he aroused in her swamped her willpower, shattered reason until she was defenseless with want.
The realization was a shock, and if it wasn't strong enough to fully penetrate the hot veils of passion, at least it allowed her a shaken protest.
"Ryder... it's too fast... please..."
He lifted his head slowly, gazing down at her with hot eyes. His face was hard, the features masklike with intensity. "I want you," he said softly, roughly.
Amanda could feel her entire throbbing body weaken. She fought desperately for control. "It's too soon," she whispered. "We hardly know each other. Ryder—"
"Do you think that matters?" His voice was raspy. "I knew when you fell off that damned ladder and I caught you."
"I didn't know," she protested. "I still don't. I won't just tumble into bed with a stranger, dammit!"
Ryder lowered his head and captured her mouth again. And this time there was force, intensity; this time there was a stark assurance. He took her mouth as if there were no question it belonged to him, that she belonged to him.
Amanda heard that strange sound escape again, that muted sound of unthinking pleasure. She felt as if she were sinking down into something hot and dark, being pulled irresistibly by some power beyond her understanding.
He raised his head slowly, staring down at her. She looked as shaken as he felt, as bewildered. Her lovely face was a little pale, her beautiful green eyes dazed and enormous, her lips swollen and reddened from his kisses. He wanted to lift her in his arms and carry her upstairs, to find a room with a bed and lock the door and shut out the world.
He had never felt desire like this, not so all-consuming. He was conscious of a stunning, gut-wrenching need to bury himself in her, to take her so utterly and completely that even the secrets in her eyes would be his.
His own stark need shook him, and because he was a man who had marked out the paths of his life with unerring certainty, this unexpected detour made him abruptly wary. He saw the same uneasy guardedness stirring in her eyes, and even though some part of him hated that look, another part understood.
"All right," he said, surprised by the hoarse sound of his own voice. "Ill try to slow down."
He drew away from her, allowing her to sit up again beside him. The voice of caution in his head told him to back off emotionally as well as physically, but he couldn't help adding, "Don't make me wait too long."
A spark of green fire showed in her eyes, and she sent him a look that was an odd mixture of defiance and vulnerability. "Don't be so sure of yourself !" she snapped with only the slightest tremor in her voice.
Ryder stood up and pulled her to her feet, then lifted one hand to turn her face up firmly. "Shouldn't I be?" he asked her very softly.
"Damn you," she whispered, her gaze falling before the certainty in his eyes. "You're a stranger—"
"No, I'm not. You know me, Amanda. And I know you. It doesn't matter that we met hours ago."
"Lust at first sight," she said jerkily with an attempt at scorn.
"Call it anything you like. It's real, we both know that. I want you. And you want me."
She bit her bottom lip. "I'm old enough to know that what I may want isn't always good for me."
He bent his head and kissed her, keeping it light even though the strain of holding back seemed as if it might tear him in half. "I'll be good for you," he promised.
Amanda didn't reply to that. There didn't seem to be anything she could say.
He didn't seem to expect anything. "I'll walk you to your room," he said.
She watched him bend to pick up the catalogues, then walked beside him silently as they went upstairs. Nemo went with them, his presence as unobtrusive as it could be for a dog of his size.
Ryder left her at her door with a casual good night.
Amanda was more confused than ever. She piled the catalogues on her nightstand and sat down on the bed, looking around the room with eyes that didn't really see it.
"What do I do now, dog?"
The realization was a shock, and if it wasn't strong enough to fully penetrate the hot veils of passion, at least it allowed her a shaken protest.
"Ryder... it's too fast... please..."
He lifted his head slowly, gazing down at her with hot eyes. His face was hard, the features masklike with intensity. "I want you," he said softly, roughly.
Amanda could feel her entire throbbing body weaken. She fought desperately for control. "It's too soon," she whispered. "We hardly know each other. Ryder—"
"Do you think that matters?" His voice was raspy. "I knew when you fell off that damned ladder and I caught you."
"I didn't know," she protested. "I still don't. I won't just tumble into bed with a stranger, dammit!"
Ryder lowered his head and captured her mouth again. And this time there was force, intensity; this time there was a stark assurance. He took her mouth as if there were no question it belonged to him, that she belonged to him.
Amanda heard that strange sound escape again, that muted sound of unthinking pleasure. She felt as if she were sinking down into something hot and dark, being pulled irresistibly by some power beyond her understanding.
He raised his head slowly, staring down at her. She looked as shaken as he felt, as bewildered. Her lovely face was a little pale, her beautiful green eyes dazed and enormous, her lips swollen and reddened from his kisses. He wanted to lift her in his arms and carry her upstairs, to find a room with a bed and lock the door and shut out the world.
He had never felt desire like this, not so all-consuming. He was conscious of a stunning, gut-wrenching need to bury himself in her, to take her so utterly and completely that even the secrets in her eyes would be his.
His own stark need shook him, and because he was a man who had marked out the paths of his life with unerring certainty, this unexpected detour made him abruptly wary. He saw the same uneasy guardedness stirring in her eyes, and even though some part of him hated that look, another part understood.
"All right," he said, surprised by the hoarse sound of his own voice. "Ill try to slow down."
He drew away from her, allowing her to sit up again beside him. The voice of caution in his head told him to back off emotionally as well as physically, but he couldn't help adding, "Don't make me wait too long."
A spark of green fire showed in her eyes, and she sent him a look that was an odd mixture of defiance and vulnerability. "Don't be so sure of yourself !" she snapped with only the slightest tremor in her voice.
Ryder stood up and pulled her to her feet, then lifted one hand to turn her face up firmly. "Shouldn't I be?" he asked her very softly.
"Damn you," she whispered, her gaze falling before the certainty in his eyes. "You're a stranger—"
"No, I'm not. You know me, Amanda. And I know you. It doesn't matter that we met hours ago."
"Lust at first sight," she said jerkily with an attempt at scorn.
"Call it anything you like. It's real, we both know that. I want you. And you want me."
She bit her bottom lip. "I'm old enough to know that what I may want isn't always good for me."
He bent his head and kissed her, keeping it light even though the strain of holding back seemed as if it might tear him in half. "I'll be good for you," he promised.
Amanda didn't reply to that. There didn't seem to be anything she could say.
He didn't seem to expect anything. "I'll walk you to your room," he said.
She watched him bend to pick up the catalogues, then walked beside him silently as they went upstairs. Nemo went with them, his presence as unobtrusive as it could be for a dog of his size.
Ryder left her at her door with a casual good night.
Amanda was more confused than ever. She piled the catalogues on her nightstand and sat down on the bed, looking around the room with eyes that didn't really see it.
"What do I do now, dog?"
Similar Books
