Natalie searched out his features in the dim light and saw the moonlight gleaming in his eyes.
“I do want you, Natalie,” he admitted with disarming honesty. “I have since that night I saw you on the beach.”
A swooping sensation occurred in her belly. She couldn’t identify it as nervousness or excitement. He wanted her…as in wanted her in bed.
Liam Kavanaugh. Wanted her.
Awkward, self-conscious, inexperienced, scarred Natalie.
He gave a small, incredulous laugh. Natalie realized several taut seconds had elapsed while her brain had tried to compute Liam’s words.
“You’re not going to say anything, are you? About the fact that I just said I wanted to make love to you?”
“I’m not so sure it’d be…wise,” she finally replied in a cracking voice.
“Yeah, I’d figured out that much myself, believe it or not. Knowing doesn’t seem to be quieting the need any. Not a bit,” he added wryly under his breath. For a few seconds, the silence stretched.
“But this has got nothing to do with wisdom,” Liam said suddenly. He released her hand only to bury his hands in her hair. Natalie sat in the car seat, frozen as he furrowed his fingers through the long strands. She couldn’t see his face, but she sensed his intensity.
“I’ve been wanting to do this all night. It ought to be made illegal for you to hide your hair. It’s so soft.”
Something swelled in her chest at the sound of awe in his deep voice.
Her hair slid through his fingers as he released it. His hands settled on her jaw, bracketing her face. The gesture struck her as tender…cherishing even. His head lowered over her and he spoke a fraction of an inch next to her lips.
“Tell me that you feel it, too.”
She couldn’t squeeze a word out of her throat, so she just nodded once.
And then he was kissing her, and everything faded away—her inexperience, their history, the tragedy, the hurt…the unanswered questions.
Nothing existed but Liam’s hungry mouth and her own erupting need.
Chapter Seven
He felt her heat beneath him; he felt her soften. The wholehearted consent of her body was even sweeter to him than her small nod of agreement had been.
Desire roared through his veins when she put her hands on his shoulders and caressed the muscles, making it the hardest trial of his life to keep a tight reign on himself. He couldn’t stop his hands from moving, though. As he discovered the secrets of Natalie’s mouth more thoroughly, his palms and fingers explored the mysteries of her body. She was like magic made into flesh: all taut, delicious curves and supple straight lines. He ran his hands from the indentation of her waist to her hips, finding the swell intoxicating. He settled on those curves and caressed them softly.
Her taste was like lust double-distilled.
When he realized he was quickly getting drunk on it, he sealed their kiss with effort. Her kisses were so sweet, but her occasional hesitance made him suspect she wasn’t all that experienced. He should go slowly with her or he’d risk ruining things. He couldn’t stop himself from plucking at her damp, warm lips, though. His hands moved, seemingly of their own accord, sweeping up the sides of her body.
He gave a restrained groan at the sensation of her full breasts against his palms. The rough sound seemed to startle her.
“It’s okay,” he murmured. He lifted his head and watched her exquisite face cast in moonlight as he pressed the center of her breasts into his palm. “I know I said I wanted to make love to you, but I’m not going to tonight. I just want to touch you a little. You’re beautiful.”
“I am not,” she replied in a choked voice.
“You are. I’m going to show you some day just how beautiful you are. If you’ll let me.”
She blinked. Perhaps she’d been surprised at his intensity, but he’d stated a simple truth. He didn’t know precisely when it had happened, but it had become an imperative for him to show Natalie Reyes how bright she shone in his eyes.
Her lips parted and he nuzzled them with his own, a bee drawn to honey.
“Does that feel good?” he murmured huskily as he cradled the weight of her breasts in his palms and whisked his thumbs over two taut peaks. It aroused him immensely, how responsive she was to his touch. He could feel the stiffness of her nipples directly through her bra.
“Yes.”