Page 38 of Taylor’s Warrior

She dragged a fingernail along the line of his jaw. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Your thighs might not agree, by the time I’ve finished with you.”

It was a risky comment, one that signaled his intentions quite clearly, but the message he was getting from her smile was one of approval.

“Kiss me.”

She didn’t have to ask twice. He shifted into a better position to comply with the imperative, elbowing his pillow into submission on the way. She was looking at him with an honest, naked need that mirrored what he felt for her.

Pure, primitive desire rode him hard. He fought to keep it in check, so he wouldn’t scare her away. Keeping it slow and gentle, he raised a hand to stroke her cheek with his fingertip. Letting his finger wander down to her jawline, he guided her head to exactly the right angle.

Her lips tasted so good. Fire raged in his blood to claim her, yet at the same time, he wanted to take his time. He wanted to give her more pleasure than she’d ever known. He wanted her to feel cherished.

More than that—he wanted her to feel loved.

The true depth of his feelings for her wrapped itself slowly around him. It wove its magic, steering him through the transition from serial seducer to one-woman man. Her man.

Then the sledgehammer hit home—he wanted to be her first choice for the rest of their lives.

The impact of it drove him to kiss her again, this time with the full, turbulent force of the emotion raging within. Her breathy gasp made him start to draw back, but her hand cupping the back of his head held him in place.

“You’re not getting away from me that easily,” she whispered.

“You’re not getting away from me at all,” he whispered back. “Not ever.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Taylor suddenly wriggled away from him, her intent instantly becoming clear.

“Hey, that’s my job,” Rhys complained as he stilled the hands that would have removed her nightgown.

“Then hurry up and do it.”

That was all the encouragement he needed. He quickly divested her of her nightgown, consigning it to the floor, and was rewarded with his first sight of a body that was, in his not-very-humble opinion, sheer perfection.

Her swimwear had never left much to the imagination—or so he’d thought. Now that he could see everything, he had a new appreciation for her beauty. For a long, appreciative moment, he allowed his gaze to linger, to take in every sublime inch, every stunning curve of her golden-hued body.

“A man should never hurry with a woman like you,” Rhys murmured. “He should take the greatest care with her, so she forgets every man she knew before him.”

He cupped her breast, lowered his head, and sucked hard on her nipple, barely aware of the fingers tangled in his hair until she tugged hard, pulling him away from her.

“Too much,” she complained with a soft, aching moan.

“Not enough,” he challenged, freeing his head from her grasp so he could reapply himself to the task at hand with even greater diligence. If she thought what little he’d done was too much, then heaven help her by the time he was done with her.

Her skin was soft and smooth, and an invitation he couldn’t ignore. While his mouth was busy kissing her, his hand was free to explore, and explore it did—down her side to her waist, then over the curve of her hip. Her hum of pleasure beneath his lips vibrated through his soul.

Delicate fingers danced over his waist and finally burrowed beneath his briefs. Electricity zinged through his nervous system.

“I think it’s time these came off,” she murmured against his lips.

Rhys gritted his teeth. The briefs were the only thing between him and exploding prematurely like a malfunctioning artillery shell. “Not yet.”

Taylor pouted—the cutest thing he’d seen in a long, long time, and he couldn’t help his reaction to it.

Her brow furrowed. “You think I’m funny? I’ll show you how funny I can be.”

Before he knew it, her lips collided with his—fierce, challenging, demanding all his attention, so he couldn’t get in the way of her attempt to drag his briefs over his hips.