Page 45 of March 5

"I've always been here, princess," he murmured.

She inhaled deeply. "But I was busy with school and classes—"

"I'm prouder than hell with what you've accomplished." He grabbed her hand, holding it in his. "You set goals and went after what you wanted. That's more than most people ever achieve because they fear the unknown."

"There's a distance between us now." She moved closer and hooked her helmet on the handlebar before facing him again. "I know you can feel it."

He exhaled loudly. "Yeah, I can."

Hell if he could do anything about it, though. He hated it, but he was necessary. She trusted him, but he couldn't trust himself with her.

"You've never lied to me before."

"I never will."

"If that's true..." She lowered her gaze to his chest and then met his gaze. "Let's be honest with each other."

His chest squeezed, knowing he couldn't protect her from the truth.

"Would you ever love me the way you love the other women you're with?" She let go of him and put her hands out to the sides. "If I asked you to take me up to my bedroom and have sex with me, would you? Could you?"

"Skye." He held her gaze.

He'd walk through fire to give her what she wanted but not that. He couldn't do that to her or Maverick.

She hugged her middle but stepped closer to him. "I'm not a child."

"I know—"

"Then, nothing can stop you from kissing me back." She leaned forward and put her lips on his mouth.

The soft warmth took him by surprise. But it was her tongue, coaxing him to part his lips, that crippled him. He couldn't deny her entrance.

As she slid her tongue past his lips, exploring little by little, he got his first taste of her. His cock pulsed, enlarging. The blood powering his brain now controlled his dick.

She slid her hands up the sides of his neck and cradled his jaw in her hands, kissing him deeper.

It wasn't the kiss of an innocent.

She tilted her head, sucking on his tongue, caressing him as if she wanted to suck his cock. Unable to do a damn thing, he let her kiss him.

Skye took his lack of stopping her as a sign to keep going. Her hand landed on the front of his jeans.

His body craved her touch. He needed to stop her. He wanted her to continue. His thoughts warred with his body.

She stepped on his boot and swung her other leg over the gas tank, sliding down in front of him and wrapping her legs around his waist. The feminine heat of her surrounded him. His cock beat against his denim, wanting out to play. To dominate. To possess. To own.

She wrapped her arms around his head, deepening the kiss. He grabbed her hips with all intentions to pull her off his body. He moaned, digging his hands into the swell of her body and pulling her closer.

Skye squirmed, threading her fingers in his hair, opening her mouth wider, taking more, and then sucking on his tongue, drawing him into her mouth.

His pulse roared in his ears. He had Skye in his hands and knew that he would never be able to let her go. Afraid she'd go away in a flash, he held her like a man drowning, and she was the only one who could save him.

It wasn't his life he feared losing. It was Skye.

He ripped his mouth off her. "Get off."

She panted, staring at him. "Wh-what?"