Only 04 - Only Love

from her, and wished that they were naked in a warm bed rather than fully clothed with a hailstorm beating at their frail shelter.
    With a throttled groan, Whip eased his hand over to Shannon’s left breast. It was already firm, pouting for his touch, and when he plucked the nipple, it became a velvet dagger thrusting against his palm.
    “You have the most responsive breasts,” Whip said. “A touch, and they harden.”
    “I don’t—they don’t usually—I mean—unless it’s cold—wet—oh Lord, I can’t think.”
    Whip smiled to know that he had taken the sharp edge off Shannon’s wit and replaced it with the scattered words of a woman whose body was focused entirely on pleasure. It was worth the achein his crotch to hear her ragged breathing, to feel her writhe slowly against his hand, to sense the sweet violence of the heat gathering between her legs.
    “Passion,” Whip said huskily.
    “What?”
    It was a sigh as much as a question. His hand slid from satin slope to velvet crown and back.
    “You,” Whip said. “It’s passion that draws your nipples so tight.”
    “It’s—your fingers.”
    Laughing, Whip bit the nape of Shannon’s neck again. Then he licked the indentations where his teeth had tested the sweetness of her skin.
    She moaned and pushed back against him, increasing the force of the caress.
    A torrent of heat went through Whip, focusing him in the aroused flesh that now was pressed against Shannon’s hip. His teeth raked over her nape less gently than he had intended, but she didn’t complain. Instead, she moved against him again, and again he let her feel the lover’s caress of his teeth against her nape.
    “Like that?” he murmured.
    Shannon’s answer was a sound that had no meaning, but the slow rocking of her hips between Whip’s thighs told him all that he needed to know. He bit her with savage restraint as his hand swept down her body and burrowed between her thighs.
    Her breath came in with a swift, ripping sound. Her whole body stiffened as though struck by lightning.
    “Easy,” Whip murmured.
    The advice was as much for himself as it was for Shannon. Through the old trousers she wore, Whip could sense the steamy heat between her legs.
    A blast of hail hammered over the tarpaulin. Neither Shannon nor Whip noticed. They were both riveted by the sultry flesh that throbbed only inches from his hand.
    “I won’t hurt you,” Whip said in a low voice. “I just want to feel the fire I’ve started. I want you to feel it, too. Open your legs, honey girl.”
    With a shudder, Shannon leaned against Whip fully and gave him what he wanted. Long fingers slid over her, pressed teasingly, cupped her, and held her in the palm of his hand. Slowly his hand rocked back and forth, opening her legs wider, pressing suddenly, urgently, sending a shock of pleasure surging up her body.
    Shannon whimpered.
    Whip’s hand gentled, simply holding her.
    It wasn’t enough. Instinctively Shannon moved her hips, wanting more of the pleasure he had given her.
    Whip unfastened her pants, smiling as he realized that he had never undone a fly before and found a woman’s very different flesh awaiting him.
    “Whip—your hand—”
    “Yes. My hand. Your softness. God, you are soft. Creamy soft and so hot it makes me want to—”
    With a curse Whip bit back his incautious words. If he thought about how good it would feel to press into Shannon’s sultry, clinging heat, he would probably do something stupid like open his pants and slide her soft little rump into his lap and himself into her at the same time.
    Not yet. She’s still too naive. She’s got to know what she’s asking me for when she watches me and smiles and crosses the room to stand next to me.
    When she knows what she wants, I’ll give it to her. Every hot, aching inch of it.
    Shannon made a ragged sound as she felt Whip’s palm nestling deeper and deeper between her legs, rubbing over her while pleasure coiled and coiled and coiled until it burst and spilled hotly over his caressing hand.
    “I didn’t mean—I’m sorry—I don’t—I can’t—help it—” Shannon said jerkily.
    “Help what?”
    His hand moved and satin fire pooled again in his palm.
    Shannon moaned as pleasure coiled even more deeply for having known just a small release.
    “That,” she said raggedly.
    Whip smiled despite the need raking him. He stroked Shannon again, pressing against the satin knot that stood out from her lush flesh. She shivered