The ache of his leaving before crashed back, even when she knew she'd sent him on his way by accusing him of being all his father ever said. Not that she believed any of it. But she'd been so wounded by his obvious relief at freedom. And no matter how much she told herself otherwise, he had that power to hurt her again.
His fingers rubbed a sensuous massage into her scalp. "You can tell me all day long that you're fine. Kathleen could give me a freaking printout of your records, and that still wouldn't stop me from worrying about you."
Clarity dawned. He meant physically hurt, minor in comparison to what she'd been imagining. The body—so transient in comparison to the heart. The soul. Her emotions started to scramble her resolve, a mighty inconvenient occurrence with her n**ed body plastered to his.
She wanted this, damn it. He wanted this. After all they'd been through together, they deserved at least this much. And they deserved to enjoy it to the fullest.
"Do you remember what I said earlier?"
He stroked her hair back with a hand so tender she almost crumbled. "You said a lot of things, 'Lise."
Maybe too much. "I won't be relegated to passive roles."
Taking advantage of his surprise, she flipped him to his back.
Heat flamed his eyes to smoky black. $he draped herself down and over Daniel, blanketing him with her body and hair just before she took his mouth. Searched deep and long, with all the pent-up need she yearned to pour all over him.
Groaning, he gripped her hips. "You want to be in control?"
She walked her fingers down his chest, lower, counting the ridged flexing of his stomach. "Do you have a problem with that?"
His heart slammed in his chest against her. "No, ma'am."
"I'm not going to break, Danny." Her hand dipped lower still until she encircled him, sheathed him in a condom with languorous strokes. "But I'm thinking it might be incredible to break your restraint."
His fingers flexed on her hips. "And I'm thinking you won't have to try very much."
She lowered herself onto him, took him into her body as once she'd taken him into her heart. Fully, the pressure of his presence within her maybe a bit too much at first until she adjusted to him being there again.
And then so very right she couldn't remember a time he hadn't been a part of her.
His head pressed back into the pillow, eyes closed, jaw clenched tight. She was damned tired of his restraint. She was tired of being half-alive.
She stopped. Waited.
Knees bracketing his hips, she stared down at him, suddenly realizing how much all that restraint cost him, because doing the same was killing her now.
His eyes opened and he stared back up at her. She brought her hands down to his chest, touched him with the same light caresses he'd given her, strokes that at first enticed, then grew progressively more frustrating.
With one teasing finger, she outlined his flat nipple, watching his eyes until… She pulled her hand away, circled her h*ps once. Stopped again.
His eyes widened then narrowed. Oh, yeah, he was on to her. And who would win? Hopefully both of them.
She could even see him smolder at the challenge. Their battle of wills continued with traded caresses that tempted without satisfying until…
With a growl of surrender that conversely brought his aggressive advance, he sat up. Mary Elise shifted her legs to wrap around his waist, welcome him in further, closer, wrenching another growl from low in his throat. He palmed her back, holding them chest to chest, heart to pounding heart as she glided down while he thrust up.>In no hurry, she withdrew her fingers while stepping closer. Maybe he wouldn't be taking advantage of her after all. She obviously knew her own mind.
Yes! His libido shouted while his mind cautioned with logical reasoning—as if logic stood a chance against his need for this woman. He would just control himself while enjoying this torturous-as-hell moment.
Daniel dipped two fingers in the jelly jar still held in her hand. Without once breaking eye contact, he brought his fingers to her mouth.
Oh, yeah.
Her lips closed over him, the subtle suction drawing him inside, deeper. Her tongue circled his fingers.
His vision clouded.
Okay, maybe he didn't need to stay completely away from her. He would just be gentle. Careful. After all, the woman knew her mind and understood her body.