Soldier Mine (Sons of War #2)(47)

She places her hands on my chest and runs them up to my shoulders, her touch light enough to tickle. Her fingertips trace up my neck to my cheeks, and she lifts onto her tiptoes again and pulls my head down to her simultaneously.

Claudia flutters kisses across my jaw, up the side of my face, across my nose, eyelids, forehead and back down. The light kisses tickle as much as her touch. I rest my hands on her hips instinctively to steady her. Unable to bear the suspense of her silence, I capture her lips with mine and kiss her hard and deep, aware it might be our last.

When she pulls away, she rests her wet cheek against mine. “I am so sorry for your pain, Petr,” she whispers and begins the fluttering kisses once more. “So sorry. You are … too good to suffer. If I could take away your pain … bring Mikael back ...”

I embrace her once more, all but hauling her into my body at the soft, sweet response. “I have a sleeve for it, if you want me to cover it.”

“No. Never.” She pulls away and meets my gaze, her eyes shining with tears. “Petr, you are beautiful, whether or not you see it.” The genuine warmth and affection in her expression mystifies me.

I wipe her tears away, speechless for a moment. I never thought anyone could say something that could reach the depths of me the way her simple words do. Our unusual connection has always been borderline supernatural, in my opinion. I’ve been drawn to her quiet sauciness and warm heart since we met, and it’s only grown from there.

She eases back from me and lifts her sweatshirt off to reveal the faint pink bra beneath. Shimmying out of her leggings, she then stands before me once again. The fear is still in her eyes, but there’s trust as well and emotion too intense for me to categorize.

It takes me a minute to process the fact she’s not only accepting me as I am, but she’s taking the next step forward, too.

“C’mere.” I take her hand and lead her to the ottoman, sitting. I pull her into my lap, and she straddles me, her feet dangling off the ottoman behind me. She shifts against my arousal, and I resist the urge to press it against her. “I need to ask you something before anything happens.”

Claudia settles onto my lap and wraps her arms around my head, gazing into my eyes as she waits.

“The last time we kissed, you ran away,” I say with a half-smile. “You are certain this is what you want?”

She nods.

“I’ve never wanted anyone or anything as much as I do you, Claudia,” I whisper. “You are one night away from stealing my heart. I need you to be sure. I care about you too much for this to be a one night stand or a chink in your armor.”

“I understand,” she whispers back. “Petr, I swear to you. This is what I want. Tomorrow won’t change that. A week or two or three or a year or any length of time won’t change that.”

“Will you tell me what’s prevented you from this before?”

She hesitates, a flicker of unease and the shadow returning. “Yes, Petr, I will.”

The response fills me with a sense of relief more profound than any I’ve ever known. “In the morning,” I murmur, barely able to tolerate sitting so still when I want to be buried deep inside her.

She smiles, stretches back and releases her bra to free her coral tipped breasts. Tossing it aside, she leans into me, skin against skin. “Will you make love to me?”

“Absolutely,” I say with a grin. I take her cheeks in my hand and gaze once more into her blue eyes. “I would’ve waited a lifetime for you, Claudia.”

“You don’t have to, Petr.” She kisses me, and this time, I know talk-time is over for the night.

My hands slide down her arms to her back and down. I grip her backside and pull her against my aching erection, then brace one arm around her back. Kissing her hungrily, I explore her body with my free hand, pausing to skim her nipples and dwelling on the softness of the skin of her stomach. Releasing her mouth, I trail hot kisses down her neck once more, relishing the taste of her skin, before taking the tight bud of her nipple into my mouth.

Claudia moans softly as I suckle and nip at it, her hands running through my hair while she moves against my arousal. Her underwear is between us still, an annoyance I can’t stand. Teasing her second nipple, I then gently push her to her feet without standing and slip her underwear off. She’s quivering, her hands running down my arms and across my shoulders as I skate mine down her perfect hourglass shape. I admire every inch and curve of her body and the way the firelight dances across her skin before pent up desire gets the best of me. I fish out a condom from my jeans.

Standing, I claim her mouth with pure need and pull her against me, one hand roaming down her side. Shifting my hips back, I slide my palm down to the mound of her * and press before sliding my fingers into her slick, hot core.

She moves against my hand, and I move my fingers in and out of her, loving how wet she already is for me. Her feminine form is malleable, her surrender complete, and the primal male in me shouts in victory after the long wait to reach this point.

Unable to wait much longer, I lean back and unroll the condom quickly over my dick. I then shift her body and lift her onto my hips, holding her securely as I penetrate the hot depths of her body with my erection.

She gasps and clings to me. “Oh, god, Petr!” Her legs wrap around me and pull me deeper into her. She shudders and holds me close. I bury my face in the nook of her neck and breathe in her scent, waiting for her to adjust to my size before I begin to claim her for real.