Sheltering His Desire (5 page)

“We’ll figure it out.” He kept his voice
calm, despite the heat searing his palms and the nervous energy
responding to her panic mingled with her soft scent. “You’re not
alone in this.”

Her chin wrinkled, and she blinked several
times. She drew in a shaky breath and then another. “It’s not that
easy.”

He traced a thumb over her cheek. Her face
was so soft against his calloused skin. Did this comfort her even
half as much as it calmed him? “It’s not easy at all. But it’s also
not unsolvable.”

She covered his hand with hers, and licked
her lips. A jolt of desire seared through him, ringing in his
thoughts and tugging at his groin. He tried to will away his
reaction. The last thing he should be doing was daydreaming about
her. Even if she weren’t floundering on the edge of a breaking
point. She deserved—

She brushed her lips over his and all of his
thoughts evaporated. Poof, gone. Her eyes searched his, wide and
hopeful and terrified all at once. The kiss was so soft, rationally
he wasn’t sure he’d felt it. But the feather-light sensation and
faint taste of bubblegum lingering on his skin snapped something
inside. The tightly wound tension he’d struggled to contain broke
free and shuttered open like a window shade.

He dragged one hand to the back of her head
and tangled his fingers in her hair, gripping the closest thing he
had to a lifeline and letting the strands bite into his palm. He
couldn’t ignore this. No one had that much control. He crushed his
mouth to hers, years of repressed hunger roaring through him. Skin
slid against teeth.

His tongue didn’t meet any resistance when he
pushed into her mouth and sought hers out. He couldn’t think about
anything except how much he wanted her. How incredible she tasted.
Her gentle curves molding against his body. What it would be like
to yank her scrubs to the ground, shove her onto the desk, and
slide between her legs. His dick ached at the idea of being buried
inside her.

Her palms rested on his chest, fingers
digging into muscle. When her whimper vibrated through him, it was
enough to wrap a leash around his desire, but only barely. He broke
the kiss but didn’t let her go. Her gaze held as much turmoil as
raged in his own head.

She trailed her fingers down his chest,
before drawing her nails up his back. Pleading hung heavy in her
low voice. “Don’t you dare stop.”

This was bad. Everything he shouldn’t be
doing. And even knowing that, he still wanted more than anything to
pin her to the desk and feel her wrapped around him. His cock
strained against his slacks every time she rubbed her hip against
him. His restraint almost collapsed when he spoke, but he forced
his tone to stay steady. “I can’t, Lys.”

“Bullshit.” There was a quiet fury in her
response. “I want you.” She slid against him again, her body
taunting his erection. “You want me.”

“You want happily ever after.” He said the
words aloud as much to reinforce them in his head as to remind her.
“I can’t offer that.” Despite his argument, he couldn’t make
himself push her away.

“I want to be distracted for tonight. I’m not
asking for anything beyond that. I don’t expect it. Don’t reject me
again unless you really, honestly can’t stand the thought of being
with me. Please?”

The hint of pleading that leaked into her
voice shattered her firm tone and the last of his restraint. A
whisper in the back of his head said this was all about her. She
needed him. But that was an excuse. He fucking wanted her, God damn
it.

Tate yanked Alyssia’s head back, and nipped
her earlobe. “Just for tonight.” His growl vibrated against her
skin.

Every inch of her body hummed in
anticipation. She shifted against him, memorizing the way his hard
lines imprinted on her, from chest to groin to thigh. This was
really happening, but part of her refused to process it. What if he
changed his mind? Again? No, this was different. She managed to
keep her hands from shaking as she undid each button on his shirt,
and pushed it off his shoulders, leaving in him in an undershirt
and slacks. Wow that was sexy.

She leaned her head back to expose her neck
and he kissed along the soft flesh, hungry and biting. There was
too much clothing between them. She needed to feel his skin on
hers. She grabbed the bottom hem of her scrub top.

He wrapped his hands around her wrists,
holding her captive, and broke away. A teasing smirk danced on his
face. “In a hurry?”

Embarrassment joined the liquid lust heating
her skin. What was she supposed to say to that?

