He wanted to be here, with her. He thought she was beautiful, he wanted her, and he didn’t mind telling her, showing her.
When he was with her she didn’t get the impression that he wanted to be anywhere except right with her. When he looked at her she didn’t get the impression that he wished she were someone else.
He wanted her.
He lifted her hand to his lips, kissed her fingertips.
“I have sand on my fingers.” And tears in her eyes. Why was she crying?
“Doesn’t matter.” He kissed the top of her hand, gently turned her arm to press his lips to her wrist, then he kissed her there. Gentle kisses where his lips lightly brushed across the tender skin, heating her blood. Brilliant kisses that made her mind go in thousands of directions, all of which involved him.
She shivered and scooted closer to him, grazed her knuckles across his clean-shaven jaw. “Smooth.”
He chuckled. “The better to kiss you without worrying about scratching you.”
“I’m not a dainty flower that easily wilts.”
“You want scratched?”
“I want kissed.”
“I’m a man who aims to please.”
When his lips covered hers, he didn’t kiss her with the gentle pressure he’d kissed her goodnight with each night. No, he kissed her with the mouth of a man who was hungry. Hungry and wanting to devour her.
As if he wanted her so much he couldn’t not kiss her that way.
The sensation was heady.
Trinity’s head spun she felt so light, so good, so unreal.
Riley was unreal.
Because no way was such a beautiful man kissing her as if he couldn’t get enough, as if he wanted, no, needed, everything she could give him.
She wanted to give him everything.
But if she did, would it be the beginning of the end, the way it had been with Chase?
Would Riley find her so lacking between the sheets that he wouldn’t want her any more and would wonder why he’d ever thought he had thought her something special?
Or did sex even matter that much to him?
His mouth moved lower, to her neck, trailing hot kisses, making love to her skin.
Um, yeah, this was a man who cared about sex. No doubt about it.
Which meant she was in big trouble.
CHAPTER NINE
RILEY FELT THE difference in Trinity’s response and pulled back. “You okay? Am I coming on too strong? I didn’t mean to move too fast.”
He’d known better than to rush things, but he’d thought…No matter what he’d thought. The reality was they’d only known each other for two weeks and he had moved too fast. She was scooting away from him, standing, brushing the sand off her clothes, and was a million miles away from him.
“You’re fine.”
Fine? Not the adjective he wanted to be called when he was on fire for her and had just been kissing her with a great amount of gusto.
Mindless kisses that had been all about feeling and emotion and had had little to do with thought or intentions.
“The wind just felt a little chilly. That’s all. I want to finish our walk now.”
Just what every man wanted to hear when he was on the verge of making love to a woman he was crazy about. When he’d been overcome with passion and she’d…she’d decided she wanted to finish their walk. Oh, yeah, he’d pushed too soon. Only had he really? She’d wanted him, too. Had he done something wrong? Or was she playing games with him?
“Okay, we’ll walk.” He stood, brushed his clothes off, and took her hand.
He wasn’t sure she wanted him holding her hand either, but he wasn’t going to let her shut him out after the kiss they’d just shared.
She’d told him she was scared. Was that why she’d pulled away?
She’d also told him that she wasn’t very good at sex.
Based on how she kissed him, he’d say she couldn’t be more wrong.
But maybe she really believed otherwise. He was reaching, but there had to be some reason why she was now lost in thought instead of in his arms, and he sure didn’t want to believe it was that she was a tease. The vulnerability he sensed within her assured him that wasn’t the case.
“You’re a very good kisser.”
Her head jerked toward him.
“An amazing kisser,” he added, seeing the doubt in her eyes. Hell, someone had really done a number on her.
“You’re the one who’s a great kisser.” She shrugged as if it was no big deal, but he could see that his praise pleased her. “I just follow your lead.”
“Thanks for saying so, but you don’t give yourself enough credit. You drive me wild, Trinity.”
She gave him a weak smile and squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” As much as his body urged him to pick up where they’d left off, to take her in his arms and kiss her until she was breathless and begging for the release he craved, he just clasped her hand in his and walked.