In that second, with that nickname, I’m done and in love. That’s all it took. “I want this to work.”
He lets out a long, harsh sigh. “And thank fuck for that.”
“I’ve never understood how we work like we do.”
“But we do…” The rawness in his voice cuts me deep. “Forget the obvious—that you’re beautiful and sexier than the dirtiest dream of a destroyed man. Emma, you have a good heart. That’s your thing. That’s
you
. Some things don’t change, baby. You always believed in love. You grew up with the perfect example, the perfect family.”
True.
“Our path isn’t pretty, and maybe we’re still hovering near the starting point, but I’m the man you’re supposed to be with.”
Butterflies beat in my chest. “But it’s not just me, Gray.”
His eyes darken. “I have to live with that for the rest of my life, but you better believe I’ll spend it making it up to her. To both of you.”
I’m in his arms, floating as if this is a dream. “That’s a lot to promise.”
“Ever heard me say something I don’t mean?”
I shake my head.
“I love you, Ems.”
He kisses my cheek, his stubble scratching against me in a way so manly, so sexy, I moan. It just slips out. I hadn’t even been appreciating the masculine beauty I’m pancaked on top of. I was too busy falling in love over and over again.
“Besides loving you more than you can imagine,” he whispers roughly, “I’m laying claim to this dangerous body too, baby.”
A heat wave rolls through me. I’m suddenly hyperaware of how his jeans are the last layer before he’s naked on my couch. Though my super-sexy flannel pajamas might put a damper on his interest level.
“I look pretty hot in my jammies, huh?”
“Wouldn’t be us if one of us weren’t downplaying.” His mouth runs from my cheek to my ear. “Let me be really clear. I stripped you near-naked in your kitchen. I’d tear this off you this second if I didn’t think there was the slightest chance you’d run.”
“I’m not going to run.”
Shivers run down my arms when his lips dip onto my neck, his tongue dragging down. My body hums as the mood shifts. We’ve had somber, remorseful, flirty, and now this. Arousal hangs heavy in the crackling air. Tension I can’t deny squeezes us together.
His lips tease my neck. “Feels good?”
“Yes.” I moan as he shifts to get a better angle.
“Taste good too.”
Everything is different from high school. He’s harsher, stronger, more confident. His erection strains in his jeans, and he cups my cheek, his thumb toying with my lip. Each minute passes by slowly. His green eyes darkened, an emerald fire blasting under his blond eyelashes. If I were to picture desire, it would be his face watching me now.
He drops his hand down my chin, around my neck. The rough calluses on his hands grate over my skin, and it’s erotic. Grayson studies my reactions, my mews, the way my head tilts and my back arches. His eyes fall to my lips as my breathing stills, and when his hand smooths down my chest, caressing the swell of my breasts, longing ignites deep below my stomach.
“Beautiful, Ems.”
In his arms, I believe it. Unlike on the stage where I dance for dollars, this is the truth. I know it in a way that doesn’t matter anywhere else on Earth. “I’ve always been yours. Don’t hurt me again.”
“Promise.”
His hand heads south, and my fingers move to his neck and spear into his thick hair. A groan that I remember from years ago falls from his lips as my fingernails scratch into his scalp.
He closes his eyes, quietly sucking in a breath. “You do good things to me.”
His mouth hovers over mine. I feel the softness of his warm breath on my lips. I can almost feel him, almost taste him. I close my eyes. This exact feeling is how I remembered him, so close it would kill me, so close I nearly drove myself insane every Wednesday.
His lips find mine, and he’s hungry. One second of softness morphed into a beast. He’s over me, his mouth eating at mine, his hands running harshly over me. I love it, need it. I crave him as though he’s my drug of choice.
His tongue pushes into my mouth, forcing mine to dance with his, and I gasp into his kiss. He shifts on top of me, and my palms climb up his back. The feel of his flesh under my nails is too much. They dig into him, marking my man as he consumes me.
I’m pinned beneath, scoring his back, groaning as he flexes his iron-hard shaft between my legs. In one quick movement, he has my shirt over my head, and I’m clawing at his jeans, dragging them over his ass.
Grayson dominates me. His hands grab mine, pulling them above my head. I laugh and smile. I try to bite his lips as he spreads my legs wide. My pajama bottoms are still on, but I’ve dragged his boxers down enough to steal my breath, sear my soul. My heart races because from one quick glimpse and feeling his heavy weight rubbing against me, I know that Grayson Ford is freakin’ huge, bigger than I remember, and my nerves explode in my chest.
I need him. The idea of him pushing into me, stretching me makes me shudder, dizzy with want. I’m practically a virgin again for him, and I’m dying. My teeth dig into his shoulder as his hand works under the drawstring of my pants, between my thighs, expertly rubbing my clit.
Shit, shoot, shit. I’m gonna die from orgasm. I can’t breathe and bite him harder.
“If you’re going to mark me like that, pretty mama, you should know I bite back.”
A full-body shiver erupts over me, and I arch for more friction against his hand. “Swear?”
He nods. “To God.”
We’re pressed together, bare chests and fumbling with our pants. His head drops down, and with a hot, wet kiss, he takes my hard nipple into his mouth, sucking deep enough I wonder if I can come from that.
“God, Gray.”
