Bonded

"Nica...look, I don't want to treat you like that, alright? Like a one-night stand. What right do I have to upset your world that way?"

"Gib," exasperation hugged her voice and she found his honor as wonderful as she did infuriating. "Why does it matter if we both want it?" A warning bell tripped in the back of her mind and signaled that her boldness could come back to haunt her. She'd fret over that later. She'd had about all she could stand of relying on herself to douse flames of sexual need that arrived to torment her at the most inopportune moments. This night there was the promise of more and she wanted it.

Gib's dark and devastating face still reflected traces of uncertainty when he leaned close to Nica. Propping her chin on his fist, he used his thumb to outline the shape of her mouth."I don't want to hurt you-" his words silenced when she moved suddenly.

Nica had pushed the comforter down to her waist. "Do I look so fragile to you,...