“I didn’t think you would do it.”
She lifted her chin. “You were wrong.”
A heartbeat passed.
“I was proud of you, Gemma.” His voice had softened.
Something wobbled inside her. “Don’t say that.”
“Why not?”
Tears weren’t far away, but she held them back. “I’ll cry. And I don’t want to cry.”
“I’d say you’re more than entitled.”
All at once she longed to have someone put their arms around her and tell her everything would be okay. She’d never had anyone to reassure her in such a way.
And now her parents never would.
Through a haze of emotion she saw Tate. He was the only person who had ever made her feel safe. She needed to recapture that feeling. “Tate, make love to me.”
Time seemed to decelerate.
“What?”
“Make love to me. Please. I need you.”
He stiffened. “Gemma—”
The next second, she knew he would refuse. Her heart squeezed as she put on a brave face. “That’s okay, I understand.” She stepped past him, intending to rush to her room and lick her wounds. “My parents didn’t want me, so I can’t blame you for—”
He put his hand on her arm, stopping her. “Don’t put me in the same category as them.” He tugged her gently toward him. “Do I want you?” His eyes darkened. “Oh, yeah, I want you, Gemma.”
The last thing she saw was Tate’s head lowering, blocking out the sunlight streaming through the windows. Or was it dark because her eyelids had come down? She didn’t know. She didn’t care. The feel of his arms around her, the touch of his lips on hers, the raw emotion she’d heard in his voice—all of it cut away their surroundings. A breath caught in her throat.
The taste of him flooded her and she shuddered in pleasure. Her hands slid up and locked behind his neck, clinging to him as she gave him kiss for kiss. She couldn’t believe she was finally in Tate’s arms, and there was no denying that he wanted her. She could feel his arousal growing, hardening against her stomach.
His lips made their way along her jawline, and she let her head fall back to give him better access. He dallied briefly at her earlobe before his kisses moved to the sensitive skin of her neck. Eyes remaining shut, she felt him place his lips against the base of her throat and hold there for a few seconds. She held still, too.
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Then his hand slid under her hair and eased her zipper down. The dress came off her shoulders with a gentle draft of air as he pushed the material down and let it descend to the carpet, leaving her in bra and panties.
Only then did she open her eyes. His gaze traveled over her body like a whisper. “You’re even more beautiful now than before.”
Her heart bounced. “I am?”
“You’ve had my baby,” he said simply, but there was nothing simple about the way he brushed his fingers between her breasts to her trim stomach, making her quiver in reaction.
Then his fingers slipped inside one cup of her bra and lifted out her breast, holding it up for his pleasure. He captured her nipple with his mouth. She took quick breaths, hearing the sound reverberate inside her throat, growing tenfold as his tongue played with the tightening bud.
He caressed her other breast with his hands then his mouth, and soon her bra disappeared. Everything intensified. Her panties were gone. He pressed her down on the sofa and stretched her out on it. He slipped a cushion under her head, clearly concerned for her comfort, making her feel special even as the pressure built between them.
He moved back and stood looking down at her. “God, I want to take my time with you,” he rasped, his blue eyes deepening with color.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew they had a luncheon to attend and a child to get ready, but it had been almost two long years since he’d been a part of her. And she couldn’t bear it if Nathan were to wake up right now and put a stop to this. Would they ever get back to this moment? Their emotions were high, but nothing between them had been resolved…
“Next time,” she whispered, beckoning him to join her, vaguely thankful they were the only adults in the house.
He proceeded to strip off his clothes. Her eyes followed every sinew revealed, every hair on his chest, the darker patch surrounding his full erection. He lowered himself down on her, but not in her. Not yet. They both knew the feel of him against her naked skin was just too much pleasure to sacrifice for the sake of time.
But soon it wasn’t enough. He kissed her deeply, adjusting himself more fully, probing now at the top of her thighs. The air grew thick as she opened her legs. She wanted him to be a part of her. She’d missed him so much.