were twisted in the old quilt, a bare leg and arm exposed to the chilly air in the room. Tenley let her gaze drift down from his handsome face and tousled hair, to the smooth expanse of his chest and the rippled muscles of his belly.
An ache deep inside her took her breath away and she felt an overwhelming need for physical contact, anything to make her feel again. She’d pushed aside her emotions for so long that the only way to access them was to lose herself in pleasure. Until now, all she really required was a man who wouldn’t ask for anything more than sex. But now, watching Alex sleep, she yearned for a deeper connection, a way back from the dark place where she’d lived for so long.
Was he the light she was looking for? Tenley rubbed her eyes with her fingers. Then reaching out, she held her hand close to his skin, surprised at the heat he generated. If she were warm and safe, she could forget the dream, forget the guilt. All she needed was just a few minutes of human contact.
A shiver skittered through her and without considering the consequences, she lay down beside him, tucking her backside into the curve of his body. Tenley felt him stir behind her and she closed her eyes, waiting to see what might happen.
He pushed up on his elbow and gently smoothed his hand along her arm. She glanced over her shoulder to find a confused expression on his face. Slowly, she rolled onto her back, their gazes still locked. Then, Tenley slipped her hand around his nape and gently pulled him closer, until their lips touched.
The kiss sent a slow surge of warmth through her body as he gently explored her mouth with his tongue, teasing and testing until she opened fully to his assault. With a low moan, he pulled her body beneath his. They fit perfectly against each other and Tenley arched into him, desperate to feel more.
The memories of the nightmare slowly gave way to a tantalizing pleasure. Alex ran his hand along her leg and beneath the T-shirt, then stopped suddenly, as if surprised that she wore nothing beneath. Giving him permission to continue, she slipped her fingers beneath the waistband of his boxers, searching for an intimate spot to explore.
But as the touching grew more intense, the clothing they wore seemed to get in the way. Frantic to feel his naked body against hers, Tenley sat up and tugged her T-shirt over her head, then tossed it aside. She heard his breath catch and she smiled. “It feels better without clothes.”
He grinned, then skimmed his boxers off, revealing the extent of his arousal. Unafraid to take what she wanted, Tenley wrapped her fingers around his hard shaft and gently began to stroke him. The caress brought a moan from deep in his throat and his fingers tangled in her hair as he drew her into another long, deep kiss.
“Am I awake or am I dreaming?” he asked, his lips soft against hers, his voice ragged.
“You’re dreaming,” she whispered.
“It doesn’t feel like a dream,” he countered. He cupped her breast with his palm and ran his thumb over her nipple. “You’re warm and soft. I can hear you and taste you.”
“Close your eyes,” Tenley said. “And don’t open them until I get back.”
She crawled off the bed, but he grabbed her hand to stop her retreat. “Don’t leave.”
“I’ll be right back. I promise. Close your eyes.”
He did as he was told and Tenley hurried out of the room to the bathroom. She rummaged through the cabinet above the sink until she found the box of condoms, then pulled out a string of plastic packets.
When she returned to the room, he was sitting up in bed, waiting for her. She held up the condoms. “I think we might need these.”
He chuckled. “All of those?”
Tenley felt a blush of embarrassment. It had been a while since she’d had a man in her bed. Once might not be enough. “Yes,” she said. “All of them.”
“I think you might be overestimating my abilities,” he teased.
“And you might be underestimating mine,” she replied.
When she got close to the bed, he grabbed her hand and yanked her on top of him. “Tell me what you want. I’ll do my best to comply.”
She wanted to lose herself in the act, to let her mind drift and her body take flight. She wanted to forget the past and the present and future and just exist in a haze of pleasure. She wanted the warmth and touch of another human being. And most of all, she wanted that wonderful, exhilarating feeling of release with a man moving deep inside her.
She tore a packet off the strip and opened it, then, with deliberate care, smoothed it down over his erection. Without any hesitation, Tenley straddled his hips and lowered herself on top of him. When he was buried to the hilt, she sighed. “This is what I want,” she murmured, her eyes closed, her pulse racing.
“Me, too,” he whispered.
ALEX HADN’T BEEN prepared for how good it would feel. Maybe because it had all been so unexpected. He’d always taken his time charming a woman, knowing that once he got her to bed, his interest would soon wane. But from the moment Tenley had lain down beside him, Alex knew something remarkable was about to happen.
This wasn’t some game he was playing, a diversion that he found interesting until something better came along. This was pure, raw desire, stripped of all artifice and expectations. He closed his eyes and sighed, reveling in the feel of her warmth surrounding him.
He didn’t care what it meant or where it would go after this. All he knew was that he wanted to possess her, even it if was just for an hour or two on a snowy January night.
His fingers tangled in her hair and he drew her to his mouth. Though she didn’t possess any of the attributes he normally found attractive in a woman, he couldn’t seem to get enough of her. Her skin was pale, but incredibly soft. And her breasts, though small, were perfect. She was everything he’d never had before—and never wanted. Alex smoothed his hands over her chest and down her torso to her hips. Then he sat up, wrapping her legs around his waist and burying his face in the curve of her neck.
Tenley moved against him, her head tipped forward and her eyes closed. Her hair fell across her face and he reached up and brushed it aside, watching as desire suffused her features. Though he wanted to surrender to his own passion, Alex found it far more fascinating to watch her.
The intensity of her expression made him wonder what was going through her mind. She seemed lost in her need, searching for release in an almost desperate way. He reached down between them and touched her. A soft cry slipped from her lips and Alex knew he could give her what she wanted.
Her breath came in deep gasps and he focused on the sound, trying to delay the inevitable. And then, she was there, dissolving into spasms, her body driving down once more, burying him deep inside her.
It was all Alex could take, watching her orgasm overwhelm her. He surrendered to the sensations racing through his body and a moment later, found his own release.
Tenley nestled up against him, her arms draped around his neck, her lips pressed to his ear. “Oh, that was nice,” she whispered.
“Umm,” he replied, too numb to put together a coherent sentence. “Very nice.”
She drew back, a wicked smile curling her lips. “You want to do it again?”
“No, not quite yet,” he said with a chuckle. “Just let me catch my breath for a second.” Alex wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her down beside him, dragging her leg up over his hip. “This is a nice way to spend a snowy night.” She shivered and Alex rubbed her arm. “Are you cold?”
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