The words sent exquisite pressure into Aslin’s groin. He pulled in a deep breath, knowing he should insist what Rowan wanted—fuck, what he wanted—couldn’t happen now. Later. When she had recovered more from the explosion.
But he couldn’t. Not with the heat from her naked body kissing his. Not when she pressed his right hand to her breast. Not when desire burned so openly in her eyes.
“The pleasure you awake in me now, Aslin,” she whispered, rasping her lips against his palm, “just by being here, loving me, is far more potent and consuming than any discomfort my injuries may cause. I love you, soldier boy. Love you.”
It was those words that destroyed his control. Those words that shattered his resolve.
Love.
She loved him.
The only woman he’d ever felt love for loved him back. And wanted him to make love to her now. There was no coming back from that.
He smoothed his hand from her breast, down over her broken ribs, lingering there for a still moment. “I will do everything I can not to hurt you,” he whispered. “But I need you to tell me if this does.”
She nodded, her eyes shining. “I promise.”
His gut clenched, her trust in him almost undoing him completely. He was used to people trusting him. His unit had trusted him when he was a soldier, Nick had trusted him to keep him safe for fifteen years, but this was different. This was…
Precious.
Smoothing his hand from her injured ribs, he allowed his palm to skim over the curve of her hip before journeying the perfection of her butt cheek. Its toned shape felt sublime beneath his hand. Rowan’s low groan told him she craved his touch as much as he craved her body.
Not just her body. All of her. Her stubbornness. Her inner strength. Her determination.
All of her.
With gentle pressure on her arse, he drew her closer to his body and lowered his head until his lips brushed hers.
The kiss was more tender than any he’d given. Barely a contact of skin to skin. As much as he wanted to plunder her mouth, he knew the split on her bottom lip wouldn’t allow him.
So instead, he feathered her parted lips with the softest of kisses before moving to her throat. She curved her neck, allowing his mouth to travel her throat. He tasted every inch of her flesh, desperate for her. He nipped at her skin with his teeth and sucked at the spot until she whimpered. Her hands found his hair, tangling in strands.
“Oh…”
Her shaky sigh ignited fresh need in Aslin. He groaned in response and dragged his lips up to her ear. She rolled her head and he sought out the tiny dip near her pulse and flicked his tongue over it before nipping again.
“Aslin…”
Rowan’s moan vibrated through him. He lowered his mouth, exploring her collarbone, kissing the faint bruise there. A shard of anger surged through him, the cold memory of what caused the bruise assaulting his rapture.
Someone was trying to—
The torturous thought was lost to him when Rowan’s hands directed his lips to her breast.
He suckled on one puckered nipple, rolling it between his teeth and laving it with his tongue.
She moaned and panted words fell from her. Words like yes, more and harder.
He refused to allow himself. One of them needed to remain in control. It would be too easy to succumb to the desire engulfing them both. To live in the moment and forget her injuries. He had no doubt Rowan could deny the pain in her body, but he would not allow himself to cause any.
Not physical pain.
Sexual pain…pain from the pleasure he gave her? That was a different matter.
And so he continued his tender worship of her nipple, her frustrated cries for more feeding the fire in his groin.
He slid his mouth to her other breast, cupping its weight with a gentle hand as he licked at her nipple. One swipe of his tongue. Two. Three.
“Please, Aslin.” Rowan’s voice was a husky whisper. “Harder, please?”
He closed his lips around her taut nipple and sucked once.
“Yes.” She arched into him, bunching her fists tighter in his hair.
He sucked again, a little harder this time, and then dragged his mouth up to her jaw.
“I don’t want you gentle,” she protested, shifting on her knees until she was closer to him. “I can take it. I—”
He brushed his lips over hers, silencing her protests. “Shush.” He chuckled. “I’m in charge.”
Her own laugh bubbled up her throat. “Fine. But I’m not going to be injured forever, ya know.”
Aslin lifted his head and grinned down at her. “Oh, I know. But for the moment, you are, which means I’m in charge. Got it?”
She arched an eyebrow. “Yes, sir.”
He squeezed her butt. A little. “You’ll pay for that later. But for now, I’m going to carefully lay you on your back. You’re not allowed to touch me. You’re not allowed to move. Do you understand?”