Lifesong by Erin Lark

better idea.”
    Neglecting the clothes he’d shed at the back door when he first left, Tucker pulled at me, leading me back upstairs. My stomach lurched and my legs refused to work right. I stumbled up the steps, tripping on another halfway to the top.
    I couldn’t move fast enough and wanted to cry out my frustration. Still holding my hand, Tucker paused, lifting me in his arms. I shivered when a portion of the robe opened from the sudden movement, the covering slipping free of one of my breasts.
    Stopping once we reached the top of the steps, he leaned in to kiss me, his lips touching mine seconds before he plunged his tongue into my mouth. My breath caught as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed me. The world spun, or maybe we were the ones spinning around in fast circles.
    Tucker backed into a wall, grinning as we deepened our kiss. The tie to the robe felt loose around my waist, and I knew it was going to fall off as soon as I stood up. I moaned against his lips.
    “Almost there,” Tucker gasped, his inhalation sending tremors down my spine.
    “Hurry.”

Chapter Eight
     
     
     
    Tucker
     
    The bedroom had never felt so far away. Emma whimpered softly against my ear. My heart fluttered. She said something, but the words were lost to me. The way she moved in my arms drove me to the bedroom. Not the hall. Not in front of the fireplace downstairs. Just the bedroom. Nothing else would do.
    I pushed my back against the door, relieved to find it ajar. It opened with little effort, and I kicked it shut behind us. Time stood still. Her breath halted when I set her down. She tested her legs, which wobbled beneath her.
    I untied the little bit of rope that was left around her waist, pushing the robe from her shoulders. The fabric whooshed as it fell, piling around her feet. She shivered under my gaze as I took in the sight of her. Her breasts were developed, but not too large that they couldn’t be held in my hands. Her nipples hardened at the change in temperature, begging to be bitten and licked.
    I moistened my lips, pressing my hands against her cheeks as I kissed her once more. She inhaled, held her breath and probably would’ve kept holding it if my lips hadn’t broken away from hers. She was out of breath. Her face coloured. She was absolutely stunning. There was just no other way to describe her.
    Emma’s body was petite but not so much that her bones protruded against her skin. It had taken some coaxing since we left he ward, but she had a healthy appetite. And not just for food either.
    Holding one hand to the nape of her neck, I took her in my arms, brushing my lips against the side of her neck. She arched her back, her legs touching mine. I tilted my head back to look at her, but for whatever reason, I kissed her again. She parted her lips, moaning when my tongue connected with hers.
    Without breaking our kiss, I led us further into the room. Emma grunted when the backs of her legs hit the side of the bed. She clawed at my back, digging at skin that was too new, too sensitive.
    She moaned, her eyes full of need.
    “Tucker,” she gasped for breath, locking her legs around my waist.
    Alarms sounded in the back of my head. Too fast. Too soon. We were so tangled in each other’s arms that we weren’t getting out until our fever of passion broke.
    I hoisted her onto the bed, her legs still hanging off the side of it. She whimpered when I backed out of her embrace, leaving her lying on the bed. Her blonde curls shimmered on the mattress above her head. The way she just lay there caused her back to arch. Lowering onto the bed, I pulled her up beside me. I propped myself up on an elbow, using my free hand to caress her skin, tracing the curves of her breasts and hips.
    I drew circles around each nipple, tightening them until my fingertips reached the small buds that rose from my touch. I leaned in, taking one between my lips. Emma’s heart thundered beneath me. She combed her hands through my hair, then moved them