by Maya Banks
He pulled back slightly, his lips hovering within inches of hers. He reached out and caressed her cheek, and as if she needed his taste again, her lips automatically parted. A slow, sensual acknowledgement of understanding tilted the corners of his mouth into a smile. Then he leaned closer and kissed her again, longer and harder, and the only thing she could do was to wrap her arms around him and silently thank God for reuniting her with this very special man.
Dane was hungry for the taste of his wife and at that moment, as his heart continued to pound relentlessly in his chest, he knew he had to make love to her, to show her in every way what she meant to him, had always meant to him and would always mean to him.
He pulled back slightly and the moisture that was left on her lips made his stomach clench. He leaned forward and licked them dry, or tried to, but her scent was driving him to do more. “Please let me make love to you, Sienna,” he whispered, leaning down and resting his forehead against hers.
She leaned back and cupped his chin with her hand. “Oh, yes. I want you to make love to me, Dane. I’ve missed being with you so much I ache.”
“Oh, baby, I love you.” He pulled her closer, murmured the words in her twisted locks, kissed her cheek, her temple, her lips, and he cupped her buttocks, practically lifting her off the floor in the process. His breath came out harsh, ragged as the chemistry between them sizzled. There was only one way to drench their fire.
He stretched out with her in front of the fireplace, as he began removing her clothes and then his. Moments later, the blaze from the fire was a flickering light across their naked skin. And then he began kissing her all over, leaving no part of her untouched, determined to quench his hunger and his desire. He had missed the taste of her and was determined to be reacquainted in every way he could think of.
“Dane…”
Her tortured moan ignited the passion within him, and he leaned forward to position his body over hers, letting his throbbing erection come to rest between her thighs, gently touching the entrance of her moist heat. He lifted his head to look down at her, wanting to see her expression the exact moment their bodies joined again.
Nineteen
Sienna stared into Dane’s eyes, the heat and passion she saw in them making her shiver. The love she recognized made her heart pound, and the desire she felt for him sent surges and surges of sensations through every part of her body, especially the area between her legs, making her thighs quiver.
“You’re my everything, Sienna,” he whispered as he began easing inside of her. His gaze was locked with hers as his voice came out in a husky tone. “I need you like I need air to breathe, water for thirst and food for nourishment. Oh, baby, my life has been so empty since you’ve been gone. I love and need you.”
His words touched her, and when he was embedded inside of her to the hilt, she arched her back, needing and wanting even more of him. She gripped his shoulders with her fingers as liquid fire seemed to flow to all parts of her body. And at that moment she forgot everything—the Beast from the East, their limited supply of food and the fact they were stranded together in a cabin with barely enough heat. The only thing that registered in her mind was that they were together and expressing their love in a way that literally touched her soul.
He continued to stroke her, in and out, and with each powerful thrust into her body she moaned out his name and told him of her love. She was like a bow whose strings were being stretched to the limit each and every time he drove into her, and she met his thrusts with her own eager ones.
And then she felt it, the strength like a volcano erupting as he continued to stroke her to oblivion. Her body splintered into a thousand pieces as an orgasm ripped through her, almost snatching her breath away. And when she felt him buck, tighten his hold on her hips and thrust into her deeper, she knew that same powerful sensation had taken hold of him, as well.
“Sienna!”
He screamed her name and growled a couple of words that were incoherent to her ears. She tightened her arms around his neck, needing to be as close to him as she could get. She knew in her heart at that moment that things were going to be fine. She and Dane had proven that when it came to the power of love, it was never too late.
Sienna awoke the following morning naked, in front of the fireplace and cuddled in her husband’s arms with a blanket covering them. After yawning, she raised her chin and glanced over at him and met his gaze head-on. The intensity in the dark eyes staring back at her shot heat through all parts of her body. She couldn’t help but recall last night and how they had tried making up for all the time they had been apart.
“It’s gone,” Dane said softly, pulling her closer into his arms.
She lifted a brow. “What’s gone?”
“The beast.”
