Beckett knew he should walk away right now, but his feet felt as if they were immersed in unbreakable concrete. Momentarily frozen in place, he couldn’t seem to do much of anything other than hold her close and lose himself in her soulful stare.
“I don’t ever want to hurt you,” he whispered the solemn vow.
“So don’t.”
“Evelynn—”
“You said you wanted me.” Her lips touched his again. “Did you mean that?”
“You know I did.”
Evie pressed her body impossibly closer to his. Her gaze became fixed with his, the heat there unmistakable. And as she pulled his bottom lip playfully between her teeth, she whispered back a taunting…
“Prove it.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Evie wasn’t sure who moved first, and she didn’t care. All that mattered was that Beckett was here, and his lips were on hers.
Lord, have mercy!
She took the kiss deeper, her tongue meeting his in a feverish dance. A low, almost animalistic growl reverberated from Beckett’s throat as his hands lowered to grab hold of her hips. And in the span of her very next heartbeat…
“Ah!” Evie couldn’t stop the tiny cry of surprise as she was suddenly hoisted into the air. On reflex, she wrapped her legs around his narrow waist while locking her hands behind his neck to keep herself from falling.
At the same time, she could feel his strong, steady arms wrapping around her back and holding her safely in place.
“Don’t worry,” Beckett spoke between kisses as he began walking them toward the suite’s only bedroom. “I’ve got you.”
Boy, did he. And in more ways than one.
His mouth returned to hers, their combined breaths becoming heady with passionate desperation. A man true to his word, his protective hold on her didn’t falter, and soon, Evie found herself being lowered onto the king-sized bed.
Beckett followed her down, letting his body lay half on hers and the mattress beside her. His kiss was like the man himself…a wonderfully conflicting measure of strength and gentleness she’d only ever felt with him.
Only him.
It wasn’t as if she were an expert when it came to men and sex. But Evie also wasn’t a novice.
She knew desire when she saw it. When shefeltit. And knowing a kind, sexy, hero of a man like Beckett Stone wanted her as desperately as she wanted him made everything else going on in her life seem almost insignificant.
As if simply being with him could right all the wrongs in her world.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Beckett’s deep whisper filled her ear as his lips and tongue teased her delicate lobe.
Evie sucked in a breath, his sweet words and tantalizing touch sending waves of goosebumps racing across her skin. Determined to make the most of the precious moment, she let her lids fall shut, allowing herself to become lost in his touch.
Her head fell to the side, the comforter’s cool material against her cheek a stark contrast to the inferno raging within her. Hot, wet need pooled between her legs as her body ached with unprecedented longing.
Beckett’s lips left a fiery trail of short, tantalizing kisses as he followed an invisible path along the side of her neck. He gave her delicate skin a playful nibble, followed by a quick lick with just the tip of his tongue.
Evie’s sudden gasp morphed into a pleasurable moan. And when he leaned up and took her mouth in his once more, she knew this once would never be enough.
“Beckett…” His name lingered in the air like a warm summer breeze. “I need you.”
“Don’t worry, darlin’.” He nipped at her bottom lip. “You’ve got me.”
Her heart kicked a hard staccato against her ribs. This thing that was happening between them was all still so very new. And yet, Evie felt the abyssal depth to which those sweet words reached the moment they fell from his lips.