Murder Game (GhostWalkers, #7)(73)

When she was quieter, he rolled her over, still buried deep, and found her mouth with his. His kissed her with everything he was, with every bit of tenderness he could manage. He was never a gentle man, and he certainly could never articulate in words the depth of his feeling for her, or his appreciation of what she’d given him, but he tried to show her, kissing her over and over, taking her mouth and giving her his own while his hands stroked caresses in her hair.

“Where in the hell did you get that oil?” He rolled to his side, allowing his body to separate from hers, tucking her close to him.

“I made it.” She brushed his hair from his face. “Did you like it?”

He turned his head to kiss her fingers. “You know I loved it, Tansy. What do you mean you made it?”

“I don’t suppose you noticed all the flower gardens on the estate? When I was a little girl my mother tried to think of things we could do together that would be fun, girly, and didn’t involve touching. So we gardened at first. I had my own little garden that really grew into a huge project. I loved being outdoors with her. She’d talk about all the different plants and their different uses historically. She mentioned perfume and oils and I was intrigued. She always smelled so good, and she told me how my dad took her to this perfume shop and had a special scent made just for her. I decided I wanted to do that myself.”

He nuzzled her neck. She smelled delicious. “So you did.”

She nodded, turning her head just a bit to give him better access. Maybe it was because she’d been deprived of human touch for so long that she craved his hands on her, but she wanted to feel his palm cupping her breasts, his thumb stroking back and forth over her nipple and his mouth skimming the hollow of her shoulder.

“I did. And I discovered that different oils could be bases used for different purposes. Arnica can help with bruising and is great for massages. Grapeseed is a great moisturizer. There are so many natural oils and herbs and flowers that can be used for all sorts of uses while also creating great fragrances. The cinnamon is my favorite, and fortunately I found a way to make it absorb, taste, and smell good.”

“And you just happened to carry candles in your pack as well?” He leaned over and blew them out, then lay back, licking at her shoulder and then teasing with his teeth, producing a little shiver.

“I was camping and light tends to hurt my eyes, so as a rule I keep a box in my backpack. They aren’t terribly fancy, but they do the trick.”

There was a small silence. He could hear the clock ticking. He inhaled the scent of her, taking it deeper into his lungs, and nuzzled her breast. She never pulled away from him, as he half expected her to do. Instead, her body welcomed his, warm and so soft, always inviting. He could barely breathe with loving her. She thawed something frozen in him when she was close. He hadn’t expected it to be like this, but there was no going back.

Thank you. He couldn’t say it out loud. He would have choked on the words.

She looked at him, her gaze drifting over his face, seeing more than he wanted her to. “For what?” Her fingertip traced his lips.

For making me feel like I have someone to come home to. Hell. He was choking up anyway. Fuck it. For loving me. He despised being so inept with words, not when she deserved so much better, but it was the best he could do with his throat raw and his eyes burning.

“I do love you,” she said, rolling over to sprawl on top of him, framing his face with her hands. She kissed him, sliding her tongue along his lips, and, when he opened, into his mouth, to tangle in a slow, leisurely dance with his. “I didn’t think I would, but who could ever resist you?”

“I want to be inside you again,” he whispered. “I need to be. Slide down my body and get me hard, baby.”

He was already coming back fast, but she didn’t hesitate, kissing her way down his chest until her hands cupped his sac, stroking upward, and her mouth closed over him, tight and hot.

Kadan came alive instantly under the growing experience of her fantasy mouth. He made love to her again, as gently as he could for as long as he could, but inevitably, he grew rough and hard, plunging deeper and faster, riding her with everything he was. It didn’t matter that he took them both over the edge again. His body might be temporarily sated, but his mind would never be. Touching her, loving her, was a miracle.

He curled his body around hers, his arm possessively around her waist, and listened to her breathing. He could spend a lifetime holding her close. He waited, there in the dark, with the scent of cinnamon and sex hanging in the air, until she was in a deep sleep. Very gently he pressed a kiss against the nape of her neck and removed her hand from over the top of his. Rolling carefully off the bed, he pulled on his jeans and a shirt and dragged his belt with his weapons and a few supplies around his waist before slipping out of the room.

Ryland was waiting for him in the hall. “Took you long enough.”

“I wanted to make certain she was asleep in case this goes bad.”

Ryland nodded. “We’ll have to make entry from outside. He’s barricaded the door.”

Kadan shrugged. “He’s not stupid, but he’s so full of shit. He’s up to his ears in Whitney’s mess. The wife is clean though. I could read her and she despises Whitney. I think the only real source of contention in their marriage has been Whitney.”

“So she wanted to take Tansy to a different doctor and her husband refused,” Ryland said. “I wonder why he would do that.” He frowned and leaned close to Kadan, sniffing. “Cinnamon?”