BULLETPROOF BRIDE (35 page)

His eyes darkened. "I fell in love with you the first instant I saw you, standing by the vault with your golden eyes all wide. Jumping out of a chopper into a firefight or dodging missiles never gave me a second's hesitation. But loving you scared the hell out of me. I hung onto denial until that night when we almost made love. When you said you loved me, I went into a tailspin."

The flicker of hope burst into flame. She began to shake, too.

He loved her!

But was his love strong enough to overcome his past? She rested a reassuring hand on his chest. Beneath the soft cotton, his heart thundered under her palm. "I was scared, too, Gabe. I've never felt this way about anyone."

"I know what you mean. I never realized how empty my life was, how superficial, how much I was missing until I met you." He covered her hand with his own. "When I saw you tied up inside the
Lady Liberty
, I knew you'd fought your worst nightmare to help me. I realized I had to face my own fears, meet you halfway, to be worthy of your love." He sucked in a ragged breath, his chest jerking under their joined hands. "Then I nearly lost you. That's when I learned the meaning of real terror."

She nodded. "I had a few awful moments when I thought Peter was going to shoot you."

His expression fierce, he gripped her upper arms, tugged her close. "If either of us had died, we would have been separated forever, without you ever knowing how I feel. Never again. I'm through running. I'll risk anything, risk everything to be with you. Tessie…" He held her gaze. "I love you. I need you. I can't imagine living the rest of my life without you."

Relieved, happy tears spilled down her cheeks. He'd done it. He had overcome his fears and freely admitted his love. "I was beginning to think you didn't want me."

"Don't cry. Oh, baby, please don't cry." He wiped away the wetness with his thumb. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to start our life together without clearing up the past. I was waiting until you got stronger. I needed to confess, and ask for a new start. But I knew you were already dealing with a lot, both physically and mentally, and didn't want to mess with your recovery."

He gave her an unsteady smile. "Constantly fighting the urge to strip your clothes off and make love to you until neither of us could walk didn't help, either. I was trying to be noble and self-sacrificing."

She couldn't hold in a ragged laugh. "Noble and self-sacrificing don't become you, Mr. Bond."

"Can you forgive me?" His wary expression made him look like a stray dog who hoped for a handout, but expected a kick. "I'll love you to my dying day. And I swear on my life, I'll never leave you."

"We've both been hurt. Because, of our pasts, both of us expected the worst. Both of us expected pain. Both of us expected rejection. But the past is over." She brushed a soft kiss across his' lips. "You belong to me, and I to you. You're forgiven. And I'll hold you to that promise."

Still trembling, he dropped to one knee and took her hand. "Tessa, will you marry me?"

She stared into his eyes, the warm green depths overflowing with promises. Joy flooded through her, and her spirit soared. "Yes!"

His trembling increased. His smoky gaze roved over her, and her body tingled under his heated regard. "The day I stole you out of the bank, you stole my heart. You don't know how much it means to me to receive yours in return, freely given."

"My heart belongs to you. It always has." Pure, golden happiness bubbled inside her. She smiled at him tenderly. "Make love to me, Gabe."

Gabe slowly rose to his feet. He stared into Tessa's beautiful, glowing eyes and the desire to make her his slammed into him. He sucked in a shaky breath, fighting for restraint. Ripping off her clothes and taking her against the door would not be cool. He bent his head and kissed her.

Her lips parted, welcoming him inside, and he lost it. The long hours when he didn't know if she would live or die, the torturous week of hospitalization, the silent message of love in her eyes right before she fell off the ship swirled through his mind.

He shoved her against the door, and drank in the heady, drugging taste of her. Mindless with the need to touch every inch of her precious body, to reassure himself after the nightmare of nearly losing her, he arched his hips into her welcoming softness. He ran his hands over her breasts, the small of her back, the curve of her bottom.

