“I don’t think it’ll ever be a reality, Bryson. It was just something I was looking at.”
“Don’t do that.” His changed manner, now stern and abrupt all of a sudden, stopped her in her tracks. He’d never used that tone before.
“Don’t do what?”
“You are constantly saying what you can’t or shouldn’t do. Don’t do that to yourself. It’s not who you are. I see strength of will underneath the downbeat and downtrodden exterior you’re trying to show the world. If you portray a weakling, then that’s what the world will see. Do you want people to look through you? Do you want to fade away into nothingness?”
“I’m already there,” she shouted. She was tired of listening to him lecture her.
“Only if you decide to be there. No one makes our destinies, Misty. No one! We can choose to let the world make us disappear, or we can stand up and shout back that we aren’t going to take it. If you let yourself be kicked while you’re down, then passersby will think that’s acceptable and they will join in and start kicking you, too. Did you just roll over when you met me?”
“No. But I was frightened,” she said, wrapping her arms around her now trembling body. It was cold and this fight seemed to be using up her energy, making her suddenly shiver.
“You’ve been frightened for most of your life and you’ve always fought back. Dammit, you should be one hell of a champion by now.”
That wasn’t something she’d thought about before. Was she a fighter? She’d gotten away from the foster parents who had abused her, escaped when street junkies had tried to do worse than abuse her, and she’d outsmarted a dirty cop. Maybe she was stronger than she gave herself credit for.
“Take my coat,” Bryson said. He removed it and draped it around her shoulders, then pulled her close and wrapped her in a warm embrace.
“You’ll get cold,” she protested through chattering teeth. It was more emotional than physical, but she couldn’t stop shivering.
“I’m made of solid steel. The elements can’t hurt a superman like me,” he replied, making her smile.
The wind was nipping at her neck, but she was warming up quickly as she stayed enfolded in Bryson’s strong arms. This man was dangerous. He could uproot her entire life with a few words. He could make unspoken cravings rush to the surface.
But even knowing that, she didn’t pull away; she just enjoyed the feel of his warm breath rushing across the top of her head as the wind stirred her hair. If she turned her face just a little, their mouths would align perfectly. The slightest tilt and those lips could be on hers.
She moved her head involuntarily, and then she was looking into his eyes, those warm gray eyes that hid so many secrets. And were able to draw her so quickly into their depths.
“Misty,” he sighed before closing the minuscule gap between them and pressing his lips to hers. The cool air made their mouths tingle when they met. He pushed his tongue against her bottom lip, the softest of caresses. It was a question. Would she open to him?
Whether she wanted it to be or not, her answer had to be yes. She opened to him.
Bryson tugged her even closer as his mouth danced across hers, as he made her body ache with need. Tremors racked her body, and she snuggled tighter into his embrace, trying to satisfy a need that could be met only when the two of them lay skin to skin.
There was no hurry, though, nowhere to be but right there. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then her cheek, and her head fell back as his hot breath smoothed over the column of her throat.
He could take her now, right here on this beach, and it still wouldn’t be enough. It would never be enough, no matter how many times their bodies joined, no matter how much pleasure he brought her. She finally understood the meaning of the word insatiable.
That’s what she was — insatiable — at least when it came to Bryson.
In such a short amount of time, her life had begun to revolve around this man. It was a dangerous game, a game she was sure to lose, but for now, she couldn’t make herself care.
His lips worked their way back up to her mouth, where he caressed her gently, kissing her bottom lip with such sweetness that she felt herself lift into a whole new plane.
This man was taking control over her every desire. She wanted to please him. And she wanted to be pleased by him.
Soon, the kiss went from sweet and gentle to hungry and passionate. Her core heated to dangerous levels, and her entire consciousness was fixated on having him strip her clothes away and sink deep inside her.
She grasped at his hair, holding him to her, while he explored her back with his hands, then let them move beneath the bundle of clothes she was wearing, and then climb up her sides until he was suddenly clasping one aching breast, the touch of his palm scorching her.
Before she could fall into an abyss of total pleasure, Bryson pulled back, his eyes almost savage as they gazed down at her, hot, hungry — ready.
“I want you every minute of every day,” he said huskily.
“Then have me,” she told him, too turned on to consider regretting her words.
The flash of need in his eyes, followed by a glance up the hill, made her feel like a seductress. With a boldness she would have never known she possessed, she moved her hands downward and squeezed the muscles of his tight bu**ocks.
“When we get alone…” he growled, then pulled back and enclosed her hand with his.
“Is that a promise or a threat?” she asked, feeling almost giddy.
“Both.”
The way he said the word sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. She’d made this big, strong man ache. She’d made him desire her — need her. She felt euphoric and found herself practically skipping as they made their way back up the trail to the house.
“I don’t think I ever want to go back to the real world,” she said with a sigh.
“I need this case to end,” he replied, taking the glow right out of her. When she tensed, he halted their progress and turned to her. “So that I can be with you all I want — without the conflict of interest.”
Her glow came flooding back.
Misty didn’t believe their fling could last. But she didn’t want to think about that. All she wanted to think about right now was the two of them lying in bed together, spectacularly sated.
“Why didn’t you join me last night?” she asked. If he wanted her so badly, she didn’t understand why he hadn’t come to take what she was offering.