Chapter 31

31

ALAINA

H eat radiated off him in waves as his lips crashed into mine, silencing my words. The rough stubble of his cheek brushed against mine. I shivered, a part of me reveling in the sensation. I had missed his kisses. I couldn't explain why I was so addicted to the man.

His arms around me felt like a vise, wrapping me up tight. I opened my mouth to protest again but he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring mine with a familiar hunger.

"Roan," I gasped when we pulled apart for air.

The look in his eyes was intense, so much desire intermixed with desperation that it made my heart ache. Yet I couldn't deny the chemistry between us. Why in the hell was I denying this? We both wanted each other. I gave in to the very thing that had been eating me up inside for the last month. I felt like I was starving.

His thumb gently swept across my swollen lips, his touch was a mix of tenderness and fierceness. The intensity of his gaze trapped me, holding me hostage to my own desire.

"I know you want me," he murmured. "Just as much as I want you."

Yes, dammit it. I wanted him.

"Say it, Alaina," he whispered into the silence that hung between us.

I took a deep breath, inhaling his scent, a tantalizing mix of masculinity and some cologne I could never quite identify. It was citrusy and musky and so perfect for him. A bold defiance coursed through me, pushing away the doubts that had plagued me. I placed my hand on his chest, feeling the solid thump of his heart beneath my fingertips. I looked into his eyes, their intensity demanding my honesty.

"Roan," I began, slowly, softly. "I want you."

His eyes flashed with triumph and something deeper, something that made my heart beat faster. He let out a satisfied breath, his sinful lips curving into a crooked smile that did things to me I couldn't quite put words to.

He pulled me against him, his hard body against mine, and his lips found mine once again. This time, the kiss was different, it was desperate, needy, full of unspoken promises and desires.

Something told me he wasn't going to change his mind this time. And this time, I wasn't going to try and change it either.

His hands found their way to my waist, pulling me closer till there was no room for even air between us.

His lips left a trail of fire as they moved down my neck, eliciting a gasp from me. His touch was like a brand on my skin. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down to deepen the kiss. The feeling of surrender was heady, intoxicating.

"Roan," I breathed out, pulling back slightly. His eyes were dark with desire, his lips swollen from our kisses. "Are you sure—are we sure about this?"

He looked at me for what seemed like an eternity before nodding. "More than anything else in the world," he said. He brushed his knuckles gently against my cheek, sending shivers down my spine.

I closed my eyes, trying to calm the pounding in my chest. I got to my feet and took his hand. I turned off the light and led him to my bed. That was the good thing about living in a studio apartment. The bed wasn't far.

As we approached the bed, my heart pounded harder and faster, matching the rhythm of Roan's strong heartbeat. The darkness around us felt more intimate, our senses heightened.

"Beau, down," I ordered.

The dog slowly got up, stretched, and hopped down to go to his bed in the corner. Roan was behind me, his breathing sending shivers down my spine. He reached for my shirt and pulled it over my head, tossing it to the floor. Roan's lips found the curve of my neck, his arms wrapping around my body. Heat radiated between us, igniting an inferno within me.

His hands moved from my waist up to the curve of my breasts. While his hands massaged my breasts, his mouth kissed over my shoulder and the back of my neck.

I turned to face him, keeping my eyes locked on his. He slid his hands up and down my sides. "You're sure?" he asked.

"Yes, but I guess the real question is—are you? If you hit the brakes again, I might scream."

He grinned. "I'm sure."

His mouth covered mine as he lowered me to the bed. His hands explored every inch of me, leaving a trail of fire wherever he touched. His lips moved down my neck and toward my bare shoulders. His fingers traced the outline of my collarbone, moving down toward my chest. He looked into my eyes as if asking for permission. I nodded, all words lost in the torrent of emotions threatening to consume me.

His hands worked my breasts, massaging and gently caressing. I felt vulnerable under his intent gaze. He bent down and took one breast in his mouth, his tongue swirling around the sensitive peak as he teased it into a hardened nub. A cry escaped my lips, echoes of pleasure resounding throughout the room.

His other hand slid down past my stomach and delved beneath the waistband of my shorts. His fingers brushed against sensitive flesh there, causing me to arch against him in need. He hopped off the bed. My heart fell. He was going to do it again. He was going to leave me wanting and aching for him.

But thankfully, it was just him stripping out of his shirt. I watched, my chest heaving up and down. He kicked off his shoes and took off his pants.

Holy shit.

How did one man get to be this gorgeous? It wasn't fair. He stood at the edge of my bed in all his naked glory. "Damn."

He grinned and reached down to pull my shorts off. And then there we were, both naked as the day we were born. The man had been a tease. I wanted him. I didn't want to think about the consequences and what all of that meant.

"Wait," I said and quickly climbed off the bed. I went to my little bathroom and grabbed a condom.

I tossed it at him, which he quickly caught.