Her fingernails dug into his shoulders, and she moaned into his mouth. The pain and the soft sound jarred him out of his sensual haze. He jerked back. Planting his hands on either side of her head, he leaned against the door. Gasping, he struggled for restraint. "Oh, hell. I'm mauling you like a high-school sophomore. My control goes AWOL when I'm with you."

Her lips curved into a sensual smile. "I liked it."

He sucked in more air, trying to regulate his breathing. "I need you so much," he admitted shakily. "I need to be inside you, be a part of you. But this is your first time, sweetheart. We have to go slow."

She slid her arms around his waist and pressed full-length against him. "I need you, too. I've waited so long. I don't want you to go slow."

He didn't dare touch her again until he'd regained a measure of control. He kept both hands on the door. Breathe. "Trust me on this one, Houdini."

"I trust you," she murmured against his chest. "With my heart. My soul. And my body."

A groan slipped out. "Heaven help me." He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her again. Her vanilla fragrance dazzled his senses as he savored her sweet mouth. He turned and began edging them to the far end of the loft toward the bed.

They'd progressed as far as the piano when he had to stop and kiss her again. Locked in the sensual dance, her tongue flirted with his. He threaded his fingers in her hair, drawing her closer, his thumbs stroking in reverent wonder over the baby-fine skin of her temples and cheekbones.

Her hands slipped between them to unbutton his shirt. She hastily tugged it off and boldly explored his shoulders and his chest before moving to his abdomen. At his sharply indrawn breath, she smiled and cupped his buttocks. Then her fingertips brushed over his jeans to tease his straining fly. "I love touching you."

Perspiration dampened his skin. He groaned again and grabbed her wrists. "I'm real happy to hear that, but you're killing me, honey."

Her husky laugh arrowed straight to his heart. She arched her hips into him. "You feel like you're enjoying it."

He clenched his jaw.
Dredge up that famous self-discipline, Colton
. He spanned her waist with his hands and sat her on the oak piano. Stepping between her thighs, he cradled her against him, kissing her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids. He nibbled the tender spot where her neck met her shoulder, and she shivered. Under the silky blue top, her beaded nipples grazed his chest. He palmed her breasts, thrilled at the sound of her breath catching in her throat.

He bent his head and suckled her nipples through the silk. Her throaty moan speared through him, pumping scorching blood through his veins like lava. He stroked the cool, slippery pants and matching panties down her slender legs, delighting in her sensual shivers as he bared her lower body. Taking his time, he unbuttoned her shirt, revealing her creamy ivory skin inch by inch. The silk whispered off her shoulders and rippled into a sapphire pool on the lustrous oak.

Awed, he devoured the sight of her naked beauty, memorizing every lovely curve. He lifted his gaze to hers, her shimmering golden eyes reflecting his own passion. So this was what it was like to make love. Really make love, not just have sex. Another miracle. His heart thundered in his ears. "My beautiful Tessa, I love you."

"I love you, too," she breathed. "So much."

He sipped again and again at her sweet lips before he tasted the line of her jaw, her earlobes, her neck. Marveling at her satiny smooth breasts, he drew her nipple into his mouth and circled his tongue tantalizingly around the velvety tip before suckling hard.

Quivering, she thrust her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer, her gasps choppy and ragged. "Oh!"

He gave the other nipple his careful attention, and then moved lower, kissing her soft belly. He moved lower still, tasting her, sweet and feminine, leisurely flicking his tongue across the small, swollen bud. She moaned, trembled under his hands. "Wait. Don't. I want you inside me first."

He stripped off his remaining clothing. Gazing into her passion-dilated eyes, he smoothed her tousled curls from her forehead. "There's no hurry. We've got all night. And a lifetime after that." A lifetime with this remarkable woman. His heart soared.

"I know." She rained impatient little kisses all over his face. "But I want you now. Right now. No more waiting."

He smiled at her uninhibited eagerness. "I'm yours. Now and always."

