Relentless by Cheryl Douglas Page A

thing, ain’t cha? I’m gonna have to teach you some manners.”
    She threw her arms over her head, pressing her heel into his abdomen. “You’re welcome to try, but don’t be too disappointed if you don’t have a whole lotta luck.”
    She was about to realize she had never met anyone as determined as he was.
    He tugged her jeans over her hips and down her thighs to reveal a red satin thong that ratcheted the heat in the room up by a few degrees. “Damn…”
    She smiled, as though she knew exactly what she was doing to him. “You gonna stand there staring at me all night?”
    He grinned, lifting her foot to lick a path up the inside of her calf. Kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed, he stoked her with a series of strategically placed kisses that ended with his tongue prodding the soft fabric between her legs.
    She moaned, popping the clasp on the front of her bra.
    He looked up, suppressing a groan. Everything about her was so damn enticing; he couldn’t decide where he wanted to start.
    She crooked a finger, beckoning to him. “If you’re having trouble deciding, can I suggest you work your way down?”
    He flashed a quick grin. Damn, she was going to be hard to tame. Good thing he loved a challenge. He eased up, bracing his weight on his forearms as he leaned over her. He’d planned to go in for the kiss, but he paused, looking into her eyes. “Damn,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.
    She brushed a strand of hair off his forehead. “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing.” Everything. He, J.T. McCall, who’d rode some of the biggest, baddest bulls in the world, was scared stiff at what this little lady could do to him. He closed his eyes, trying to draw on the courage that prompted him to stare down death on a daily basis.
    She kissed his neck, sliding her hands up and down his back. “It’s okay, hon. Take your time. We’ve got all night.”
    Shit. Now she thought he was suffering from performance anxiety? He was screwing this up in a big way. “Baby…” How could he tell her what he was feeling without scaring her off again? He couldn’t. He’d have to show her instead.
    He nipped at her generous mouth before tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue. He finally dipped inside, trying unsuccessfully to rein in his hunger. Within seconds, she was under the influence of his kisses, moaning into his mouth, fisting his hair in her hands, wrapping her legs around his waist, as though she couldn’t get close enough.
    It was the hottest, most intense kiss he’d ever shared with a woman. This went beyond foreplay. It felt like they were both fighting this overwhelming fear of being pulled into a vortex of uncertainty.
    She finally pulled her mouth away, panting into his neck. “Now, please; I don’t wanna wait.”
    He didn’t want to wait either, but he wanted to show her that he could be the kind of lover she deserved.
    She grabbed his shoulders, looking him in the eye. “I mean it; I want you now.”
    Powerless in the face of his own need, he reached into the drawer and pulled out the box of condoms he’d stashed there earlier.
    She didn’t question why he had them, or whether he’d planned to use them with someone else.
    He almost wished she had. He needed a sign that she was feeling what he was feeling, that she intended to take this beyond tonight.
    After sheathing himself, he slid his finger between her legs. He wanted to stroke her, pleasure her, watch her come apart in his arms, but he was afraid if he took his time to delve into his fantasies right now, he’d embarrass himself.
    His eyes connected with hers as he inched his way inside of her. He knew he was probably bigger than her other lovers, based on the reaction of many of the women he’d been with. She was so petite, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.
    Her eyes widened and he could see the fear and anxiety stealing her pleasure. He leaned in to kiss her again, easing her discomfort with the soft