A Texas Soldier's Christmas. Cathy Thacker Gillen

lips covered hers. He kissed her hotly, ardently. Until she kissed him back. Until her arms were wreathed about his neck and there was nothing but need and yearning, and more need...

      He kissed her the way he always kissed her, slowly, purposefully, demanding everything she had to give. Until he wasn’t just taking but giving. Inundating her with the heat of him, his masculine strength. Filling her heart and soul with everything she had ever yearned for. And still the clinch continued. His mouth moving expertly over hers, his arms wrapped tight around her, plastering their bodies together. And lower still, she felt the searing pressure of need. His, hers. And she gave herself over to the thrill of being loved by him once again. Then, finally, when she thought she could bear it no more, he lifted his head. Drew back. Said gruffly, “And the way you just kissed me back says you’ve missed me, too.”

      And then some, Nora thought, trembling.

      “So why don’t we give each other a little early Christmas gift and make love. Here,” he rasped. “And now.”

      * * *

      NORA KNEW ALL the reasons why she should say no. Zane was never going to put her ahead of his commitment to country. He didn’t love her the way she needed to be loved. As if she—and now Liam—were his entire world. And given the fact that he was a soldier first and foremost, he probably never would.

      But she did care very much about him. Always had and always would. And now that he was here with her again, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, all she could think was she needed to make up for all those long, lonely days and nights. Needed to do something to assuage the ever-present fear that something would happen to him and she would never see or be with him again.

      So, if that meant she threw caution to the wind once again and let him into her life for just a little while, then she would. She could worry about being sensible later. When he eventually left Texas again. As she knew, deep down in her soul, that he would.

      * * *

      ZANE HADN’T EXPECTED Nora to give in so easily, but he couldn’t say he minded the enthusiasm she showed as they kissed their way through the downstairs of his A-frame and all the way up the stairs.

      It had been a long time. Too long, since he’d had her in his arms. Too long since he’d felt the sweet give of her lips beneath his, or the soft swell of her breasts nestled against his chest. And it had definitely been too long since he had seen her naked.

      Easing his hands beneath the hem, he lifted her sweater over her head. Her silky camisole top followed. Beneath the lace of her bra, her nipples jutted impudently. A familiar thrill soaring through him, he bent his head to kiss her again and rubbed his thumbs across the crests. His body tightened all the more as he felt her impatience and heard her moan, soft and low in her throat.

      “You next,” she insisted throatily. Unbuttoning his shirt, guiding it off, then tugging his T-shirt over his head, she caught her breath. “This is new.” She kissed an angry red scar on his upper arm.

      And the last time he’d be wounded while participating in a covert military mission, he wanted to promise her. But couldn’t. Not just yet. Not and have her believe him. So instead, he admitted to the injury with a shrug, tugged off her boots, jeans, bra and panties, and tumbled her onto his bed.

      Hand beneath her head, she struck a sexy pose. Grinned and watched him strip down, too. Aware they were probably moving way too fast—as usual—he joined her on the bed. Naked, too. “Now...where were we?” he murmured.

      To his delight, she cupped him in her hand. “Right here, I think...”

      Eager to please her, he shifted her onto her back and slid between her thighs. Kissing his way across her breast and belly, he mused playfully, “I think it might have been here...” Gasping, she clung to him. Determined to make it last, he caught her hips in his hands and went lower still.

      “Oh, Zane...” she whispered, her response honest and passionate and uncompromising.