Salvation in the Sheriff's Kiss(57)

“Evil wench.”

She pressed her hips upward in response. With something that fell between a growl and a laugh, he let her hands go and kissed her with a fierce passion that left her breathless and wanting.

“Don’t make me wait.” She didn’t think she could stand it if he did. She needed him. Now. Always. Forever. They could take their time later, but right now she needed release. She needed him to become a part of her.

He kissed her again, this time with such gentle sweetness she thought she might expire then and there, but it was nothing compared to what came next.

Hunter sighed into her, as if he’d finally come home. And she understood. In that moment, it all made sense. He was home. And so was she.

She pressed her knees against his hips to hold him there for a moment, to take in the wondrous sensation of their bodies joined as one. But the moment was fleeting, the urge for more impatient and demanding. She loosened her hold just enough to allow him to move against her in a slow, torturous rhythm. Their tongues dancing as their bodies moved.

Pressure built inside of her, insistent. She met each of his thrusts, reaching for something she couldn’t name, mindless with the need for it. She sensed Hunter’s need as well, his eyes closed, thick lashes feathered against skin pulled tight across his cheekbones.

Every nerve in her body sang with fierce release as the storm broke inside of her, crested over her as Hunter found his own release, a guttural sound coming from deep within him before he collapsed upon her, his arms saving her from his full weight.

She hugged him to her, not ready to let him go, to remove herself from this moment of ecstasy and wholeness. She knew once she did, she would have to face the reality of what had happened here, but for now, she simply wanted to enjoy it. The rest would still be there waiting for her when she was done.

They lay like that for several long moments before Hunter moved to rest beside her, his arm across her belly, his leg entwined with hers. Though her passion had been temporarily sated, she was thankful he did not leave. She needed his comfort and his warmth. He reached down and pulled the blankets up around them.

She wanted to say something, but she didn’t know where to begin and she was reluctant to break the tentative harmony that existed between them.

“We probably shouldn’t have done that.” He whispered the words next to her ear, then gently kissed her temple as if to soften their effect.

“You said that the first time we found ourselves in this predicament.” He’d been torn up the first time, feeling he had taken something from her too soon, without the bonds of matrimony she deserved. She had been less upset. She’d given herself willingly, already married to him heart and soul.

“I should have married you straight away. Argued harder with your father. Hell, I should have gone with you.”

“To Boston?” She shook her head. “You would have hated it.” Hunter was wide-open spaces, rugged and wild. City life would have suffocated him more than it had her.

He leaned up, bracing himself on his elbow and brushed away a wayward curl where it dipped near her eye. “We’ll have to be careful.” The elation he’d experienced bled from his face replaced by a potent mix of determination and concern. “Whoever these people are, they obviously think you have the evidence that can put them away. We need to find somewhere for you to go—”

She arched one eyebrow. “Why is it, every time we make love you try to send me away afterward?”

“Maybe so I know you’ll stay alive so we can do this again.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere. I promise to take every precaution, but I’m not leaving Salvation Falls.”

“Meredith, please. I’m serious.”

She sat up, dragging the sheet with her. “So am I. I came home to prove my father’s innocence. And I’m not going to let this Syndicate stop me. If they are so brazen as to break into my room at night, we must be close to something. We’d be foolish to stop now!”

“I promised your pa I’d keep you safe. He might not be here any longer but I plan to honor that promise.”

“Then honor it some other way. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Have I ever mentioned what a stubborn woman you are?”

“Several times.” She smiled and nestled against him. “Now stop scowling.”

“Give me a good reason not to.”

She let her hand drift over the ridged muscles of his stomach, down farther until his breath caught and his body stiffened. “Reason enough?”

He gave a swift nod and after a moment of torment, grabbed her and pulled her on top of him. She straddled his hips and this time it was she who held his hands to the side, captive as she arched her back and rode them both to oblivion.