He kissed along her fingertips, one at a time
on the first hand then the second. “If we’re going to do this,
you’re going to enjoy it.”

She clenched her toes inside her shoes at the
heavy promise. She was pretty sure she’d enjoy it regardless. “I’m
not worried about that.”

“Good.” He trailed his lips down her palm,
over her wrist, and then moved back to her neck. “That’s my job.”
He pulled her top over her head with a fluid grace she didn’t think
she could have managed herself.

She wouldn’t think about the fact that
indicated what kind of practice he’d had. This was just them, and
it was only for now. Nothing else existed.

He trailed his fingers down her spine, and
under her bra strap. “You know.” He kissed up her jaw, and nipped
her earlobe, breath hot on her skin. “I’ve wondered for a while now
what your nipples look like.”

He’d spent time thinking about that? The
realization sent flutters through her belly, and tingled between
her thighs, making her wet. “You could have asked.” Okay, that was
a stupid answer.

“Not as much fun.” In a single twist, he
undid her bra. He dragged the straps down her arms, and tossed the
garment aside. The way his gaze lingered on her chest made her
desire spike. “Pink, big, and I bet a lot of fun. God, you’re
gorgeous.” He cupped her breasts, and drew his thumbs over the
already hard nubs. Each pass flooded her body with a tremor of
pleasure.

When he pinched, she sucked in a sharp
breath. Her frame tingled from the tug of pleasure and soft
pain.

“You should know.” His whisper caressed her
skin. “I don’t have any condoms.”

Ambivalence warred inside, stealing some of
her anticipation. She hated that she couldn’t just say they’d be
okay without. Did that mean this was only going so far? Was that
his loophole? “So much for being a good boy scout.” She struggled
to keep the teasing in her tone.

He squeezed her breasts, rolling twin nubs
between his fingers, and sucked hard on her neck. He paused long
enough to reply. “There’s nothing boy scout about what I’m going to
do to you. I’ll just have to improvise.”

The promise filled her with anticipation, but
her damned sense of reason wouldn’t shut up. He really did expect
her to be okay with it. “We can’t without—”

“Give me some credit.” When his gaze met
hers, lust stared back at her. Heated, hungry, and unbound. She
swallowed past a dry throat. He looked like he was going to devour
her, and she didn’t want to stop him. He kissed along her
collarbone, lips vibrating against her skin. “I’m not that much of
a presumptuous ass.”

He wrapped his tongue around one nipple and
drew it into his mouth, eliciting a gasp. It was all she could do
to keep from crying out when he flicked and nibbled at the nub. Her
panties had to be soaked by now. Each new nip and swipe sent
another pulse of pleasure coursing through her.

He licked and sucked, alternating between
each breast, until her head felt light. She almost thought she
might get off just from that attention, but the need between her
legs still pleaded for something more direct. She wasn’t sure if
he’d read her mind, or just the swaying of her hips when his
affections shifted downward. He trailed over her stomach, hooked
his thumbs in her waistband, and dragged her scrubs and panties to
the ground.

The cool air brushed her heated skin and wet
arousal. She’d never felt so exposed before, but the desire in
Tate’s eyes heightened the sensations. Hands on her hips, he
turned, redirected her a few steps back, and nudged her onto the
couch against the wall. The fake leather was a shock against her
skin when it cradled her, and she gasped. Tate knelt in front of
her, and kissed along the inside of her thigh, down to one knee,
and up to the other.

So many sensations at once stole her reason.
She’d never had a guy offer to go down on her. She’d begged a
boyfriend once, and it had been so disappointing she’d never
brought it up again. When Tate finally focused his attention on the
aching need between her legs, a groan tore from her throat. He
glided his tongue over her skin, and her breath came in short
bursts.

“God, you taste amazing, Lys.” His murmured
appreciation tingled through her mound. With each pass, he drew
closer to her clit, but never made contact. Impatience won out, and
she couldn’t take the teasing anymore. She tangled her fingers in
his hair and pulled his head up. He closed around her swollen sex,
and her entire body jolted at the contact. Her hips thrust in time
with his sucking, and climax built inside.

