Under Pressure (Body Armor #1)(67)

His hard mouth tipped in a predatory smile.

“Um... I mean...” It was difficult to think around the residual pleasure. “I’d like us both to get naked.”

“Works for me.” He entered the master bedroom and lowered her to the bed.

Before she could think, he had her jeans tugged off completely, taking her panties at the same time and leaving her utterly bare. That might have been a little unsettling, except that he stepped back and, keeping his gaze on her body, unbuckled a thick black belt.

With her heart beating harder, she came up to her elbows to watch.

Reaching toward the small of his back with one hand, Leese caught a belt holster as he pulled the belt free.

He’d been packing? Good grief. She nodded at the heavy Glock he set on the nightstand. “Do you carry that always?”

“Yes.” After toeing off his shoes and kicking them aside, he lifted a foot to the bed, pulled up one pant leg and opened an ankle holster too.

Her eyes rounded. “Always?”

He stared at her breasts. “Always.” The smaller revolver joined the Glock on the nightstand.

A hundred questions vied for priority. But Leese stepped back, eased down the zipper on his jeans and stripped them away.

Cat forgot how to breathe.

The fact that he tossed the pants aside rather than fold them, as was his norm, showed the level of his interest. Leese was a neat freak, but his jeans had just hit the wall and slid to a pile in the corner.

After scouring her hungry gaze over him top to toes, she slowed and looked again, this time taking it all in.

She started with his large feet, currently braced apart, then let her attention crawl up to his strong, hairy calves. Muscles roped the length of his thighs, tapering in to narrower hips, and an impressive erection. Her palms tingled with the need to touch.

“Catalina...”

“Shh.” She took in those shredded abs, the firm pecs and wide shoulders. “You’re incredible.” She’d never before known a man built like him, much less had the opportunity to see such a man naked.

There was so much to appreciate that it took her a second to return to his jutting erection.

Everything on Leese was proportionate and hard, especially that part of him. Unlike a bulky bodybuilder, his muscles were flexible, made for power, not display.

But wow, what a nice picture he made.

There was no mistaking that he wanted her—probably not as much as she wanted him, but she didn’t mind that.

She licked dry lips. “You’re the most impressive man I’ve ever seen.”

Smile strained, he touched her calf, drifted his fingers up to her knee and lightly pressed, urging her legs to part again. “I’m glad you think so, because I’ve been craving you since we met.”

She’d never really been insecure, or a woman who needed compliments. But she heard herself ask, “Do I measure up?”

“You’re hotter than even my imagination.” His gaze met hers for one searing moment. “And I imagined you naked a lot.”

When his fingers teased higher, she caught her breath. “I’m average.”

“There’s nothing average about you.” He stroked over her. “You’re small and soft and, God, Cat, I’m dying to get inside you.”

Her toes curled. “Do you have protection?” She quickly added, “And I don’t mean weapons.”

“Yeah.” Buck-ass and glorious, Leese walked to the closet.

She thought of the picture she’d drawn, and smiled. She’d gotten pretty darned close to the reality.

While she tried not to pant, he got out his overnight kit and removed two condoms.

More revived by the moment, Cat watched him return to her.

Out of necessity, the drapes were drawn as usual. But it was still early enough that plenty of light penetrated the room, showing the flex and shift of his body as he came back to her.

His attention burned over her like a tactile touch.

She opened her arms, expecting Leese to come over her.

Instead he settled beside her, his large hand opened over her breast, his mouth at her throat.

Oh, well yeah, that worked too.

Now on sensory overload, Cat felt the crisp hair on his calf covering one of her legs, the roughness of his fingertips playing over her sensitive nipple, his hot breath on her shoulder and the hotter touch of his erection against her hip.

The man was not idle. He stroked her gently, occasionally caressed roughly, somehow always knowing her preference. By the second her need escalated to a fever pitch.

He trailed small, damp kisses over her temple, opened his mouth over a special place on the side of her neck, took a gentle bite of her shoulder and made his way back to her nipples, using that hot tongue to turn her into a mass of quivering sensation.

“Let’s see if you’re ready.”

“I am,” she promised breathlessly.

But he only smiled against her breast, then pressed his broad hand between her thighs, his long fingers slipping over her, spreading her moisture. “Mmm,” he murmured. “Maybe. But let me...” Slowly, he worked two fingers deep, then groaned. “Nice.”

Cat arched up on a throaty cry of pleasure.

“Yeah,” he growled low in approval. “You’re wet and ready.”

Because she was very close to losing it.