Page 77 of Hotter than Wildfire

And moments were all you were guaranteed in life, weren’t they? No one could promise her that she or Harry might not die today, tomorrow. It came down to celebrating each and every moment of joy.

And being with Harry was pure joy. The more she knew him, the more she could see past that incredible tough-guy exterior. He was, yeah, really tough. He was strong and brave and could outshoot three bad guys.

But inside, inside that tough exterior, was a tender heart. The kind of man who still mourned his murdered mother and little sister, who’d fought almost to the death for them. The kind of man who, together with his brothers, unquestioningly put himself on the line for women and children in need of protectors.

This man made the perfect protector. And he did it with such a light touch, without smothering. If you weren’t on the lookout, you wouldn’t even know you were being protected. He was just…there.

It was a quality she’d never met in a man before. Men took—sex, love, your money, everything if you weren’t careful. It was so strange to have a man who gave instead of taking.

Maybe she could give him something back.

“Come on.” She stood up and tugged at his hands until he stood up, too.

It was a beautiful evening. The apartment was suffused with evening light, turning everything golden, including the man following her into the bedroom. The other times they’d made love, he’d initiated it, but this time he seemed content to follow her lead. And she liked it, she discovered.

She’d never taken the lead before, and now realized it was because she hadn’t cared enough. She cared now. Oh yeah, she cared.

She turned to him in the bedroom, white cotton curtains fluttering in the evening breeze, bringing in the smell of the ocean. They were standing a few inches apart and Ellen had to crane her neck to look Harry in the eyes. Those calm, golden eyes. Patient and steady, taking his cue from her.

Well, okay then. First order of business, clothes off. Easier said than done, she discovered as she pulled his black tee shirt out of his jeans and tried to slip it over his head. There was no way she could reach up that far, not even if she stood on tiptoe. She dropped down on her heels, kissed his bare chest and said, “You’ll have to take it from here.”

“Okay,” he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers. In an instant the tee sailed to the floor.

He had somehow understood that she wanted to stay in control, so he didn’t move, just stood there, feet slightly apart, big hands hanging by his side. Ellen unbuckled his belt, unsnapped and unzipped, smiling a little as he winced. He was massively aroused and the zipper had to hurt a little. Ah well, he was a tough guy, he could take it.

She pulled the jeans down those long, muscled legs, scratching the inside of his thigh to see what he’d do. He didn’t do anything but looked pained, but his penis…ah, that jumped inside his white briefs. Just as a muscle jumped in his jaw.

Mmm.

Inside of a minute, tee shirt, jeans, briefs were neatly folded on a chair, shoes and socks off and he stood there in front of her, in all his golden glory.

Ellen studied him greedily, committing everything to memory. The long, lean muscles, the straight soldier’s stance, the gold-tinged hair on his chest narrowing down over his lean stomach, the hair on his groin thicker and darker and framing…oh my.

His penis was so thick and long, nearly reaching his navel, blood coursing through it in small ripples every time she looked at it. It was so enormous it was a miracle her body could accommodate him, but it did.

It was readying itself for him even now, just looking at him. The flesh between her thighs grew warm and moist and she could feel something unfurling deep inside, her sex and her heart, both.

She made no move to touch him, right now just looking at him was enough.

“You’re so beautiful,” she whispered. She’d surprised him. His head jerked back a little. One side of his mouth curled up, Harry body-talk for a full smile.

“That’s my line.”

“Is it?” Yes, he’d told her often enough he found her beautiful. “I mean it, though. You’re so beautiful. You’re—you’re perfect.”

This time there was a full-fledged smile, one of the few she’d ever seen on his face. “Ask my brothers about that. I think they’d beg to differ.”

“They love you,” she said.

“Yes, they do.” His chest expanded on a deep breath. “And why are we talking about them at a moment like this?”

Because they are such an important part of you, she wanted to say, but didn’t. There were a lot of things she wanted to say to him, but there was no time. So she reached out and touched him, finally, placing her open palm over his heart.

Oh, how she loved doing that. Feeling the crisp hairs, the lean hard muscle below that and underlying it all, the strong beat of his heart. She stepped closer and felt that heart rate speed up.

She had that power. The power to make this warrior’s heart race.

“Come with me,” she murmured. They were alone in the house, there was no reason to keep her voice low, but the moment called for it. The whole world was hushed, as if waiting for something, and any noise would just be a distraction.