holding everything together until there was nothing left to hold... it all loosened its grip.
The father she’d never known didn’t matter. Neither did the brothers she'd never really had—one she hated, the other a stranger. Even that constant sense of being shortchanged by life—of being owed something more—fell away.
There was no past pressing in. No future waiting to take something else from her.
Only the here and now... and him.
She'd been with other men before, but nothing had ever felt this intense. She stopped trying to make sense of what she was feeling and simply let herself feel it. His unwavering attention and the way her body answered without hesitation stripped everything down to something raw and undeniable.
His mouth claimed hers again, firmer this time, his intent unmistakable in the way his hands framed her face before sliding down to guide her closer.
She pushed his shirt up, needing it out of the way, needing nothing between them. He broke the kiss long enough to drag it over his head, tossing it aside without looking, his focus already back on her, as if he couldn’t stand the distance even for a second.
His fingers caught the hem of her shirt, drawing the material up her body—giving her every chance to stop him if she wanted.
She didn’t.
Instead, she lifted her arms, her breath catching as his knuckles grazed her sides and the fabric slipped free. The air felt cooler against her skin, but only for an instant before his touch returned, warm and sure as he explored her waist, her ribs, and the curve beneath her breasts.
She traced the broad planes of his chest, memorizing every hard line of muscle beneath warm skin. He gripped her hips and guided her backward without breaking the kiss until the backs of her legs met the edge of the mattress.
Whatever restraint had carried them this far dissolved. She matched his urgency, kissing him until breathing became secondary. The glide of his lips and the slow sweep of his tongue only fed the hunger that had been building between them for weeks.
Slow no longer held any appeal.
Reality had surpassed every fantasy she'd allowed herself to imagine.
Her hands drifted down his back to the waistband of his jeans. She freed the button, feeling his rock-hard cock behind the material, lowered the zipper, and smiled against his lips when he let out a quiet laugh.
“In a hurry?” he asked.
“Very much.”
