Authors: Nichole Matthews
He raked his fingertips over
her
scalp, massaging her
head
with a firm, gentle touch. She slumped against his body for support as he began finger-combing her curls, from her s
calp to the ends of her tresses and she could feel the tension melting from her body
with each stroke
.
She looked up,
her cheeks flushed with heat,
h
er
emerald eyes
capturing his, enticing him
with
the trust he saw reflected in their depths.
She reached a hand up to his mouth and let her thumb and fingertips g
raze his full, masculine lips.
“Parker.”
She stroked his chin, his stubble deliciously rough.
He was silent for a long moment, his eyes searching hers.
His eyes
were
dark and impassioned.
His chest constricted just looking at her.
He was helpless against her soft plea, against the warmth of her touch.
He
growl
ed
and pull
ed
her close.
His teeth
flash
ed
in a most satisfying grin.
He sucked her index finger in between his lips and she closed her eyes and relaxed into his strong, muscular arms,
drunk from his tongue on her body
.
Persephone
’s eyes widen
ed as he
close
d
the space between
them
cupping her
cheek with his left hand, wrapping
her hair around his right fist and tugg
ing
her head back
as
he guided
her mouth to his
.
He kissed her
.
Kissed her hard, stealing the breath from her lungs.
His
tongue glide
d
with silky ease over the cont
ours of her lips, lingering. He didn’t
stop, but tangle
d his other
hand in her hair and tilt
ed
her head back
even further
.
His tongue swe
eping
across hers, she brand
ed him
with her
sweet
taste
, her soft, moist lips,
and
her
heat.
Persephone’s
hand curl
ed helplessly around Parker’s
nape, win
ding in the textured silk of his
hair.
She tugged
at the soft strands
sending
sharp
shooting sparks
of pleasure
to his already throbbing cock.
Her moan
s
rose
as f
rom
the depths of
her throat, her lips parted begging for more
a
s heat exploded between them. She
sought more, pressed more firmly against him as the pressure building became almost unbearable.
He pulled his lips from hers.
His voice was warm and tender;
his call
used palms cupp
ing
her face. “Are you ce
rtain?” A hungry flame lighting
his
already inflamed
gaze.
She nodded.
His hand cupped her jaw to raise her face to his, forcing her eyes to meet his. “I need to hear you say the w
ords, Persephone.”
His voice ragged, his eyes
burning with hunger now. “There can be no doubt in your mind or mine.” His desire began to make his voice huskier, raspier. “Say it,” he whispered.
Desperation was strong in h
is voice,
the intensity of his desire taking
her breath away.
She wanted to discover everything about him, just as he was discovering her. Uncover his deepest, darkest secrets and reveal her innermost demons.
Her heavy heart was beginning to lighten. She wanted this to be
real.
His hands we
re gentle as they cupped her jaw
and she instinctively tilted her face up.
She could feel his
lips hover
ing a few inches above her
lips. His breath a heated elixir flowing over her skin. Her limbs felt heavy, drugged with the desire flowing through her.
Her eyes fluttered shut.
Could she say it? Could she give in to the strong emotions that were threatening to overtake her?
“Please say it.” Parker’s
voice throbbed with demand.
Persep
hone forced her eyes open and
stared up at him
,
her blood pumping violently
, seeing t
he dark flush along his taut
cheekbones, the glitter of lust in his midnight blue eyes, and the need in his expression. He needed her, needed her touch and her love just as much as she needed his.
“Quite certain,” she answered back, despite the flutters in her stomach.
He watched her soft, kissable mouth speak the words he needed to he
a
r and s
omething
deeper
flared
to life
in his gaze
. Possessiveness, satisfaction, and
much
more.
He stepped back, reaching down and lifted his shirt over his
head tossing it to the floor.
Persephone sighed in pleasures. Heat flowed over her body as her eyes roamed over his broad
shoulders
and
his chest
a
solid
wall of deliciously sculpted muscles that she longed to touch. Skin to skin.
And with that desire,
she
was unable to control her actions. She placed her palms upon his chest
r
unning
her hands over his body. S
he marveled at
the sleek muscles that
lay just beneath his fevered skin burning her fingertips
.
Her palms tickled
wi
th the pelt
of dark fur that tapere
d to a thin line disappear
ing
into the
waistband
of his trousers.
