Tough Enough

“Can’t you just trust me? Just a little? Can’t you let me love you?”

The pause before her answer is so long I think she might not answer.

But then she does.

“I-I’m afraid,” comes her barely audible response.

“Don’t be. I’ve got you. I won’t let anything hurt you. Including me.”

She’s silent for a long time as I press tiny kisses along her jaw and cheek, stroking the smooth parts of her skin to put her at ease.

“Please don’t disappoint me.”

Her request is like a punch in the gut. The pain, the raw plea in her voice cuts through me like a knife.

“I’d rather take a beating than disappoint you.”

She raises tentative hands to curl her fingers around my biceps. I feel them tremble. I feel her fight as clearly as if it were my own. But I also feel her give in.

“Then love me.”

She doesn’t have to tell me twice.

TWENTY-ONE

Katie

For the first time since I woke up from a medically induced coma in the hospital five years ago, I’m letting go. I’m trusting. I’m throwing all my caution, all my insecurity, all my reasons out the window and I’m letting someone in. All the way in.

For the first time, I’m trying to live.

Rogan has seen me. All of me. All the ugly, all the fear, and he still wants me. I might never experience this again, so for just this one moment in time, I’m giving in.

I don’t protest when he slides one arm behind my back and the other beneath my knees to sweep me off my feet. In the bedroom, he sets me at the foot of the bed, but he doesn’t back away. Instead, he stands so close I can feel the heat radiating from his chest, from his stomach, from his thighs, warming me through and through.

He lowers his mouth to mine in a kiss that sears me—my flesh, my heart, my soul. It says he accepts me. It says he wants me. It says that, for now, he won’t hurt me. He’ll only make me feel beautiful and special and loved. Not like a freak show.

With every soft brush of his lips, he rubs away Ro

“You taste so good,” he mutters as he licks along the crease of my lips. “I bet you’re delicious everywhere.”

My knees go all soft at his words. It’s been so long . . . So, so long . . .

Rogan spreads kisses across my collarbone and down the center of my chest. His hands come up to palm my breasts. He grazes my nipples with his thumbs and I let my head drop back on my shoulders, the sensation tingling all the way down my arms to my fingertips.

“So beautiful,” he says as his lips travel to cover one nipple. The first touch of his tongue, hotter than any real fire, causes me to gasp. “Do you like that?” he asks, swirling wet heat around the sensitive peak. I don’t respond. I simply thread my fingers into his hair and hold him to me. He laughs, a deep throaty chuckle that vibrates through my breast. “Mmmm, that’s what I thought.”

When he sucks my turgid flesh into his mouth, I arch my back, pressing into him. I feel as much as hear his groan. His response is immediate. He pulls and tugs and nibbles at my nipple as his fingers twist and tweak the other one. My stomach clenches and moisture floods my panties.

Switching from hand to mouth at my other breast, Rogan treats it to the same pleasure as he moves his palm down my stomach to the closure of my jeans. With a flick, he releases the button and slides the zipper down, ru

He releases my nipple and drags his lips down to my bellybutton, where he swirls his tongue inside, his hand coming around to cup my butt and push my jeans a little farther down.

“Seems like I’ve wanted this forever,” he murmurs against me, kissing lower. “And it’s even better than I imagined.”

I steel myself against the urge to flinch when Rogan tugs the denim of my pants down my legs, his fingers grazing more scarred flesh. The burns splatter my hip and leg, ru

When he reaches my feet, he slips off my shoes and then my jeans, leaving me standing before him in nothing but my panties. I glance down, my skin burning up under his gaze as it travels slowly up my body to meet mine. What I see in his smoky green eyes makes me feel elated and excited and . . . happy. Happier than I’ve been in a long time.

“You’re amazing,” he claims sincerely. Reaching up, he runs his hands from my ribs all the way down my sides, his fingers skating over both healthy and scarred skin to curl into the edges of my panties. He pulls them off as he explores my legs. When I step out of them, I watch his face, eating up the pure lust I see there. I never thought anyone would look at me that way again. Not when they could really see me. But it’s there. Plain as the nose on my face. More incredible than the sun in the sky.

His eyes don’t meet mine as I watch him. He seems oblivious to my scrutiny, in fact. His attention is focused on the small triangle between my legs.

I throb when he licks his lips, my muscles clenching as though his tongue touched me.

I hold my breath as he leans forward to press a single kiss to the space between my navel and the top of my aching folds. My mouth drops open on a silent moan when his tongue sneaks out to flick and tease me all the way down to my crease. Air leaves my lungs in a hot rush when he dips it inside, laving my clit with the pointed tip of his tongue.

“Unh.” I can’t help the sound that escapes. I can’t hold it in for one more second.

As he massages me, Rogan runs his palms up the insides of my thighs, urging me to spread them for him. So I do, opening me up to more of his fiery mouth. He licks me in long strokes, nearing my entrance, but not giving me the satisfaction of feeling him there.

Just when I’m begi

And then he stops.

I’m panting, my body tense and achy, as Rogan stands to his feet in front of me. “Not yet, baby. Not yet.”

With my wanting eyes glued to him, Rogan pulls his own T-shirt over his head. In the low light pouring through the door from the living room, his muscles flex like malleable bronze. My fingers tingle with the need to touch the satin skin covering them.

His biceps twitch and the ropy muscles of his forearms glide as he works the numerous buttons on his jeans. I can’t take my eyes away. As he bends to push them down his legs, I see his abs contract. And when he stands, straight and tall and naked before me, they relax and I see what lies south of them. He takes my breath away. Literally.

I feel lightheaded as I look over Rogan. I’ve never seen anything more perfect. I’ve seen a few bits and pieces, but the whole package . . . displayed all at once . . . just for me . . . it’s overwhelming.

With curious, reverent hands, I reach out to test the smooth skin of his broad chest, to cup his rounded pecs, to palm his rigid stomach. When I reach his hips, I drop down to my knees in front of him, amazed by the sheer beauty and size of him. His erection is as long and thick and strong as the rest of him. Straight and perfect.