keep his kiss soft and willing. He struggled against his nature, which wanted to rip her clothes off and make rough, fierce love to her until she cried out in the ultimate submission to him. His Ava had been badly frightened just now, and the kiss might just be a kiss, a small demand for the reassurance of humanity around her.
The strangest part, which was strange because it felt completely right, was that Robert knew he would do whatever she wanted, give her whatever she needed because his heart felt like it was entwined around hers. Tenacious, invisible vines bound them together in a way that he pulled to her at all times now, worse when he was apart from her. The few hours he had spent away from her today had been agonizing, the urge to go to her and be near her almost overwhelming his ability to think of anything else.
No, he would give Ava whatever she needed and wanted, no matter the cost to himself. Gently, he kissed her back, longing to plunder her mouth, that sweet darkness that tasted like sugar to him.
He was taken completely by surprise when Ava moved to straddle him and took his face between her hands and plunged her tongue into his mouth. Instantly, his entire body responded, muscles tensing as if he was going to shift, his cock swelling and throbbing with want.
“Ava,” he whispered between kisses, rubbing his hands up and down her back, “are you sure?” He would give her the night of her life if she wanted, but not if it would cause her grief in the morning.
“Yes,” she breathed, nipping at his bottom lip, rousing the animal that slept inside him, the animal that wanted to bite and taste and lick her all over. “And no. Just…just let me…”
“Whatever you need, love,” he said, trying to keep the growl of desire out of his voice.
She ended their conversation with a fierce kiss, and for a few moments, the kisses fell between them like rain. Robert fought to keep control of himself, to let her go at her pace. He concentrated on the wet sounds of their kisses and the way she felt so fragile in his hands. It was hard to focus on not breaking her while his throbbing cock was making demands.
He lost the battle when she ground her hips against him, her delicate hands moving down to unbutton his shirt. He needed to feel her against him, completely against him, her skin on his. Last night had been a taste, but not nearly enough. He wanted all of her, to fill her, to feel her to wrap himself around her and share her warmth and sweetness.
He pulled her bulky sweater off, leaving her in her T-shirt. He ran his hands down her sides, feeling the small bones of her rib cage, the delicate line of her spine, and the softness of her belly. She filled his hands perfectly, and it was so natural and easy to touch her. His heart expanded as the invisible vines tightened, the pressure of his feelings sharpening the desire he felt for her in every inch of his body. It was torture to hold himself back, to tamp down on the beast inside that wanted it rough and wild, that wanted to hear her beg for him and to see her soft and vulnerable in his hands.
She kissed him desperately now, hungry and hard, and he still held back somewhat, instinctively knowing that she had to be the one to give the signals. It was the sweetest torment, though, to feel her little fingers undoing each button until she finally pulled his shirt off him. He wore a T-shirt underneath, and he broke their kiss to strip it off. He needed the sensation of her hands upon his skin, and oh, the amazing connection he felt when she finally touched him, running her hands over his smooth chest.
His need to be inside her was burning him like a fever, making him delirious and loosening his control over himself. He wanted that ultimate sensation, to be as close to her as a man and woman could ever be. With a growl, he ran his hands up under her T-shirt, pulling it up and off her. The last bit of rational thought he had determined that as soon as he could,
Stephen E. Ambrose, David Howarth
Paul Auster, J. M. Coetzee