I held on with every ounce of willpower I had, but I couldn’t stop what was happening. “I’m going to come,” I groaned. The sensation crept up the backs of my thighs, overtaking me despite my efforts to hold it back.
“Yes,” she cried, still convulsing. “Come on me.”
I withdrew and before I could even reach down to get control of the situation, I came hard and fast. My vision blurred as I spilled my release all over her stomach and the underside of her breasts.
“You marked me,” she said, giggling. “With your syrup. And your”—she giggled—“semen.”
I flushed bright red. Shit, I suddenly felt like a dirty deviant. And I loved it. More than loved it.
I would have never admitted that I was that kind of man. The type who wanted to possess and mark a woman. Fuck her and come all over to make her mine.
But here we were. And I had no regrets.
“Let me get you cleaned up.” I pulled my jeans up and buckled my belt.
All I had was paper towels, and though I worried the paper would be harsh against her skin, she didn’t complain as I wiped her down.
“I need a shower. To get rid of this evidence.” She giggled again, lighter and happier than I’d ever seen her.
Once I’d helped her into her leggings and pulled her sweatshirt over her head, we stood face-to-face, staring at one another goofily, unable to form words.
“I want—” She snapped her mouth shut. “Sorry.” She shook her head and sighed adorably. Eyes closed, she inhaled deeply. “I can’t even talk. Whatever you just did to me? I think it altered my brain chemistry.”
As if that didn’t fill me with pride.
“I want to say things,” she continued. “Serious things. Important things.”
I leaned down and kissed her. “Tomorrow,” I said. “Go home and shower. I’ll walk you.”
“Yes. Tomorrow. Come over in the morning. We can talk. And… I don’t know. Plan.”
Those words unlocked a hope that I’d long ago buried deep in my chest. Plans. Hope of a future. A deep and real and permanent one. One we’d earned together.
Chapter 40
Josh
Ihad to keep myself from running to Celine’s house this morning. As happy as I was, my nerves were on edge. It had nothing to do with her and everything to do with how much I had to lose. Because hope, as I was quickly learning, was its own kind of risk.
Things had changed yesterday. There was certainty now. The knowledge that this was real.
I gently knocked on the door and was met by a sleepy Celine holding a mug of coffee.
She offered it to me and I took a sip before handing it back.
“Morning,” I said, unable to hide my smile.
“Morning. Kids are still sleeping. I’m going to let them stay home today.”
“What about you? Do you have a sub?”
“Yes. I took today off as well in case things didn’t go the way I hoped and I needed time to recover.”
I wrapped my arms around her, anguish that it was even a possibility running through me.
“I’m so proud of you.” I kissed the top of her head.
“Anyway. I’m going to call the school. Figured I would let the kids do whatever today. Maybe we’ll bake or play games or build a Lego set. I just want to be with them. Soak this up.”