A Little Night Muse(25)

                She surged up against him again. If he hadn’t braced himself,                     they would have both tumbled to the bed. Her stiffened nipples thrust against                     his chest. Unbidden, his fingers curved to match the outer arc of her breasts. A                     perfect handful for his wide palm. He groaned and took her mouth in a hard                     kiss.

                When he lifted his head, he thought he was tearing himself                     apart. “Adelyn,” he whispered.

                “Josh,” she answered. For a heartbeat, he thought he heard a                     note of mockery. Or was that desperation? He had always done better reading the                     animals with their basic needs, the land with its regular cycles. Women were a                     mystery.

                He let his hands slide down to her hips, to hold her back since                     he couldn’t grab her wounded wrists. He couldn’t help but notice, despite his                     good intentions, that unlike the dark wealth of her hair, down lower she was                     smooth, without even a shadow to hide the dusky plump flesh. “Whatever happened                     to you, this isn’t the way to forget or to pretend it didn’t happen.”

                “You said this was a place to get away,” she reminded him.

                She trailed her fingertips down his chest and raked lightly                     over his nipples. His sharp breath sucked in his belly, leaving a gap behind his                     belt buckle.

                With one flick, she released the copper buckle. The etched                     metal swung open like a welcoming gate, and she unzipped his jeans.

                Any last ounce of willpower he had was lost with the whisper of                     her fingers against his straining flesh. Long hours in the saddle were more                     comfortable without underwear seams that might chafe in sensitive places, but                     that common sense wardrobe choice left him no extra layers of defense now.

                “Adelyn...” This time her name was not a protest but an                     enticement.

                “Do you have a muse, Josh?”

                “A what?” His voice was thick, like his cock swelling toward                     her.

                “A muse. An inspiration. Something that...” She slipped her                     hand into the front of his jeans. “Something that arouses you.”

                “A muse...” His grasp tightened on her hips, and he shuddered                     as she wrapped her fingers loosely around him. “You.”