Their Forever Family: Her Family for Keeps / A Father for Poppy / His Little Christmas Miracle. Abigail Gordon

man get close enough emotionally to her to say them. She’d always run before she could be disappointed. Could she let Duncan past the barriers she’d erected and held so firm?

      “I had a boyfriend in college who I loved dearly. When I finally told him about my family, he broke up with me. Said he couldn’t deal with someone who might die at any moment.”

      “He was an idiot to let you go. And it was probably just an excuse.” He reached for her mug and set it aside on the table with his. “Well, it’s been a long day. Why don’t I see you upstairs, and we’ll call it a night, then?”

      After removing the Pendleton blanket and setting it aside, he took a look at her, let his gaze wander down over her body, and sighed. Reluctantly, she allowed him to lead her up the curving staircase to the gallery. She stopped at the third door. “This is where Lupe put me, I think.”

      “It’s a nice room.” He led the way inside and tugged on her hand, then shut the door.

      From the inside.

      “Duncan? What are you doing?” She paused, her gaze questioning. She was blossoming right in front of him, opening and tremulous. She was like a new angel just getting her wings.

      “Rebel.” He stepped closer, his mind and his body aching to touch her, but this was a moment of great importance. If he scared her, if he hurt her, there would never be any turning back. “Let me stay with you tonight.” He urged her closer. “Let me hold you tonight and let what happens between us happen.” He tilted her face up. “It’s been happening since we met, and I don’t want to let go of it, of you.”

      He could see the pulse in her neck thrumming away and his heart raced at a similar pace. He wanted her without a doubt, his body was aching and hard already. But could she accept the intimacy of baring her soul and her skin in one night?

      “Duncan.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her face against his hand, allowing herself to accept him in small measures. Their bodies were millimeters away from each other. Her fragrance and the electricity surging between them were almost overwhelming. He had to pace himself or he’d frighten her more than she already was. “I don’t know what to say.”

      “Say you want to make love with me tonight.”

       CHAPTER NINE

      WHEN HE CUPPED his hands around her face and tilted it up to his, she didn’t resist. She couldn’t. How could she resist the one right thing that had happened to her? This moment, this time, this man were all perfect. Pushing away thoughts that she didn’t deserve this, deserve Duncan or to be loved fiercely, she brought her hands to his shoulders and hung on.

      There was a change in him, a tuning in, a focus that was intense and overpowering. A chain reaction occurred in her, and she was on fire.

      With impatient hands, he whisked the black sweatshirt off, over her head, baring her upper half.

      “Wow. I hadn’t expected that.”

      “What?” Her breasts weren’t big, but they did the job.

      “I expected a sensible white bra, not gorgeous pink nipples with nothing covering them.” His thumb strayed to tease one.

      “I was wearing a sensible white bra, but it was wet and I didn’t want to put it back on.” There was no way to hide the flush that covered her entire body.

      Watching her face, he cupped both of her breasts in his hands and stroked her nipples. Tingles of desire raged through her, and her eyelids dropped. She didn’t know if she was going to live through this night, but if she didn’t, at least she’d die happy.

      “I would like to extrapolate on that idea.”

      “Uh…What?” She was nearly delirious with desire, and he was talking theories?

      “Since you aren’t wearing a bra, I’m guessing you aren’t wearing panties either.” His right hand explored beneath the waistband and discovered nothing but skin. “I thought so.”

      “What?” Brain function minimal. Comprehension vague.

      “You are a woman full of secrets.” He leaned closer, his breath hot in her ear. “At first look, one would never guess there’s such a sexy, passionate woman hidden inside you.”

      She was about to tell him there wasn’t when she realized it might true. At least when she was in his arms. He kissed her deeply, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, wanting to draw him inside herself.

      Duncan eased her onto the bed and pulled off her sweatpants. Now, naked, anxiety began to surge, and her breath burned in her lungs.

      Bouncing up onto her knees, she was about to call the whole thing off when Duncan dragged his shirt off and popped the button of his jeans. His eyes glowed with want for her. She wanted to touch him, feel his skin, put aside any uncertainty of tomorrow and just live in the moment. When her palms touched his chest, all thought of leaving fled.

      This was where she needed to be and in this man’s arms.

      “Rebel,” he said, gently holding her face, “let’s enjoy right now and let the rest of the world just go away for a while.”

      There was no need for an answer as his mouth covered hers and plundered. Hot and wet, his kiss took away her breath and her control. Eagerly, she shoved his jeans down over his hips, exposing more of that tawny skin she wanted against her.

      Easing her back, Duncan covered her body with his, pressing her down into the cottony softness of the bedding. He slid one knee between hers and parted them gently. The movement gave her the opportunity to feel how hot and hard he was. Kisses ranged everywhere, and he suckled her nipples into intense peaks, hard and tingling with desire. She was on fire. Duncan was both the cause and the cure.

      When his hand roamed over her hip and downward to the core of her, she instinctively parted her thighs, giving him greater access. Shyness had no place here. He released her nipple from his mouth and blazed a hot trail of kisses across her ribs and down past her abdomen.

      She was the beauty of his dreams. Soft, luscious and passionate. Each stroke of her body, each restless moan that escaped her throat urged him on closer to that moment when he joined with her, when he was able to let go, to let her take him away. Moving downward, he nuzzled his way to the apex of her thighs. This was what he wanted.

      When his hot mouth opened over her core, she stiffened, the sensations taking her to a completely new level of arousal. Her hands dropped to the bedding and clutched it in tight fists. Suddenly, her body wasn’t her own, and she allowed him to do with her anything he wanted.

      When Duncan knew she was his, he dove upward and kissed her long and luxuriously, exploring with his tongue. He wanted to know every part of her.

      Opening her legs wider, he allowed the tip of his erection to ease into her. She was a delicate thing, and he didn’t want to hurt her in any way. But he was trembling inside, eager to be inside her, eager to feel her heat all around him.

      The demands of his body were growing impatient as he eased inside her slick sheath. Waiting for her body to accommodate to his was sexual torture. Sweat popped out all over him, straining with the effort to control himself.

      “Duncan.” She breathed his name, and that was all he needed. He kissed her and was lost. He didn’t know if he was falling in love with her, but he was definitely smitten when her arms went around him and she clutched his back, her legs raised to wrap around him.

      Easing in and out of her was a pleasure he’d never expected. Liquid fire encased his body and was about to take over his mind. Unable to control the sensations Duncan roused in her, Rebel gave up and let the feelings take her under. The sparks that had begun at his first kiss now raged through her and spiraled to an explosion within.

      Spasms of pleasure rocked her. As