Page 66 of Speechless

Connor chuckled and cupped her face in both hands. “That means I want to see them, Jenna. All that green virtue showing me your thoughts and feelings. Your eyes make me happy, baby. I love your eyes.”

She squirmed in embarrassment.

“I love you, Jenna.” Connor’s eyebrow flicked up when she gaped at him. “Have you not seen it, all this time, baby? Time’s been skewed for us. We’ve only known each other for a matter of weeks, but the time we’ve spent together…falling in love with you in that time is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”

Her lower lip trembled; Connor smoothed the quiver with his thumb. “How can you love me when you know what I’ve done?”

He lowered his forehead to hers, needing the connection. “Baby, I love you because of who you are. All you’ve done is do as you’ve been told, under duress. At this point in time, there’s nothing that could stop me loving you.”

Jenna sobbed once, leaned forward to hook her arms around his neck. Her mouth touched his tentatively, asking permission he readily gave. She gasped when his hands slid up into her hair, fisted gently, tipped her head back. “You really mean it?”

Connor nodded slowly, understanding she’d need to hear it often. That was fine by him—he’d tell her every damn day, hourly if needs be. All his life, he’d known he’d been loved. His parents had shown him and his brothers without fail how much they adored their three sons, and while his father had been more reticent with the words, his mother had not.

Jenna didn’t have that memory trail. Until she unlocked the abyss where she’d hidden her past, all she knew was what Sire had given her. So, they would start afresh. Build new memories, set the foundations of a new life together and, he hoped, forge something strong enough to keep her with him when her family came forward.

“I love you, Jenna,” he repeated solemnly, enforcing the words with every ounce of what he had inside him for her.

Her eyes glowed with hope and, yes, love. He’d seen both emotions often enough in the mirror when he thought of her to recognize the same in her. It took confidence to say it, so he wasn’t too concerned she hadn’t said it in return, but it was written all over her face.

The face he wanted to marry, the woman he needed a life with.

“I love you, too.” She bit her lip, gave him a watery smile. “Would you kiss me now?”

It had been far too long since he’d been happy in a relationship. Even Louisa hadn’t inspired this level of rapture inside him—not the first time in bed, not the first time she submitted to him…not in the entirety of their one-sided commitment.

Jenna encouraged him to be a better man just by existing. His needs came secondary to hers, always. Her happiness, her welfare, could be nothing but his only priority, and he found that sent his dominant side into an almost comatose sense of peace.

“Do you want me to kiss you?” he teased, tracing her now-pouting lips with a fingertip. “Seems like that would make this kind of official.”

“I want official. I want you.”

Not yet, he reprimanded himself. She didn’t mean it that way. Wasn’t ready for himthat way. But if he couldn’t claim her physically, he’d damn well make love to her mouth. He’d dreamed of her mouth, hadn’t been satisfied with the small samples he’d already stolen.

Gorging himself wasn’t wrong, right?

Because as his mouth feasted on hers, it felt really, really right.

Jenna moaned into him, eyes closed, lips moving hesitantly over his as she tried to follow his lead. Connor coaxed her, beckoned her deeper into the kiss with tongue and teasing nips of his teeth.

His cock strained against the zipper, eager to join the union.

Jenna’s hips rocked, urging a growling groan from the depths of his chest. He dropped his hands to her waist, kneading carefully, to keep himself from pulling her down harder, grinding her on his erection for relief.

Christ knew he needed some relief from the ache she created.

She whimpered, hardening the ache into pain. The slim form beneath his shirt vibrated with subtle shivers, her breathing coming in fast, shallow pants. She grew braver with her hands, touching him as a man for the first time, her fingers skimming over his shoulders, down his chest as her hips danced.

Desire clouded his judgement, tried damn hard to convince him to just slide his hands under the hem of the shirt, whip it off and away. Let her ride him naked so he could admire her body, slide his hand between those slim thighs and discover heaven.

He’d happily die to achieve satisfaction.

With no small regret, Connor banished visions of hauling her over to the couch, laying her down, and ravishing her. Too soon, too easy to test her trust like that.

Plus, he’d like a bit more control over his base instincts before he had her under him. When she responded so eagerly, so fucking innocently, it was difficult to remember she was untouched. He couldn’t promise he wouldn’t plunder as well as pleasure.

Arousal did beautiful things to her skin. She glowed like a wildfire, pretty pink with a sweep of darker rose across her cheekbones. Her eyes were huge, dilated and glassy, and blissful.

“More?” She gave him a sweet smile, reinforcing his decision.