"Glad you have this because I didn't bring anything," he said. "That should tell you I didn't come here to do this."

"I don't care, Roan," I said bluntly. "I don't want to talk about this. I just want to do it, okay?"

Roan didn't reply. He just looked at me, his eyes burning into mine. It wasn't until I started to feel self-conscious that he finally spoke, his voice low and intense. "Okay," he said, a promise etched in that one word.

He ripped the condom wrapper open, slipping the condom on with practiced ease before closing the distance between us. I felt myself shiver as he touched me again, his hands exploring my body with an urgency that seemed to mirror my own.

His lips found mine again, our kisses deepening as we fell into a rhythm that was entirely our own. His hands were everywhere, trailing over my skin with an intimacy that was borderline intoxicating. I needed more. The further he pressed, the further I yearned for him.

"Roan," I breathed out between kisses. He responded by putting his hand between my legs, cupping me, and driving me wild.

His thumb grazed my sensitive flesh, sending waves of pleasure coursing through my body. Moans escaped my lips as he worked his fingers along the wet folds, teasing me and driving me to madness.

"Please," I whimpered, my breath hitching in my throat as his movements became more focused, more intense. The word was a plea, a desperate need for him to take me right at that moment.

His eyes met mine. I could see the power there. He knew he had me at his mercy and it thrilled him. With a crooked smile playing on his lips, he pulled away from me slightly, only for his hands to move lower, his fingers dipping into the wetness between my legs. My back arched off the bed as sensations overwhelmed me.

I felt bare and exposed under his gaze, yet it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling. It was raw and passionate—wild even. "Roan," I whispered against his lips as he came back up to kiss me once again.

"What is it?" His voice was low and husky as he met my gaze.

"I need you," I said simply, looking deep into his eyes. "I need you now."

The corners of his mouth turned up in a wicked grin that did things to my insides. "Good," he murmured, his voice thick with desire and satisfaction. "Because I need you too."

His fingers left a smoldering path as they traveled up my body, over the curve of my thigh, across the swell of my hip, and lingered in a soft caress over my stomach. His touch was a sweet torture, promising so much more. My breath hitched as he slowly lowered himself onto me, his hard body pressing against mine. The sensation of him so close made my heart pound wildly in my chest.

His hardness nudged at me. I instinctively parted my thighs to accommodate him. He groaned, the sound coming from deep within his chest. He guided the head of his cock to my opening. I closed my eyes, surrendering myself completely to the sensations that were threatening to consume me.

"Look at me," he commanded softly, his voice thick with need. I opened my eyes to find his piercing gaze on me. The intensity in his eyes left no room for doubt about what he wanted.

Slowly, almost torturously, he pushed into me. A gasp escaped my lips as he filled me completely. He paused for a moment, giving me time to adjust to him before he started moving again.

The slowness of his initial thrusts contrasted with the wild, desperate need I could see in his eyes. His lips came down on mine once more, stealing my breath even as his hips continued their slow, steady rhythm. I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer and losing myself in the pure sensation of him.

He grunted against my mouth, the vibrations sending tremors through me. His thrusts deepened, reaching places I didn't know existed. My nails dug into his shoulder blades as I tried to ground myself amidst the sea of pleasure.

His pace quickened as he lost himself in me, each thrust becoming more erratic and desperate. My body convulsed beneath him as pleasure surged through me, obliterating all thoughts and leaving only this pulsating need.

"Roan." I whispered his name like a chant, a prayer for more.

He pulled back slightly, looking down at me with those smoldering eyes. "I love hearing you call my name," he growled, his voice a low purr.

"I love saying it," I replied breathlessly, my hands slipping lower to cup his firm backside and pull him deeper into me.

With a guttural grunt that sounded like a rabid animal, Roan gripped my hips and thrust into me with an intensity that stole my breath away.

"Yes," I moaned as I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him even closer. Roan's pace quickened to match the rhythm of our heartbeats. Every stroke, every caress was more fervent than the last, each one pushing me further into a whirlpool of desire. This was the moment I had been waiting for. I had given up hope I would ever know what it was like to be with him.

Roan pulled back again and captured my lips with his. The kiss was passionate, filled with an intensity that bordered on desperation. My hands roamed over his muscular body, feeling the hard lines of his muscles beneath my fingers. His skin was hot against mine, the heat radiating off him making me even more fevered.

His hips moved against mine with an urgency that made my head spin. The room was filled with the heavy sound of our breathing, punctuated only by the occasional gasp or moan that escaped our lips. I could feel every inch of him stretching me to my limit as he delivered wave after wave of pleasure. I clung onto him tightly as an orgasmic tremor shuddered through my entire being. I cried out. The pleasure was too much. It felt like I was exploding into a million pieces.

He climaxed right after me, a loud grunt followed by cursing and groans. He collapsed on top of me, both of us completely spent.