Despite his obvious arousal he didn’t attempt to take things any further. In fact, with the exception of his mouth and hands gripping her waist, he hadn’t moved at all.

He was waiting for her permission, she realized. He was trying not to scare her.

She leaned back and met his dark stare. “Touch me. Please?”

* * *

“I thought you’d never ask.” Eban was burning up on the inside. Shaking with desire. He ran his free hand from the side of her neck down the center of her body. Repeating the move slowly until she relaxed even more.

He leaned forward to kiss her neck, moving the strap of her bathing suit to one side so he could run his tongue along the line of her shoulder. Water clung to the hollow of her collarbone. He nuzzled her soft skin, grateful for the steam coming off the tub that kept them both warm despite the frigid air temps. The strap dropped down her arm and he caught his breath as the upper swell of her breast was revealed.

She caught him staring and rather than blush or try to cover herself, she slipped the strap off the other shoulder and pulled the suit down to reveal her breasts.

He stared at her like a teenager who’d never seen a naked woman before…but this was Darby and after everything she’d gone through, he hadn’t expected this level of trust. It humbled him almost as much as it turned him on.

He decided to not overthink things. Instead, he reached out and put his hand around her breast, dragging his thumb up and over her nipple, feeling her whole body clench in reaction. He moved his thumb back again, watching the pink flesh tighten and bead. He leaned forward and took a gentle bite.

His blood was pounding through his veins, and he was so hard he was straining against the material of his shorts.

He sucked on her nipple and her head fell back. She was so beautiful. Maybe not in the traditional sense, but with her fiery hair and her pale skin she was like some woodland creature come to seduce him, body and soul.

Was there such a thing as fate? He was starting to think there might be. He’d always had a thing for redheads but now he wondered if he hadn’t subconsciously been looking for Darby all this time. He hadn’t been interested in anyone else since he’d met her on that damn island. And it was what happened before they met that was exactly why he had to take it slow, let her lead.

She groaned as she rubbed against his cock and he knew he needed to stop this before it went any further.

“How do you feel about sex in front of the fireplace?” she whispered.

“Enthusiastic as hell, but I think we are going too fast.”

Her disappointed expression made him smile but he couldn’t screw this up. She needed him to not be a bozo.