Her heart pounded
, but from excitement, not nerves.
She
leaned in and rubbed
her cheek
against the springy hair on his chest, understanding
the emotions s
he had glimpsed in his eyes
.
Desire.
Her chest clenched with them, her womb flexed, and a sense of be
longing swept over her with
power.
It lit fires inside her that hadn’t been there before.
Her body felt hot and needy.
“I need to feel you all the way to my soul, Parker.”
“You are so beautiful,” Parker
said in a husky whisper.
His hands lowered to the knot
on her
wrapper
, then he slipped them
under the loosened lapels and pushed it from her shoulders watching as it pooled i
n a silken puddle at her feet l
eaving
only her
thin
cotton night rail
to shield her nakedness. Desire flared i
n his eyes at the sight of
her
hardened
nipples, st
raining against the soft, clingy
material
and he hadn’t even touched them
.
She sighed audibly in pleasure
when he
took one of her hands and slowly lifted
it to his mouth. Turning it over, he placed a hot, wet kiss to her palm.
She was nervous
, yet the look in his eyes so
focused
, quelled some of her fears
. Once the gown was removed he would see her disfigurement. She would no longer be able to hide the dozens of faded scars
that covered most of her legs and back. A few that marred her breasts and arms.
She feared the disgust that was sure to follow his discovery.
She froze
, holding her breath
as his fingers loosened the ribbon drawstring
at the top of her night rail
, releasing her
final piece of armor.
She stiffened even more as the material gaped at her neck and with one flick of his finger, the soft cotton slid dow
n her already sensitized flesh, catching on one distended nipple, before sliding down her body
to join her wrapper
at her feet.
Persephone
moved to shield her body from his gaze
,
holding her breath
.
She looked at him unable to speak
. A
fraid o
f what she might see reflected
.
Thankful that the light was already dimmed in his room, but by the angry flare
in his eyes
and white lines that briefly surrounded his mou
th she knew he saw
everything.
Hauling in a breath, he took in the sight of her creamy white skin flushed a delicate pink. The way her red hair spilled over her arms in a vibrant covering.
He stepped close and wrapped his arms around her
, his eyes soften
ing
.
She watched as the most beautiful smile spread over his face. “You are allowed to breathe, Persephone.”
Parker’s chuckle was deep and masculine.
Persephone stood with her arms at her sides for a long moment before she lifted them and squeezed his waist
and released the breath she wasn’t aware she held.
His mouth claimed hers,
stealing her breath. He kissed her with a quiet desperation, burying his hands in her hair
he pulled her head back so that she had no choice but to look into his eyes
.
“
You are not these scars.” He traced one of the white lines that ran over her midriff. “You are a wonderful mother.” He trailed his finger down her arm until he gripped her hand.
“Did you not put your life in danger to protect your
daughter?
”
Tears filled Persephone’s
eyes
as she glanced down and saw their entwined hands
and watched as the tip of his index finger traced one of the white lines visible on the back of her hand
. This one left
when
she
had
dared
to protect herself
.
“Your beauty is evident in everything you do.”
Parker’s
smoldering blue eyes stare
d
intently
.
She shook her head.
Her heart was racing, she
wanted to believe
him
.
He looked into her eyes and smiled.
“Yes.”
He gave her a soft kiss on her forehead before he moved away from her.
She swallowed hard
, shivering at the loss of his body heat
, shame warred
with her desire when he left her standing in the middle of the room alone and naked
.
H
is eyes neve
r left her face
, the glint
making her stomach twist
,
and every
cell in her body jumped to life
. H
e sat down on the edge of the bed, his mu
scles stretching and bunching when
he
tugged off his boots
letting them fall with a loud thump to the floor.
When he stood, she nearly turned away and then shook her head at the absurdity of it. She stopped and watched as he u
ndid the fastenings of his trousers and pushed them down his legs straightening as he stepped out of them.
He was lean at the waist and hips, broad at the shoulders and a muscled back that made
her mouth go dry
.
His nakedness did not disappoint.
Her eyes followed the dark hair that arrowed down the center of his chiseled chest,
lower
past his tight abdomen
an
d her heart nearly leapt from
beneath her ribs.
His erection
surrounded at the base by a tha
tch of dark wiry hair
was huge, thick and hard
and made her breath catch in her throat
.