he lost himself, too, and that perhaps this was a novel experience for him, as well . . . as much of a mysterious awakening for him as it was for her?
Abruptly, he parted from her and rose off the bed.
She’d been wrong in her idyllic fantasizing. He hadn’t been feeling what she had at all. She grew bereft watching him walk away. The evolving intimacy had been too much for him. She shouldn’t have pushed him. Maybe it was for the best.
It’d felt overwhelming for her, as well. She’d told him she thought she could handle a purely physical affair, and already, she was crossing the boundary.
He returned, pausing next to the bed. She watched him roll a fresh condom onto his re-stiffened cock, her heart jumping into overdrive.
She wasn’t sure what to make of his serious expression as he climbed back onto the bed and came between her suspended legs. He unclasped the clips that were attached to her thigh cuffs. Her legs dropped down to the soft duvet. He fell over her. He caught her mouth with his as the head of his cock nudged at her entry.
She cried out into his mouth as he slowly, but firmly, entered her again.
They came together differently that time, more tenderly, but with every bit of the former intensity and fire. He let her touch him while they made love. And she did: everywhere, each touch, each stroke, bringing her higher into thrilling, dangerous realms.
Afterward, neither of them spoke. Jacob held her fast. Harper lay with her cheek against his chest, wondering if it was only her that sensed the words that surrounded them like too soft whispers, or shouts that were too far in the distance to fully hear.
Chapter Five
Jacob awoke in the dead of night at the sound of a woman crying out in distress.
“It’s all right, you’re okay, Harper.”
The room was almost pitch black. He knew from experience with insomnia that his suite only grew this dark just before dawn. Swiftly, he lunged and hit a button on the bed’s built-in console. A lamp illuminated. He twisted around to look at the woman in his bed.
“Harper,” he said forcefully.
There’d never been any doubt in his mind whose shout it was. A lot of women had slept in his bed, yet he’d recognized her frightened voice in an instant. There was a hint of the girl she’d once been in that cry.
She lay on her back, her chin twisted in his direction. Her vibrant hair was spread out on the pillow. The expression of tight fear on her face made something sharp twist deep inside him. He slid closer to her, planting his elbow next to her ear. He curled his arm around her head, stroking her hair back from her temple, while he caressed her neck with his other hand. She was damp from sweat, a result of her nightmare. She moved her lips silently, fear still tightening her face.
“Harper, honey. Wake up.”
“He’s got a knife!”
He started when she jerked in his hold at the same time she shrieked. Suddenly, her aquamarine eyes were wide-open, and she was staring straight at him. It only took Jacob a split second to realize she wasn’t
seeing
him, though.
“Harper, it’s me. Jacob Latimer. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.” He cupped her jaw. “Do you hear me?” he demanded loudly, intent on penetrating the fog of her nightmare.
Too slowly for his comfort, the fear and desperation faded from her expression. He caressed her cheek and leaned down to brush his lips over her temple and then her eyebrow.
“It’s all right. You were having a nightmare.”
“Jacob?” she muttered thickly.
He lifted his head to peer at her face. “You okay?” he murmured, smoothing the tendrils of her hair away from her ear and damp neck.
She glanced around the room, seeming to gain her bearings.
“I’m sorry. Did I yell?”
He nodded, studying her face closely. She seemed okay now, but confused. “What were you dreaming about?”
“I . . .” She looked up at him, her blue-green eyes reminding him of pure, untainted pools, when
Abruptly, he parted from her and rose off the bed.
She’d been wrong in her idyllic fantasizing. He hadn’t been feeling what she had at all. She grew bereft watching him walk away. The evolving intimacy had been too much for him. She shouldn’t have pushed him. Maybe it was for the best.
It’d felt overwhelming for her, as well. She’d told him she thought she could handle a purely physical affair, and already, she was crossing the boundary.
He returned, pausing next to the bed. She watched him roll a fresh condom onto his re-stiffened cock, her heart jumping into overdrive.
She wasn’t sure what to make of his serious expression as he climbed back onto the bed and came between her suspended legs. He unclasped the clips that were attached to her thigh cuffs. Her legs dropped down to the soft duvet. He fell over her. He caught her mouth with his as the head of his cock nudged at her entry.
She cried out into his mouth as he slowly, but firmly, entered her again.
They came together differently that time, more tenderly, but with every bit of the former intensity and fire. He let her touch him while they made love. And she did: everywhere, each touch, each stroke, bringing her higher into thrilling, dangerous realms.
Afterward, neither of them spoke. Jacob held her fast. Harper lay with her cheek against his chest, wondering if it was only her that sensed the words that surrounded them like too soft whispers, or shouts that were too far in the distance to fully hear.
Chapter Five
Jacob awoke in the dead of night at the sound of a woman crying out in distress.
“It’s all right, you’re okay, Harper.”
The room was almost pitch black. He knew from experience with insomnia that his suite only grew this dark just before dawn. Swiftly, he lunged and hit a button on the bed’s built-in console. A lamp illuminated. He twisted around to look at the woman in his bed.
“Harper,” he said forcefully.
There’d never been any doubt in his mind whose shout it was. A lot of women had slept in his bed, yet he’d recognized her frightened voice in an instant. There was a hint of the girl she’d once been in that cry.
She lay on her back, her chin twisted in his direction. Her vibrant hair was spread out on the pillow. The expression of tight fear on her face made something sharp twist deep inside him. He slid closer to her, planting his elbow next to her ear. He curled his arm around her head, stroking her hair back from her temple, while he caressed her neck with his other hand. She was damp from sweat, a result of her nightmare. She moved her lips silently, fear still tightening her face.
“Harper, honey. Wake up.”
“He’s got a knife!”
He started when she jerked in his hold at the same time she shrieked. Suddenly, her aquamarine eyes were wide-open, and she was staring straight at him. It only took Jacob a split second to realize she wasn’t
seeing
him, though.
“Harper, it’s me. Jacob Latimer. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.” He cupped her jaw. “Do you hear me?” he demanded loudly, intent on penetrating the fog of her nightmare.
Too slowly for his comfort, the fear and desperation faded from her expression. He caressed her cheek and leaned down to brush his lips over her temple and then her eyebrow.
“It’s all right. You were having a nightmare.”
“Jacob?” she muttered thickly.
He lifted his head to peer at her face. “You okay?” he murmured, smoothing the tendrils of her hair away from her ear and damp neck.
She glanced around the room, seeming to gain her bearings.
“I’m sorry. Did I yell?”
He nodded, studying her face closely. She seemed okay now, but confused. “What were you dreaming about?”
“I . . .” She looked up at him, her blue-green eyes reminding him of pure, untainted pools, when
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