Holding Strong
Page 130
- Background:
- Text Font:
- Text Size:
- Line Height:
- Line Break Height:
- Frame:
Denver couldn’t seem to get a deep enough breath as he closed the narrow space between him and Cherry.
She said nothing, just stared up at him.
Talk about cracking... He hauled her up close and took her mouth, turning his head to part her lips, sinking his tongue in, tasting her deeply.
Cherry hung in his grip, shocked still...for about five seconds. Then she tunneled her fingers into his hair, pressed her body to his and returned the kiss full-force.
Denver backed her up to the brick wall, planted one hand flat on the wall beside her head, and deepened the kiss even more. He wanted her. So damn much.
All the time.
The significance of what she’d done today—
“This is getting way out of hand,” Armie muttered. “Hell, I’m blushing, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
Denver lifted his head, dazed, astounded actually. He looked around and, thank God, no one else was in sight. But he had Cherry pinned to an outside wall of the rec center near a busy street and the rec center wouldn’t close for a few more hours.
Cherry rested against the wall, her lips swollen and pink, her eyes misty, sucking in breast-enhancing breaths that made him even crazier.
“Damn.”
“Yeah,” Armie said. “If you want to take off, I can make your excuses inside.”
“No,” Cherry whispered, barely audible. She swallowed, filled her lungs, and pushed away from the wall. “He has to finish his training.”
Armie grinned. “Hard to do with wood, doll.”
“I’m fine,” Denver lied. Hell, he was flattened. Completely leveled by the fact that Cherry had finally, 100 percent trusted him. He glanced at Armie. “I’m sure we’re alone, but all the same—”
“I’ll loiter,” Armie told him, understanding that he wanted to remain cautious. He pointed near the front door. “Over there, okay? But keep in mind I’m bare-assed under this towel, okay?”
“I won’t take long.”
Nodding, Armie strolled away. He reached the door just as two women approached. “Ladies.”
Instead of going inside, their gazes crawled all over Armie. He ended up starting his own conversation, and given the way the women giggled, he’d be hooking up again that night.
Denver shook his head. “He’s a glutton.”
“Look who’s talking.” With just her fingertips, Cherry touched her mouth. “I don’t know what brought that on, but I liked it.”
Yeah, she always liked it when he touched or kissed her.
And more.
From the inside out, Denver smiled. Primal satisfaction was a pulsebeat in his blood, making him feel like the luckiest man alive. He had her now, and he knew it. All he had to do was get things settled with her foster family and then he could cement the deal.
Late sunshine cast a rosy glow over her skin and made her blond hair brighter. “Thank you, Cherry.”
She smiled up at him. “For?”
He handed her back her phone. “Giving over to me.” Tugging at his ear didn’t make the words come any easier. “Trusting me to handle things. But it’s more than that.”
Cherry smoothed a hand over his chest. “I trust you in every way there is.”
Yeah, that about covered it. She was finally, really his, no holds barred, and damn, he loved it.
Until then she’d been holding strong, doling out the acceptance, mixing it with resistance. But not anymore.
No time like the present, Denver decided, to get a few things set up. “I want to get you a new phone.”
Her big brown eyes turned wary.
“I don’t want Carver to be able to reach you. He’ll try,” Denver explained. “And hopefully when he can’t, he’ll have to expose himself. Once he does, we can resolve things.”
Slowly, she nodded. “Okay.”
“You won’t be in any danger. I’ll see to that.”
“I know.” She moved away, but not far. “The contract for my phone plan won’t be up for months, though.”
Closing in on her again, Denver took her hands. “I’ll take care of it.” I’ll take care of you. “I’ll pick up a new phone and add you on my plan. Not a big deal, I promise.”
Nibbling her bottom lip, she averted her eyes. “I want to do the right thing, Denver. It’s just...it’s not easy.”
“I know. But it’s me, not a stranger who’s lending a hand.” He bent his knees, lowering himself to meet her gaze. “It’s me.”
She said nothing, just stared up at him.
Talk about cracking... He hauled her up close and took her mouth, turning his head to part her lips, sinking his tongue in, tasting her deeply.
Cherry hung in his grip, shocked still...for about five seconds. Then she tunneled her fingers into his hair, pressed her body to his and returned the kiss full-force.
Denver backed her up to the brick wall, planted one hand flat on the wall beside her head, and deepened the kiss even more. He wanted her. So damn much.
All the time.
The significance of what she’d done today—
“This is getting way out of hand,” Armie muttered. “Hell, I’m blushing, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
Denver lifted his head, dazed, astounded actually. He looked around and, thank God, no one else was in sight. But he had Cherry pinned to an outside wall of the rec center near a busy street and the rec center wouldn’t close for a few more hours.
Cherry rested against the wall, her lips swollen and pink, her eyes misty, sucking in breast-enhancing breaths that made him even crazier.
“Damn.”
“Yeah,” Armie said. “If you want to take off, I can make your excuses inside.”
“No,” Cherry whispered, barely audible. She swallowed, filled her lungs, and pushed away from the wall. “He has to finish his training.”
Armie grinned. “Hard to do with wood, doll.”
“I’m fine,” Denver lied. Hell, he was flattened. Completely leveled by the fact that Cherry had finally, 100 percent trusted him. He glanced at Armie. “I’m sure we’re alone, but all the same—”
“I’ll loiter,” Armie told him, understanding that he wanted to remain cautious. He pointed near the front door. “Over there, okay? But keep in mind I’m bare-assed under this towel, okay?”
“I won’t take long.”
Nodding, Armie strolled away. He reached the door just as two women approached. “Ladies.”
Instead of going inside, their gazes crawled all over Armie. He ended up starting his own conversation, and given the way the women giggled, he’d be hooking up again that night.
Denver shook his head. “He’s a glutton.”
“Look who’s talking.” With just her fingertips, Cherry touched her mouth. “I don’t know what brought that on, but I liked it.”
Yeah, she always liked it when he touched or kissed her.
And more.
From the inside out, Denver smiled. Primal satisfaction was a pulsebeat in his blood, making him feel like the luckiest man alive. He had her now, and he knew it. All he had to do was get things settled with her foster family and then he could cement the deal.
Late sunshine cast a rosy glow over her skin and made her blond hair brighter. “Thank you, Cherry.”
She smiled up at him. “For?”
He handed her back her phone. “Giving over to me.” Tugging at his ear didn’t make the words come any easier. “Trusting me to handle things. But it’s more than that.”
Cherry smoothed a hand over his chest. “I trust you in every way there is.”
Yeah, that about covered it. She was finally, really his, no holds barred, and damn, he loved it.
Until then she’d been holding strong, doling out the acceptance, mixing it with resistance. But not anymore.
No time like the present, Denver decided, to get a few things set up. “I want to get you a new phone.”
Her big brown eyes turned wary.
“I don’t want Carver to be able to reach you. He’ll try,” Denver explained. “And hopefully when he can’t, he’ll have to expose himself. Once he does, we can resolve things.”
Slowly, she nodded. “Okay.”
“You won’t be in any danger. I’ll see to that.”
“I know.” She moved away, but not far. “The contract for my phone plan won’t be up for months, though.”
Closing in on her again, Denver took her hands. “I’ll take care of it.” I’ll take care of you. “I’ll pick up a new phone and add you on my plan. Not a big deal, I promise.”
Nibbling her bottom lip, she averted her eyes. “I want to do the right thing, Denver. It’s just...it’s not easy.”
“I know. But it’s me, not a stranger who’s lending a hand.” He bent his knees, lowering himself to meet her gaze. “It’s me.”