He responds—tongue and teeth—and I’m going to climax from just his hand and tongue. He moves to the opposite breast, repeating his tease and tug, and the time lapse is almost enough to make me cry for him to never stop. But when his mouth takes my nipple, he slips his fingers into me, spearing me deep and hard and letting his thumb rub my nub. I’m seconds away from orgasm. The man’s my body’s master, and with one strong, circular sweep of his thumb, I explode.
I throw my head back, clenching on him. His mouth leaves my breast and takes my lips and tongue, kissing me hard as his hand still pumps into me. I open my eyes, and his green ones are vibrant again. The fire’s still there, but there’s a spark and a shine that I know I’m responsible for.
“I’m on the pill. Don’t you dare stop.”
Everything stills. With one long, hard look at me, he takes my mouth again after mumbling, “Yes, ma’am.”
We fight with what’s left of our clothes. He’s kicking off his jeans, and I’m tangled in my pants, but finally I’m free and wrapping my legs around his waist. He’s primed; I’m wet. Our eyes are locked, and he’s huge. Nerves hit me again.
“Sure, pretty mama?”
I nod, wriggling myself into position for him to take me. The head of his thick erection is there. I feel it, want it. I’m nodding into his kiss, moaning for more and flexing my hips. My wetness coats the head of him, but not until he moves, just a fraction of an inch, do I feel heaven—and it’s going to hurt.
“Just—a little—bit.” Tension strains in his jaw.
Sweet Jesus. But he flexes again, pushing deeper into me, stretching me, and my body accommodates him. I’m panting, gasping, breathing through the rush. I’ve had sex once in my life. With him. Years ago. But my lady parts are in virgin territory again, remembering how insane this feels, how much I love him.
He inches in, and I’m begging for more. My teeth have his lips. My legs are wrapped around him tightly, and oh my god, he’s in me all the way and holding still.
“You good?”
“God, I love you.” It’s all I can say, all I can think.
He takes that properly as permission to go, and he does. Withdrawing slowly, then pumping me full again. One more time, and I’m ready to beg.
“Please,” I moan.
He thrusts faster and harder.
I’m clinging to the massive man holding me down, fucking me as if we’re starved for each other. A climax starts deep inside me, reminding me that I’m sensitive from just coming. It hits me hard, and I arch back, pulsing on his cock. “Grayson!”
He pumps faster and harder, pinning me down. My muscles spasm and clench, riding his pace.
“Christ,” he growls and strains into me.
I feel him come, hotness filling me as he holds deep. A sheen of sweat covers us, and our breaths are frantic. Spent, he falls onto me, not giving me his whole weight but not holding much back. We’re connected in a way I’ve always dreamed of, but this is better than anything I could imagine.
His mouth lands on mine. Not kissing, just touching. “I love you, Ems.”
All is perfect.
Somewhere in the background, a noise pulls me from Eden. Grayson moves as though he’s trained to kill the enemy. The back door slams open, hitting the wall on the other side of the house, in the kitchen. I warned everyone we needed a doorstopper.
“Shit!” Grayson and I say at the same time.
Rooms away, the entire house seemed to explode with preschooler-sized noise. “Mommy!”
** Coming Soon: Only For Us, the next installment in the Only series. To ensure you do not miss Grayson and Emma’s story, please text TITAN to 66866 to sign up for exclusive emails or
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cristin Harber is a
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling romance author. She writes sexy, steamy romantic suspense, military romance, new adult, and contemporary romance. Readers voted her onto Amazon's Top Picks for Debut Romance Authors in 2013, and her debut Titan series was both a #1 romantic suspense and #1 military romance bestseller.
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The Only Series:
Book 1: Only for Him
Book 2: Only for Her
Book 3: Only for Us
The Titan Series:
Book 1: Winters Heat
Book 1.5: Sweet Girl
Book 2: Garrison's Creed
Book 3: Westin's Chase
Book 4: Gambled
Book 5: Chased
Book 6: Savage Secrets
Book 7: Hart Attack
Book 8: Black Dawn (releases in 2015)
The Delta Series:
Book 1: Delta: Retribution
Book 2: Delta: Revenge (releases in 2015)
Each Titan and Delta book can be read as a standalone (except for Sweet Girl), but readers will likely best enjoy the series in order.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you, readers! The Only series is a new adventure for me. The overwhelming support I’ve received has been amazing. I felt this story deep in my soul and couldn’t let go of the characters. They’ve pushed me to write differently, to explore new ways of storytelling, and for that I’m forever grateful.
Thank you and huge tackle hugs to Team Titan. Each day you make me laugh and smile. I love your support and willingness to try something new. You will never know how much your messages, posts, tweets, shares, and reviews means to me.
Each day I get to work with amazing authors whose opinions I cannot live without. Thank you for your advice, your time, and your considerable strength: JB Salsbury, Racquel Reck, Claudia Connor, and Sharon Kay. I am forever a friend and in awe of each of you.
Another huge thank you to the team that makes my dreams come true. Thank you to Julia Sutherland for your heart and your time, to Red Adept for editing and proofing, to Okay Creations and Sarah Hansen for creating a cover that is brilliantly beautiful, and to Inkslinger PR—KP Simmon, Tara Gonzalez, and Amber Noffke—for the creative energy that you ignite.
Finally, thank you to my family who supports me without hesitation.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright 2015 Cristin Harber
All rights reserved. This book or any portions thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author and publisher except for the use of brief quotations used in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally.
ISBN-10: 1-942236-11-5
ISBN-13: 978-1-942236-11-5