Read Online An Affair To Remember: A Ludlow Hall Christmas by CC MacKenzie - Free Book Online Page B

had taken her last night, when she was all relaxed and ready and wanting and willing.
    Trust her to find a man with ethics and a strong moral compass.
    Well, she'd opened up to him last night and he hadn't gone running for the hills.
    Might as well tell him the rest of it.
     
    "You're trembling," he said.
    "I think we're stuck."
    He eased back.
    At least his upper body eased back, the rest of him was plastered against her.
    His blue eyes were still dark as they studied her breast, as his knuckles stroked her swollen nipple. As if he couldn't help but touch her.
    "Stuck?"
    His mouth twitched as his tongue explored the inside of his cheek.
    Her brows rose.
    She was glad someone was finding it funny.
    "I think maybe we want this too much. And it's a bit overwhelming."
    He blinked.
    "You're feeling overwhelmed?"
    "Of course, aren't you?"
    He dipped his head to rub his beard over her cheek.
    "Baby," whispered in her ear, his voice harsh as he held her too tight. "I'm fucking terrified."
    It wasn't so much the words, although they were definitely powerful. It was the tone. A tone filled with an agony that she could get behind since she felt it herself. And right there, Elena knew that someone needed to take the lead, so it might as well be her.
    After all, what did she have to lose?
    Plenty.
    "You're trembling again," he muttered in her ear as he just stood there and hung onto her.
    Now she was the one to ease back, to hold his face between her hands, to look deep into those blue eyes.
    "I think I've fallen madly in love with you. I've never said those words to a man before. Except to my dad and my brothers. But they don't count at the moment. I love you and I'm really scared. Because if this goes to hell, then I don't know if I'll ever recover."
    She wanted to ask him if there was a chance he might love her, too.
    But that wasn't what love was all about.
    It wasn't about I love you so you'd better love me back.
    He shook his head.
    And just like that her heart dropped to land with a sickening thud at her feet.
    And she shut her eyes tight because she didn't want to hear it.
    Then his mouth was on hers, coaxing her to open. With a sob in her throat and a heart that felt like it was shattering into a thousand pieces, she gave him everything.
    He was breathing heavily by the time he lifted his head to stare into her swimming eyes.
    "You humble me. I've seen bravery in Iraq, in Afghanistan. I've seen men and women risk their own life for others. But you, you are the bravest person I know. And I'm falling madly in love with you, too. I feel like I'm about to jump out of my skin, but I love you so much it hurts. It hurts me, Elena."
    And then she was scooped up in his arms, as if her weight didn't matter. Which was nothing more than an illusion because Elena knew she wasn't a light weight. She threw her arms around his neck as he stumbled up the narrow stairs.
    "Jeez, these stairs are going to kill me," he muttered against her hungry mouth.
    By the time he staggered into her bedroom and dumped her on her bed, she was laughing her head off. She leaned on her elbows and raised her brows as she watched him fist himself and stroke his length.
    "What happened to being bent over the arm of the sofa and being taken hard and fast?"
    His smile split his face in a way that she'd never seen before.
    He was happy.
    And her heart soared.
    "I thought we might start with the basics first. I want to see your eyes when I make you mine, when you come."
    In spite of having central heating, the room had a chill to it, plus they were naked. Now Elena pulled back the comforter and welcomed him in.
     
    They lay on their sides under the comforter, all warm and snug and facing each other, not speaking, just staring into each other's eyes.
    "Why do you keep stroking yourself? Shouldn't that be my job?" she said.
    His smile made her tummy flip.
    "I'm trying to calm the beast. It's been a while for me."
    "Don't you want to take the edge off?"
    "I'm a gentleman.