Or staring—the tattoos on his arms and back are things I want to understand.To learn and embed into my mind.
He pulls back just long enough to lift my shirt over my head, tossing it somewhere behind him before his hands are on me again, spanning my ribs, my waist, his thumbs sweeping over my skin like he wants every inch of me to vibrate with pleasure.It’s so damn close.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he rasps, raking his lower lip through his teeth.“I swear to God, Ace…”
I don’t let him finish.
I crash my mouth to his, swallowing whatever words he was about to say.
He groans, sinking against me again, his body pressing me into the mattress, his weight settling exactly where I want it—where Ineedit.But there are still too many clothes in the way.My legs wrap around him, my fingers scraping down his back, and fuck—he shudders.
“Jesus Christ,” he groans.“You’re gonna kill me.”
“Then die happy,” I tease.
He drops his head against my shoulder, sucking in a sharp breath.
I laugh, but it cuts off into a moan as he presses a hot, open-mouthed kiss to the hollow of my throat.
“I’m trying tosurviveover here, Ace,” he mutters, voice rough.“But you’re making it really fucking hard.”
I bite my lip, smug despite how wrecked I already feel.“Poor baby.”
“Baby?”He raises a brow, like I just issued a challenge.“Oh, you’re gonna regret that.”
Ishould.But when his mouth trails lower, when his tongue flicks over the peak of my breast through my bra, when his teeth scrape just enough to send heat spiraling through me—I can’t regretanything.
I can’t even think.
I whimper, and his chuckle is low, smug, vibrating against my skin.
I slide my hand down, stroking him in my palm.He feels so good—just enough girth and length to make me quiver with anticipation.
His head snaps up, his eyes blazing.The groan that follows lights up every nerve in my body.
“Fuck, Anna.”His hips twitch into my hand, a shudder rolling through his whole body.“You reallyaretrying to kill me, aren’t you you?”
I smirk, tightening my grip just to torture him.“Thought you could handle me, rockstar?”
His eyes darken.
“Oh,I can handle you.”He grabs my wrist, stopping me.“But if you keep doing that, you’re not getting what you really want.”
My stomach clenches.
He smirks.“That’s what I thought.”
I arch up, meeting him, desperate for more.
His laughter is short, almost strained, but his lips are on my throat before I can say anything else.His teeth scrape just enough to send a full-body shiver rolling through me.
I don’t know how long we stay like this, tangled together, exploring, discovering.The world outside this room doesn’t exist.The years apart don’t exist.The walls I spent so long building have already crumbled, and Ilet them.
I’m so ready to let him have every piece of me.
Because he’s always had them anyway.
Joel stills above me, his forehead resting against mine for a beat, his breath uneven.