She tilted her head to glance out the window and he was right. Although snow was still falling, it wasn’t the violent blizzard that had been unleashed the day before. It was as if the weather had served the purpose it had come for and had made its exit. She smiled. Evidently, someone up there knew her and Dane’s relationship was meant to be saved and had stepped in to salvage it.
She was about to say something when suddenly there was a loud pounding at the door. She and Dane looked at each other, wondering who would be paying them a visit to the cabin at this hour and in this weather.
Twenty
Sienna, like Dane, had quickly gotten dressed and was now staring at the four men who were standing in the doorway…those handsome Steele brothers. She smiled, shaking her head. Vanessa had evidently called her cousins to come rescue her anyway.
“Vanessa called us,” Chance Steele, the oldest of the pack, said by way of explanation. “It just so happened that we were only a couple of miles down the road at our own cabin.” A smile touched his lips. “She was concerned that the two of you were here starving to death and asked us to share some of our rations.”
“Thanks, guys,” Dane said, gladly accepting the box Sebastian Steele was handing him. “Come on in. And although we’ve had plenty of heat to keep us warm, I have to admit our food supply was kind of low.”
As soon as the four entered, all eyes went to Sienna. Although the brothers knew Dane because their families sometimes ran in the same social circles, as well as the fact that Dane and Donovan Steele had graduated from high school the same year, she knew their main concern was for her. She had been their cousin Vanessa’s best friend for years, and as a result they had sort of adopted her as their little cousin, as well.
“You okay?” Morgan Steele asked her, although Sienna knew she had to look fine, probably like a woman who’d been made love to all night, and she wasn’t ashamed of that fact. After all, Dane was her husband. But the Steeles knew about her pending divorce, so she decided to end their worries.
She smiled and moved closer to Dane. He automatically wrapped his arms around her shoulders and brought her closer to his side. “Yes, I’m wonderful,” she said, breaking the subtle tension she felt in the room. “Dane and I have decided we don’t want a divorce and intend to stay together and make our marriage work.”
The relieved smiles on the faces of the four men were priceless. “That’s wonderful. We’re happy for you,” Donovan Steele said, grinning.
“We apologize if we interrupted anything, but you know Vanessa,” Chance said, smiling. “She wouldn’t let up. We would have come sooner but the bad weather kept us away.”
“Your timing was perfect,” Dane said, grinning. “We appreciate you even coming out now. I’m sure the roads weren’t their best.”
“No, but my new truck managed just fine,” Sebastian said proudly. “Besides, we’re going fishing later. We would invite you to join us, Dane, but I’m sure you can think of other ways you’d prefer to spend your time.”
Dane smiled as he glanced down and met Sienna’s gaze. “Oh yeah, I can definitely think of a few.”
The power had been restored and a couple of hours later, after eating a hefty breakfast of pancakes,
sausage, grits and eggs, and drinking what Dane had to admit was the best coffee he’d had in a long time, Dane and Sienna were wrapped in each other’s arms in the king-size bed. Sensations flowed through her just thinking about how they had ached and hungered for each other, and the fierceness of their lovemaking to fulfill that need and greed.
“Now will you tell me what brought you to the cabin?” Sienna asked, turning in Dane’s arms and meeting his gaze.
“My wedding band.” He then told her why he’d come to the cabin two weeks ago and how he’d left the ring behind. “It was as if without that ring on my finger, my connection to you was gone. I had to have it back so I came here for it.”
Sienna nodded, understanding completely. That was one of the reasons she hadn’t removed hers. Reaching out she cupped his stubbled jaw in her hand and then leaned over and kissed him softly. “Together forever, Mr. Bradford.”
Dane smiled. “Yes, Mrs. Bradford, together forever. We’ve proven that when it comes to true love, it’s never too late.”
* * * * *
ISBN: 9781459223578
Copyright © 2012 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
TEMPTED BY HER INNOCENT KISS
Copyright © 2012 by Maya Banks
NEVER TOO LATE
Copyright © 2006 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Brenda Jackson is acknowledged as the author of this work.
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