Single Girl Abroad: Untameable Rogue. Kelly Hunter

Madeline still clung to him seemed even more of a miracle. He put his forehead to hers, breathing hard as he closed his eyes and tried to remember how they’d come to this.

      ‘Maddy,’ he murmured, when he had the words for speech. ‘Maddy, I’m sorr—’

      ‘Don’t,’ she said, and covered his mouth with trembling fingers. Her lips replaced her fingers, softer still and even more vulnerable. ‘Don’t be.’

      So he kissed her again, as gently as he could, and even then the bite of hunger raised its head and threatened to overpower him.

      He pulled out of the kiss, and put his lips to her temple instead.

      He looked in the mirror at what he’d done and closed his eyes, not ready to face the truth of it.

      ‘I wish …’ What did he wish? That the last five minutes hadn’t happened? No, he didn’t wish that. ‘I should have taken better care of you.’ He shouldn’t have lost control.

      ‘I’ve no complaints.’ He tasted the truth in her words. He opened his eyes to find her watching him solemnly.

      ‘None,’ she said with a shrug. ‘I wanted this. Wanted you, in spite of all those very good reasons to stay away from you. I may not know where all this is heading, but I’m big girl enough to take plenty of responsibility for how we got here.’

      Even as Madeline finished her speech, body parts rippled and twitched. Madeline’s lashes came down to cover her eyes and she caught at her swollen lower lip with her teeth.

      ‘Aftershock?’ he murmured, in that dark knowing voice.

      ‘Mmm.’

      ‘More?’

      ‘Please.’

      Madeline whimpered as her legs closed vicelike around him and she ground down hard. A not so gentle thrust, the brush of his thumb, and she tilted her head back, and came for him again.

      Hot colour stained her cheeks when finally she deigned to open her eyes.

      ‘Would you like me to kiss it better?’ he murmured silkily. ‘Because, trust me, all you have to do is ask.’

      Inner muscles jumped for him again and Luke hardened, feeling invincible. Half a dozen slow and rocking strokes, an open-mouthed kiss that imprinted itself somewhere in the vicinity of his heart, and he came deep inside her again.

      Madeline emerged from Luke’s latest possession boneless, and damn near mindless. By some miracle they were still standing, but Luke’s chest heaved with the effort of drawing breath and he stood shoulder slumped to the mirrored wall in what she suspected was a valiant attempt not to crush her.