Million Dollar Cowboy (Cupid, Texas #5)(53)

Ridge rested his hands on her hips, felt her body heat seep through his palms. Holding her steady, he slowly sank to his knees, tasting her with hot, damp, open-mouth kisses. Gliding from her pert nipples, to her taut belly, on down.

God, she was magnificent, with her curvaceous hips, firm thighs, shapely calves, and coltish ankles.

And scarred hip.

He drew in a deep breath at the sight of the long, purplish scar, a bifurcating scar that ran from her right hip bone down to the top of her right thigh.

His heart ached for her. Felt the squeeze of her pain deep within his soul. Life was so damn unfair. Such a wonderful person like Kaia should never have to know this level of misery. More than anything in the world, he wished he could erase the suffering she'd gone through. Make it disappear.

Tenderly, he pressed his lips to her scar.

"Don't," she whispered, shifting away from him.

He raised his head. Looked up into her face, saw fear, uncertainty, and hesitation in her eyes. "Does it still hurt?"

She shook her head. "Don't you dare feel sorry for me. I don't want or need your pity."

"I don't feel sorry for you."

"Don't you?" Her tone turned accusatory.

"No," he said, mildly surprised by her reaction. Where was this coming from? "Why would you even think that?"

She closed her eyes, swallowed visibly.

"I . . ." Eyes still squeezed shut, and breathing shallowly, she licked her lips.

"Yes?" he whispered.

She shook her head.

Okay, clearly she wasn't ready to talk about what was bothering her. She didn't owe him an explanation. He wouldn't push her. Letting the topic drop, he went back to kissing her and found his way to where he'd been before, this time avoiding her scar.

His lips hovered at the waistband of her panties, the last thin barrier of her modesty. He was on his knees now, pressing his face against her, smelling her, the fresh, glorious scent of his woman.

His.

He was playing with fire and he knew it. Didn't care.

Ridge pressed a kiss against the light fabric, heard her sharp intake of breath, felt her thread her fingers through his hair, gently twist. Her body trembled against him. 

"Ridge," she whispered. "I want . . . please . . . let's-"

"Gotcha." He grunted, knowing exactly what she meant. If they didn't get to the bed soon, they were both going to explode.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and stood up, swinging her up into his arms as he went. He carried her to the bed, laid her out on the mattress, stared down at her.

She sat up, reaching for his waistband, tugged him closer, fumbled with his belt buckle. He chuckled as she ripped and yanked, undoing the snap of his pants, tugging down the zipper.

"Hang on," he said, stripping off his pants and hopping around to pull them over his shoes.

Kaia laughed, the sound choked with joy and frustration. "Hurry, hurry."

He kicked off the shoes, wrestled out of his pants, landed on the mattress beside her.

Snatching his face between her palms, she laughed again and buried him in a greedy spree of kisses.

He tipped her onto her back, straddled her, and gazed down at her, awestruck by the fact she was in his bed.

"Protection?" she asked.

"Right here." He leaned over, grabbed his pants, found his wallet, and pulled out a roll of condoms.

"A whole roll?"

"I believe in being prepared."

Her giggle bounced around the room. "I like that about you. Now get that underwear off, mister."

"Yes, ma'am," he said in a cowboy drawl and accommodated her, stripping off his boxer briefs and tossing them over his shoulder.

Starlight drifted through the raised shade of the long window on the left side of the bed. Her breasts rose on each inhale, the nipples pink and peaked, shining in stardust glow. The lower part of her body lay cloaked in shadow, her hands cradled against her low abdomen, covering the scrap of panty.

Her eyes grew solemn as she watched him watching her. Her breath was so slow and shallow it seemed she was scarcely breathing at all. The blend of light and shadow cast a spell, weaving wispy magic around them.

He dipped his head, getting closer, peering into her face. Her full lips puckered, waiting for his kiss, and her dark chocolate eyes glistened.

Tenderly, he sewed kisses over her mouth.

Soft, light, teasing. He touched his tongue to her upper lip, and she parted her teeth, willingly, eagerly, letting him in.

Eyes wide-open, staring into her. Visibly, Kaia gulped and shuttered her eyes close, allowing her lashes to drift down.

Was she overcome by the intensity of their contact? Or was she trying to hide her feeling?

He pulled his mouth from hers, gently traced his index finger in a small circle against her temple. "What's going on inside that head of yours?"