His chest rose and fell quickly as his eyes raked over her body, and it was as if she could actually feel them trailing over her skin.

And then he leaned forward, placing his hands on the foot of the bed as he began crawling toward her.

She felt her legs go weak, and she dropped from her kneeling position to sit on her calves just as his lips met hers again. He applied gentle pressure, pushing her backward until she fell onto the pile of pillows behind her.

Danny held his weight in his arms as he kissed her, nudging her legs apart with his hips before lowering his body onto hers.

She gasped as she felt his pressure between her thighs, and when he gently pushed his hips into her, she moaned into his mouth.

“That sound,” he said hoarsely between kisses. “Do you have any idea what that sound does to me?”

His mouth moved seamlessly down her throat, and when she felt the heat of his kisses on the swell of her breast, she arched up slightly, tangling her fingers in his hair.

His hands slid between her body and the mattress, and she felt him take the clasp of her bra between his fingers.

“Can I?” he whispered against her skin, and she nodded fervently, arching up higher.

The clasp popped open, and Danny pulled the garment from her body before dropping it over the side of the bed. And then his mouth was back on her, this time without the barrier of clothing between them, and her hips thrust upward of their own accord as she sucked in a sharp breath.

His hands came to her hips, pinning them to the bed as he kissed his way back up her neck, stopping just before their lips touched.

“Easy,” he whispered, planting a soft kiss on her mouth, and then he was gone again, trailing his mouth down the center of her body.

Leah closed her eyes and reached above her, grasping the headboard as she tried to keep herself still. Instead of focusing on what she wanted to happen, she started concentrating on what was happening right now. With her eyes closed, she didn’t know where he would touch her next—whether it would be with his lips, his tongue, or his hands—and the anticipation only amplified whatever he was doing, so that the tiniest graze of his finger set her on fire.

She felt him remove her jeans, but she kept her eyes closed, holding her breath as she waited for his next move.

“Leah,” he said softly, and she opened her eyes and looked at him.

He was kneeling at the foot of the bed with her jeans in his hand, and he dropped them on the floor as his eyes traveled up the length of her body, laid out for him like an offering. He shook his head slightly before he lifted his eyes to hers.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered.

She released the headboard and sat up, taking his face in her hands as she kissed him, and he wrapped his arms around her. She could feel the rough material of his shirt against her breasts, and she reached down and tugged the hem.

“I want to feel your skin on mine,” she said against his mouth, and he nodded before he broke the kiss, reaching behind his head and pulling his shirt off. Leah brought her hands to his chest, tracing the contours with her fingertips before trailing them down over his stomach.

He remained perfectly still, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow as she touched him. His body was strong, lean and muscled, and she kissed along the top of his chest before she lay back onto the mattress and pulled him with her.

“You feel good like this,” she whispered, running her hands over his back as the skin of his chest brushed against hers with every movement.

He slowly brought his mouth back to hers, his kisses once again careful and measured. It seemed like every single one was designed to tease and torment her, and after several minutes of his gorgeous torture, she was squirming beneath him.

Leah whimpered pathetically against his mouth, and she felt it curve into a smile.

“Relax, sweet girl,” he said, his lips grazing hers as he spoke. “I’m gonna make you feel good this time, I promise.”

He lowered his head and kissed her, and then she felt his hand trail down her stomach before it slipped below the front of her panties.

Her hands flew back up to the headboard as she tried to regain the control she had managed before, but it was just like the last time he’d touched her that way; it was like he’d known her body for years. He knew exactly what to do and how to do it, and within two minutes of him touching her, she was panting heavily, her hips lifting off the bed as she neared her release.

Suddenly his hand stilled, and Leah’s eyes flashed open as she lifted her head.

“Why are you stopping?” she breathed, and he smiled before he leaned over and kissed her neck.

“Not yet,” he murmured against her skin.

“Danny,” she started, and then he covered her mouth with his. She wanted to protest. Hell, she wanted to plead. But when he kissed her that way, the only thing she could bring herself to do was kiss him back.

After a minute he lifted his head, watching her reaction as he began moving his hand again, and she bit her lip to stifle the sound building in her throat as she turned away from him. She hadn’t known it would be like that—that she could pick right up where she left off that easily. Leah squeezed her eyes shut as her legs began to quiver, and this time as she started to gasp, he removed his hand from her body completely.

She slapped her hands down on the mattress and threw her head back. “Oh, son of a bitch!” she cried, and he laughed softly, kissing along her jawline.

“Swear jar,” he said, nuzzling beneath her ear.

She slid both hands up into her hair as she tried to catch her breath. “You’re making me crazy,” she panted.

“I know,” he said, licking the spot beneath her ear. “You have no idea how sexy you are right now.”

“Danny,” she breathed, bringing her hands to his face and forcing him to look at her. “Please don’t make me wait anymore.”

He leaned down so that their noses touched as he reached between them and slid her underwear over her hips, and she shimmied out of them before kicking them away.

And when his hand slid down her stomach again, she gripped his wrist, stopping him.

He froze, lifting his head to look at her.

“That’s not what I meant,” she said softly.

Danny pulled his brow together, and she released his wrist, lowering her eyes as she reached between them, fumbling with the button of his jeans before she popped it open. As she slid his zipper down, she raised her eyes back to his, and understanding swept over his face.

“Leah,” he said huskily. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. She was sure about this. She was sure about him. She was sure about them. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind anymore where she belonged.

“I want you,” she said, running the backs of her fingers over his stomach. “And I don’t just mean tonight. I want us, Danny.”

He closed the small distance between them, pressing her back into the pillows as he kissed her deeply, and Leah gripped the waistband of his jeans and boxers and slid them down over his hips.

Danny removed them the rest of the way, grabbing his wallet out of the pocket before he tossed them on the floor behind him. Leah watched him remove a condom and open the wrapper, and all at once, her stomach twisted with anxiety.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths.

“Leah,” he said gently, placing his hands on her thighs, and she opened her eyes.

She could see the concern on his face, and she reached out for him; he came down to her immediately, resting his weight on his elbows as he cradled her face.

“I’m okay,” she said with a tiny smile. “I’m just a little nervous.”

“What are you nervous about?” he asked, playing with the hair by her temple, and she closed her eyes.