He stood and held her softened gaze. Slipping his hand into hers, he dug into her wide green eyes. “And I’ve been wanting to know you ever since I laid eyes on you for the first time at the airport, Shiloh.”
She wondered why she’d fought so long and hard not to know this man who was the salt of the earth, who was blunt, straightforward, and brutally honest with himself and with her. Roan drew her into his arms, his mouth barely skimming hers, inviting her. A soft sigh escaped Shiloh as she moved into his arms, pressing her breasts against the wall of his chest.
“Are you protected?” Roan asked, his voice thick with arousal.
Sliding her arms around his broad shoulders, feeling the muscles tighten as she skimmed them with her fingers, she whispered against his mouth, “Yes . . .”
Roan eased her back just enough to hold her gaze. “I don’t have condoms here, Shiloh.” His smile was crooked. “I wasn’t expecting to ever use them here on the ranch.”
Amusement tinged her voice and she smiled up at him. “It’s all right. I’m clean and healthy.”
“So am I.”
“Then,” she whispered, leaning up on her toes, her lips meeting his, “I want to love you. . . .”
His mouth cherished hers, in no hurry to explore the shape and softness of her. There was an exquisite heat that flowed through Shiloh and she languished in the strength of his arms. Roan kissed her gently, as if introducing himself to her. She was wildly aware of his hand ranging slowly downward, as if memorizing her.
“Tell me what you want?” he asked, leaving her wet mouth.
Blinking, Shiloh stilled in his arms, dampness settling between her thighs. Her channel felt as if on fire, cramping and wanting Roan. “W-what?” She saw him smile a little and he eased his fingers through her tangled red hair.
“What pleases you, Shiloh? What do you need from me? We’re a team. I want to know what will make you fly apart in my arms.”
The man shook her to her foundation. His eyes were hooded, flecks of silver in his narrowing gaze. Shiloh felt as if he were drinking her into his hard, male body and he’d barely touched her. Barely kissed her. “No man has ever asked me before,” she said, giving him a bemused look. She saw his expression grow thoughtful.
“Then, Darlin’, as we start loving each other, you let me know in your own way if it feels good to you or not. If you want more. Or less. Or for me to stop.”
Her mind was already shorting out by sexual hunger and need of Roan. “Y-yes . . .” She sounded like a neophyte; someone who knew nothing. His chiseled mouth curved a little and he nodded.
Roan slid his ams beneath her, lifting Shiloh against him, carrying her to his bed, which had yet to be turned down for the night. She trusted him completely, slipping her arms around his neck, her brow resting against his jaw. He deposited her and turned, shutting off the light. Only faint moonlight peeked around the edges of the heavy drapes at the other end of the room.
Shiloh saw him pull the towel away from his body, her breath catching. He was fully erect and a keen yearning flowed sweet and hot through her lower body. As he placed his knee on the bed, the mattress sank beneath his weight. He sat facing her. The silence ebbed and her heart pounded with anticipation. The look on his deeply shadowed face was intense.
She sat up, pulled her top off, revealing her breasts beneath. And before she could wriggle out of her boxer shorts, Roan’s fingers eased beneath the waistband, helping her to remove them. Shiloh wasn’t one to lie helpless and let the man orchestrate their mating. She wanted to be an equal, enthusiastic partner in this beautiful dance that she was eager to consummate with him.
She knelt before Roan, her hands flowing around his hard jaw, watching his eyes shutter nearly closed as she leaned into him, taking his mouth eagerly, not wanting to wait any longer. His mouth was equally hungry, deepening her kiss, his breath hot and ragged against her cheek. As his large, callused hands slid around her rib cage, cupping her breasts, Shiloh moaned. He took that low sound into him, drawing her closer until her breasts were cupped fully in his hands. Her skin was on fire, the calluses on his palms causing skittering flames to pucker her nipples until she was desperate for Roan to touch them, tease them.