Free Relentless Lord by Amy Sandas Page B

heat of his breath.
    Hannah soaked up that tenderness. She drew it into her body through his breath and claimed it as rightfully hers. And suddenly, she knew. This was far more than an expression of physical lust. Her inevitable joining with this man had far deeper implications than that of desire. As she lay beneath him, his body penetrating hers, his weight all around her, she acknowledged her own vulnerability.
    She had let him into her body and into her heart.
    For the life of her, she could find no reason to regret it. Every instinct she possessed urged her to accept it as a gift. Regardless of what may come after. This moment, with this man was entirely worth it.
    After a few long, wonderful minutes, his kiss grew more potent. He started to move within her. First, there was a slow withdrawal. Then an even slower repossession. He would not be rushed as they moved together. Soothing, tormenting. Building the tension.
    Their panting turned to groans and gasps. Their sweat mingled on their skin.
    The pleasure took Hannah steadily higher and higher. Until a moment of breathless suspension when everything stopped. Her thoughts, her breath, her heartbeat. And then the most sublime expression of life she had ever experienced washed through her on a wave of intense sensation. No minute corner in her body was left untouched or unchanged. And she clung to Miles, her mouth pressed in an open kiss to his shoulder, trusting him to carry her through.
    Two more languorous thrusts and he joined her. His spine arched and a groan caught in his throat as he ground his hips to hers. Hannah lifted her knees along his sides and grasped his buttocks in her hands, urging him to go as deep as he could.

Chapter Nine
    Miles released his breath in a heavy whoosh. He barely managed to shift his weight before he collapsed to the mattress along Hannah’s side. Stretching an arm over his head, he dislodged the pillows on the bed and something heavy clamored to the floor.
    Hannah emitted an unintelligible sound but did not move from her sated sprawl beside him. He cast a long look at the woman who lay mostly naked, her skin still flushed, her pale hair a tangled mess beneath her head, her eyes gently closed while her breath slid from between parted swollen lips.
    Miles’s heart was near to bursting. It was an exceptional feeling and he struggled to contain the emotion pressing outward against his rib cage.
    Unable to keep from touching her, he covered her breast with his hand. As the steady beat of her heart echoed against his palm, warmth spiked in his chest. He took a moment to revel in the sensation, understanding and delighting in what it signified.
    Then his curiosity got the better of him. He gathered the strength to lift himself up to stretch across Hannah’s lovely body until he could gaze down over the edge of the bed.
    Amusement washed through him as he reached for the fallen object. Propping himself on one elbow, he examined it with a mix of curiosity and bewilderment.
    “Do you always sleep with a dagger beneath your pillow?”
    She gave a heavy sigh and opened her eyes in a sleepy gaze. “Since I was five years old. A necessary defense against predators that hunt in the night.”
    Miles couldn’t help himself. He burst into laughter. Without a doubt, this woman was the most adorable, fascinating, wonderful creature he had ever met. A wrinkle formed between her brows as his laughter continued and he leaned forward to press a kiss to the little frown.
    Lifting his head, he muttered through a wide grin, “I love you.”
    He did not realize he had said the words aloud until her eyes blinked wide open, the haze of her sensual aftermath gone in an instant. She took a breath in obvious preparation to protest.
    Miles had to act fast. He pressed his fingers to her mouth. “Before you say anything, I have a confession. I did not come to your room tonight to fetch my coat. I had an ulterior motive.”
    She pushed his hand away to reply in a