Without hesitation, she opened her thighs wide, giving him unquestioning access to the most vulnerable part of her. At her trust, warmth curled in his chest. He wouldn't betray her faith. Not now, not ever. Lifting her bottom, he nestled between her thighs. Holding his breath, he eased into her soft, damp heat.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "I want to give you everything."

Tenderness washed over him. He clenched his jaw at her urgent movements, resisting the pleasure that urged him to race to the finish. As her sleek warmth encircled him inch by inch, sweat pooled in the small of his back and beaded on his forehead. "I want to give you everything, too, sweetheart. The best of everything." He closed his eyes, fighting the temptation to thrust in to the hilt. Encountering resistance, he stopped at the fragile barrier. He opened his eyes to look at her.

"
Mmm
. More, Gabe." She wriggled against him.

He clung to the razor edge of sanity. "Trust your pilot, honey. This won't hurt if we take our time."

"It doesn't hurt. It's wonderful." She arched her back. Her abrupt movement pushed him deep, and the barrier between them gave way. She gasped and went rigid in his arms.

Rattled and as unsure as an inexperienced virgin himself, he froze. "Tessie? You okay?"

"Yes." She sighed. "Go ahead."

He rubbed her back until the tension eased from her muscles. "Relax, honey. From here on, it only gets better." Carefully, he slid nearly out of her sweet warmth and then in again, searching her face for signs of pain before continuing.

"This is amazing," she whispered, her body rising to meet him with each stroke. "The way you feel inside of me. You fill me, complete me."

He felt that way, too, as though he'd found the piece of his heart that had been missing all these years. Blitzed by both the emotional and physical bombardment, he was perilously close to climaxing. He groaned. Gripping her bottom, he held her in place. "Stay still. I need a minute."

She froze. "Is this hurting
you?"

"No, sweetheart." Chuckling, he rested his forehead against hers. "But you're blowing my self-control all to hell. And I want your first time to be great."

"I'm making love with the man I love. How could it get any better?"

He grinned at her innocence. If he had his way—and he would—she'd soon know. Once again, he gently began to thrust. "Okay?"

She instantly picked up the rhythm, her body as in tune with his as if they'd been lifelong lovers. Trembling, she rocked her hips faster, increasing the pace. "Yes. Oh, yes."

Watching her closely, he matched her quickening movements, their passion quickly escalating.

Her heart thundered against his own. "In my wildest dreams, I never imagined—"

Fire licked through him. "Fly with me, honey," he gasped. Pure sensation took over. He wrapped his arms around her, thrusting hard and fast, glorying in possessing his woman, and her wild response. He lifted his gaze to hers. Her eyes were alight with amber fire, glowing with fierce adoration.

She brought her mouth to his, her warm, ragged breaths feathering over his lips. "You'll never be alone again, Gabe. I love you. Forever."

His entire being exploded with a surge of love so intense, so bright, he shook. She cherished him. He never thought any woman would. She loved him. He'd never thought any woman could. And he never thought he'd be capable of loving and cherishing in return. He surrendered, willingly giving her everything. Even the part of him he'd always held back. Sweet, hot pleasure rocketed through him as he poured himself into her.

She quivered, her inner muscles contracting around him again and again. His gaze embraced her soul, and he cradled her body, protecting and treasuring her as she found fulfillment in his arms. The intense emotions that swept through him rocked him to the core.

Tessa blinked rapidly. Lights, colors, sparks swirled in her vision. Gasping for breath, she held fast to Gabe's gaze, the center of her spinning universe. His body was shuddering violently. She gripped his damp shoulders as he took her impossibly high, then higher, to paradise. Soaring, she rapidly crested a second time, crying out as ecstasy again flooded her.

Aftershocks rippled through her. Dazed, she clung to him. Tenderly he urged her closer. Murmuring encouragement and praise, he prolonged her pleasure by slowing to a gentle glide, drawing out the sensations. Sheltered in the safe haven of his embrace, she floated back to awareness. She didn't want their connection to end. She wanted to stay here forever, with his hardness and strength filling her, with his body enveloped in hers.