Under His Protection by Karen Erickson

her.
    “Take me to my bedroom,” she whispered and
he didn’t hesitate at her invitation. He lifted her with ease by
gripping her bottom with his hands, giving a grunt of satisfaction
when she wrapped her long legs around him.
    She clung to him as he carried her back to
the bedroom, her soft body pressed to his, her breasts nudging
against his chest. He couldn’t wait to set those lush tits free,
cup them in his hands, suck on her nipples until she was writhing
with pleasure.
    Sweat broke out on his forehead and he
gritted his teeth, grasping desperately for a shred of control.
Loosening his hold on her, she slithered down his body, her every
curve brushing against him, making him hard, making him groan.
    A smile curved her too tempting mouth and
she backed up until she bumped against the edge of the bed. She
tugged at the hem of her black sweater, yanked it over her head
before she tossed it to the ground. Standing before him in just her
jeans and a black lacy bra, she was his every lust-fueled fantasy
come to life.
    “Are you going to join me?” She offered a
little pout, her lush mouth spiking his temperature by about a
hundred degrees. “I need your help, Mason. I can’t do this
alone.”
    Her voice, the words she spoke were all he
needed to hear. Taking a step toward her, and then another, he
rested his hands on her hips, the tips of his fingers biting into
her flesh. Wanting to feel, wanting to savor, desperate to
linger.
    “You’re not alone, Blake. God, you’re
gorgeous like this,” he breathed, his gaze locked on the rapid rise
and fall of her breasts. Her breath came at an accelerated pace and
she trembled everywhere he touched her.
    Was she nervous? He sure as hell was. He
didn’t want to screw this up, knew the risk he was taking by having
sex with Blake.
    For the first time in a long time, it felt
like a risk worth taking.

Chapter Seven

    Mason’s hands felt amazing on her bare skin
and the fierce look on his face stole her breath. Blake watched
helplessly as one hand moved to the front of her jeans, long,
skilled fingers undoing the snap before they slid down the zipper.
He peeled the fabric open, his fingers splaying across her lower
belly and she quivered with anticipation.
    “So soft.” His other hand tugged the
waistband of her jeans down, exposing her to his gaze. A fresh gush
of wetness dampened her panties even more when she saw the way he
looked at her. “Beautiful.”
    Oh, God, the way he spoke, the way he looked
at her. This was the moment she’d been waiting for. Finally, she’d
know Mason intimately, take him as her lover.
    Her earlier bravado and eagerness
disappeared in a flash. He made her nervous. So incredibly nervous,
her entire body began to shake.
    Despite her image, the many men she was seen
with, Blake hadn’t had many lovers. She’d always been wary of their
motives. Most of the men she met were too dazzled by her father,
even before he was the vice president.
    Having this virile man in front of her,
eyeing her like she was a giant piece of candy he couldn’t wait to
gobble up, was almost intimidating. And the more she thought about
it, the worse it became. She breathed deep, desperate to calm her
racing heart, her whirling mind.
    Blake glanced up, her gaze meeting his and
the fire she saw burning in his eyes made her dizzy with need. This
was no silly party boy she was toying with, ultimately landing in
her bed.
    Mason Russell was a man. A passionate, in
control man and she suddenly realized she had no idea what she was
doing.
    No idea what she was in for.
    “Take off your jeans.” His deep voice
brooked no argument and she did as he commanded, shucking the jeans
as quickly as she could, though her feet became tangled in them and
she nearly fell over.
    Reaching out he stabilized her, his fingers
wrapped tight around her arm as she kicked off the jeans and she
wanted to die of embarrassment. Why couldn’t she be her usual cool
and flippant self? Why couldn’t she