When he shoved two fingers inside her, rough
and hard, she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from
screaming his name. She arched her back, and clenched around him
when she came. He pushed harder and faster, still pumping her,
until she shuddered from the pleasure.

Euphoria danced in her thoughts, and she
wasn’t ready for the encounter to be over. She stood, wobbling on
unsure legs.

He was on his feet in an instant, steadying
her. “Careful.”

She used the opportunity to spin him so his
back was to the couch, and press her frame against his. His
erection dug into her stomach through his slacks, teasing her. She
slid her fingers under the waistband of his slacks, and fumbled
with his belt for a moment before finally unhooking it.

“What are you doing, Lys?” A note of warning
lined his question, but he didn’t move to stop her.

She undid his button and pulled down the
zipper. “Returning the favor.”

“You don’t have to….” His words melted into a
sigh when she wrapped her fingers around his shaft and freed it
from his boxers.

“Nope, I don’t.” She fell to her knees, gaze
locked on his, and flicked her tongue over the head of his cock,
licking away a salty drop.

He bucked against her face, penis jerking in
her hand. She stroked slowly, enjoying his every groan and sigh.
When she took him into her mouth, she had to keep her hand wrapped
at the base of his shaft to keep him from pushing too deep. He
thrust in time with her pumping, eyes never leaving hers. The
attention made her juices flow again, coating the inside of her
legs. Watching him enjoy himself was turning her on all over
again.

His grunts grew more frantic, and his speed
increased. “Your mouth feels incredible on my cock.” His stuttered
breathing punctuated the words. “I’m so close.”

If he meant for her to stop, or if it was
supposed to be some kind of warning, she didn’t care. She pumped
harder, and caressed his wrinkled sac. He tensed under her touch,
and a long shudder ran through him. Salty warmth hit the back of
her throat in spurts, startling her. She’d never done that before,
but for him she’d do it again.

No, wait. Reality was sinking back in. She
wouldn’t, because there was no second time for them. She’d
promised.

Her thoughts evaporated again when he pulled
her onto his lap. Hand on the back of her neck, he kissed her hard,
claiming her mouth. That he wasn’t bothered by tasting himself on
her lips turned her on as much as anything. Mouth still pressed to
hers, he slid his free hand between her legs. She gasped when he
found her tender clit and rubbed hard and fast. He swallowed her
groans, stroking and pushing her past the limits of her
pleasure.

Climax tore through her, snatching away her
reason. She shuddered as his touch became too much, and pulled
away. She grasped his wrist, and raised it to her mouth, holding
his gaze as she sucked one finger clean. His lips parted slightly
as he watched her run her tongue along the pad before moving to his
next finger.

She let go of him, and leaned into his chest,
still struggling to catch her breath. That had been amazing, and
she wasn’t sure if it was just the things he’d done, or if it had
as much to do with the fact it was him.

He trailed his fingers through her hair,
heart hammering against her ear. This was too nice. She could get
used to this. The moment the thought passed through her head, she
pushed away. The last thing she could allow herself to do was get
used to cuddling up to Tate. She pasted a smile on. “We’re on a
deadline, right?”

A flat mask passed over his face, before a
pleasant expression flitted back in. “Right. Of course.” He
extracted himself from her couch and handed over her clothes. He
turned away as she dressed, and she couldn’t completely squash her
disappointment at the heavy air that had settled in the room.

She straightened her clothes, skin still
tingling everywhere he’d touched. That had been amazing. She
struggled to pull her gaze from him as he put on his shirt.
Fantasies taunted her of waking up next to him. Wandering around
his house in nothing but that shirt.

She pushed the thoughts away, veins flooding
with irritation at herself. She’d sated the teenager inside. The
little girl who had been swooning over her older brother’s best
friend for as long as she could remember had gotten what she
wanted. It had been incredible, but that just meant she could move
on with no regrets. Right?

His eyes met hers, holding her attention
captive. A wicked smile tugged up the corner of his mouth. He
closed the distance between them in a few short steps, and knotted
his fingers in hair again. His mouth crashed down on hers, and she
yielded to the kiss without hesitation. He let her go far too soon
for her liking, and stepped back. His teasing, seductive tone
tickled her thoughts. “I’m feeling better. You?”