My fingers slide into her short silver hair, cupping the back of her head. The strands glide silky-smooth across my callused skin, and I handle her with the reverence she deserves.
When we break apart to breathe, her lashes lift, revealing a vulnerability I’ve never seen from her before. The tough superintendent, who commands crews with a single look, who rebuilds entire structures with her bare hands, now trembles within my touch.
“It’s okay,” I whisper, the promise brushing her lips. “You’re safe.”
Emily swallows hard, her throat working beneath my fingertips. For a moment, doubt clouds her eyes, years of learned distrust battling the proof in my touch, my mouth, and my presence at her side.
“I want to believe that,” she admits, so quietly I almost miss it.
“Then believe it.” I caress her jaw. “Even if it’s just for right now. Even if it’s only in this room.”
Her lashes flutter down again, but this time not in surrender to the kiss. I watch as she struggles to decide, and witness the exact moment when she chooses to trust and let go.
Her eyes open, and her hands slide up to cup my cheeks, thumbs brushing over my stubble.
“Just for now,” she agrees, the words catching in her throat. “Only in this room.”
“That’s enough.”
I capture her wrists, kissing her pulse point. A hint of salt lingers on her skin, heat rising where my mouth touches her, and her gasp sends a current racing through me.
Emily leans in this time, initiating the kiss with a confidence that makes my heart stutter. Her lips fit perfectly against mine, the slight heightdifference bridged by her lifting onto her toes. I grip her waist again, steadying her, drawing her closer to align our bodies.
A small sound escapes her, surprise and pleasure mingled, and I swallow it, treasure it. The workbench digs into my thighs as she moves forward, crowding me back until I hit the edge. For all of her feminine appeal, Emily possesses a strength that thrills me, the muscles in her arms firm beneath my palms as I slide my hands up to her shoulders.
“Is this okay?” she asks, with no hint of her usual steady confidence.
In answer, I pull her closer, erasing the last of the space between us. “More than okay.”
I find the hem of Emily’s shirt, fingers hesitating at the warm strip of flesh peeking above her waistband. Her breath hitches as I caress the outline of her hipbone with my thumb in silent question. Her answer comes in the slight arch of her back, pressing her body closer to mine, granting permission without words.
Emily’s skin burns as I slide my palms upward, mapping the contours of her ribs, the strong muscles of her back. Her breathing quickens, tickling my neck.
But when my thumbs brush the underside of her breasts, she stiffens.
I pause, waiting.
“Sorry,” she whispers, color rising to her cheeks. “It’s been… a while.”
“We can stop.” I hold still, though every nerve in my body screams to continue.
She shakes her head, silver hair catching the lamplight. “No. I want this. I want?—”
The words catch in her throat, so her hands find mine, guiding them upward.
The soft fullness of her breasts fills my palms, and I take note of her reaction as I touch her. Surprise flickers across her face, her lips parting as my thumbs brush slow circles over her nipples through the fabric of her sports bra. It’s clear in every tiny shift that she’s unaccustomed to this kind of care, to being the one someone lingers over.
“You’re beautiful.” The truth drags out of me on a hungry breath, my body pulled tight with wanting.
Emily turns her head away, uncomfortable with the praise, but I guide her chin back with gentle fingers. Her eyes meet mine, silver and uncertain, and I realize, for all her strength and experience, no one has ever shown her how to receive pleasure rather than give it.
“Let me,” I whisper.
This time when I kiss her, I claim her mouth with mine, tongue sweeping past her lips, insistent and demanding.
She gasps, and I use the opportunity to delve deeper, tasting the heat and warmth of her, sparking a low hum of want that vibrates in my chest. My hands slide into her hair, cradling her head as I tilt it, changing the angle to delve deeper.
She clings to me, and the desperate sound that escapes her lips nearly undoes me.