His long, powerful legs with the most amazing muscle definition stretched out next to her. The pressure of such a solid man resting so close to her liquefied her insides, yet scared her as well. He continued to pleasure her breasts with his tongue and teeth.
He paused for a moment and reached over to his bedside table. Hearing the tear, she watched him sheath himself in latex. She stiffened briefly to prepare for Henry to thrust into her. The idea that he would dominate her body in the same way Luc had shot a tremor of panic through her. Her face grimaced in preparation for the pain.
Luc had preferred her under him, spreading her legs and lying still, but Henry surprised her by rolling to his back and lifting her to the top position. The shift took away some of the fear. He’d left her in control. Empowered, she slid her body down his and angled him inside her. Each shimmy of her hips and drive forward was hers to decide, but she wanted even more. Pressure grew, and feelings of intense need overwhelmed her.
“Henry,” she cried out.
He lifted his hips and pressed deeper. Her fears disappeared, and a dizzy, euphoric feeling brought her higher and higher.
“Come closer, Sunshine.” He pulled her toward him and kissed her so deeply, a conquering and melding of souls. She rode him until blissful waves shook her entire body. The feelings intensified as he grasped her hips and rocked her further until everything burst open in color and light and intensity. And then he shuddered and trembled beneath her. Lips still connected, they slowed to a stillness except for the sound of heavy breathing and contented sighs. She rested her head on his shoulder, exhausted.
“Good night, Gabe,” he murmured.
I’m not Gabe.
“Alex,” she mumbled in reply and slid into a contented sleep.
…
Alex? Who the hell was Alex?
Henry spent a night that should have been heaven with the most amazing woman he’d ever met in a cold panic. Did he just learn the name of the love of her life as she’d described her former boyfriend? If this guy had been her former lover, his technique with her had been despicable. It had been impossible to anticipate what would please her, because so many things had made her skittish. What sort of man would break a woman down and almost destroy her ability to make love? She couldn’t love him still. How could a woman love an abusive man? The answer kicked him in the gut. His mother and Simon’s mother both had loved their abuser.
She stirred in his arms. Half her body rested on top of him with one leg curved across his thigh. Blond hair covered most of her face. He smoothed it behind her ear and tucked her head under his chin. Her breathing created a soothing, rhythmic meditation to ease his frayed nerves.
She’d panicked as he was prepared to enter her. Her body had noticeably stiffened and her eyes had flinched. Henry had almost stopped everything in order to hold her and relax her nerves, but his mind told him Gabe would recoil at the idea of him comforting her. So he’d rotated her on top and allowed her to control everything. If she’d wished to stop, she’d be in a position to do so. Thank God, she hadn’t, because being with her had been heaven. What they shared wasn’t sex; it was better, more satisfying.
Which is why her saying this guy’s name as she drifted off to sleep didn’t make sense. Not only had it seemed like the guy had abused her sexually, but he’d also taken out his aggression on the rest of her body as well. She wore the scars to prove it. Reminded of his father’s rages, Henry’s stomach clenched like a fist. He wanted a few minutes alone with this idiot to explain the basic principles of chivalry.
He fell asleep hours later, waking when Gabe’s hands began a detailed exploration of his body. She spent the next hour caressing every minute section of him. The attention drove him crazy, but he gave her the control. When it was his turn, she seemed a thousand times more relaxed than the night before. She allowed Henry to take the lead. Her body welcomed him without the slightest pause or hesitation. He savored the emotion rocketing through her eyes as she came apart under him.
“Good morning.” She let her hand drift across his cheek and down his neck, her contented smile shining in his direction.
“Great morning.” He kissed her, and then rested his head back on the pillow to look at her.
She wanted to be with him. No artifice, no duplicity. Nothing had ever felt so perfect, so right. He wanted her to stay in his bed forever, despite her unknowns.
As soon as they returned from Atlanta, he would request an end to all of her secrets. But for now, until he’d gained her trust completely, he’d be patient.
At breakfast, she placed a passport next to his plate. A French passport. Henry peered at the woman in the photo. Danielle Perrault. She was twenty-four with short brown hair and hazel eyes. She had a heart-shaped face similar to Gabe’s, but her cheekbones didn’t sit as high and her eyes seemed too close together. She was not blessed with Gabe’s symmetry.
The adorable tilted position of Gabe’s head and the annoyed twitch of the left side of her mouth made the differences between the two women even more noticeable. “As you can tell, it’s not me.”
It appeared authentic right down to the stamps on many of the pages. “Did you steal it?”
“The previous owner won’t miss it.” She shrugged and feigned a relaxed smile that didn’t begin to express happiness. She grabbed the streaky bacon with her fingers and took a bite. Her eyes dropped to focus on her coffee cup. Her bad manners almost shifted the attention away from her apprehension. Henry could see through the facade. She was nervous, as she should be.
If caught with a fake passport, she could end up in jail. And what about the monster chasing her? He rubbed his temples to massage away some of the tension building inside him. “I know you want to help me, and I’m eternally grateful, but nothing, not even the Ripon Women’s Group, is worth you being placed in danger.”