The plea, so soft and trusting, destroys me. Seeing her so innocent, so beautiful, so mine, taking every inch of me so perfectly makes me want to lose my mind. The careful control I’ve been clinging to snaps.
I loop an arm under her back with one arm and steady myself above her with the other. Her gasp is sharp in my ear as Ibegin to move harder, my thrusts deepening, finding a rhythm that is less about gentleness and more about pure, desperate connection. The slick, hot friction is unbelievable. Her tight, perfect pussy is strangling my cock with every drive forward.
Her whimpers remain filled with slight pain, each one fueling me, driving me closer to the edge. I know she’ll ask me to stop if it hurts too much, so I allow myself to lose everything I am in her. “Jude,” she pants, her nails scoring my back, branding me.Ugh, my girl. I fucking love her.
The coil in my gut pulls tight, a searing heat spreading from my core. I bury my face in her neck, my thrusts becoming harder. “Ugh, fuck, baby…”
Her answer is to clutch me tighter, her legs locking around me, holding me deep as my release tears through me. I groan as I empty myself into her, my entire body shuddering with the force of it.
I collapse on top of her, the weight of me probably crushing her, but she doesn’t complain. Her hands come up, stroking my damp hair and my back. We lie there for a long moment, just breathing.
Slowly, I lift my head. Her eyes are closed, but she’s smiling. I brush a stray strand of hair from her forehead. I can feel her body shaking beneath mine, and when her eyes flutter open, they’re warm and clear. She doesn’t say a word. She just cups my cheek and pulls me down into a deep kiss, one that tastes of us, and of a future that is full of so much promise.
“Are you okay, baby?” I ask, pulling away to look at her pretty face.
She nods. “Yeah, I’m okay. Still kind of hurts though.”
I ease myself out carefully, her nails biting into my arms. “Do you need anything?”
“I need you to not fall asleep on top of me,” she replies playfully.
“Too late,” I snort laying my head on her shoulder, eyes half closed. “You’re too comfortable.” I force myself to roll away from her, my muscles screaming in protest. The cool air of the room hits my sweat-slicked back, sending a sudden shiver racing down my spine. I prop myself on an elbow, my gaze instantly, instinctively, drawn downward to see a stark, crimson smear against the soft skin of her inner thigh. The sight is a physical blow to my gut.I did that.I knew it was inevitable, butseeingthe evidence, the visceral proof of the pain I’d caused her...it makes me feel terrible.
“Shit,” I rasp. “God, Em. I’m so sorry.”
A small, tender smile touches her kiss-swollen lips. She shifts, wincing only slightly, and lifts a hand. Her fingers, so much softer and smaller than mine, find my cheek. “Look at me.”
I force my eyes from the damning evidence on her thigh to her face. Her expression holds no accusation, no regret. Only a profound, startling peace.
“I wanted this,” she whispers, her thumb stroking my cheekbone. “I wantedyou. All of you.” She takes a shaky breath, her gaze holding mine. “I’m so grateful it was you. I love you, Jude.”
Her sincere words make my heart squeeze.She’s mine. She gave herself to me, and she’s grateful for it.
Before I can form a coherent thought, she leans forward and presses her lips to mine. A low groan vibrates in my chest. My arm snakes around her back, so careful not to hurt her, and I pull her gently against me. I kiss her, pouring every ounce of my relief, my awe, my devastating need for her into it.
Our kiss deepens, lazily now, without the frantic urgency of before. My hand slides from her back, over the delicious curve of her hip, and down. I avoid the tender junction between her legs, my palm skating along the outside of her thigh. I feel hershudder against me, a full-body tremor that has nothing to do with pain.
“I love you, too,” I declare softly against her lips. My fingers trail through her slit, not seeking entry, just tracing. I feel her muscles clench instinctively at the proximity, and she lets out another soft, sharp gasp.
“Jude…”
“I know,” I murmur against her skin, kissing my way down her sternum. “I know. Just let me…” I don’t finish the sentence. I don’t have the words. I just need to worship this body I’ve claimed. I need to replace the memory of pain with nothing but pleasure.
So I rub her clit softly, careful not to hurt her. And when she comes for me again, I’m whispering praises and kissing her throat. She laughs quietly and kisses my collarbone, and that sleepy sound becomes the last thing I remember before everything fades into warmth.
~*~
When I blink back into the present, it’s like surfacing too fast. The room is dark except for the faint glow of the moon pouring in through the window. Micah’s asleep, snoring softly.
My heart’s still racing. My lips still tingle. I run a hand over my face and stare up at the ceiling. For a second, IswearI can smell that vanilla lotion again and the faintest trace of coconut shampoo. The way she looked at me after her first time…
I swallow hard. “God, Em…” I whisper into the quiet. “You have no idea how much I miss that version of us.” I turn onto my side, eyes burning, and try to breathe past the ache in my chest. It’scrazy to think I was ever that gentle with someone.
Adriana and Nolan show up first fucking thing. Nolan’s got coffee in hand. Her perfume hits before I’m even really awake, sweet and heavy, crawling into my lungs like poison. It pisses me off on reflex. Micah reaches over and mutes the TV. The way he sinks back against the headboard tells me he’s already bracing for whatever this is.
“Morning, boys.” Nolan grins, tossing Micah a water bottle, then one at me. “Big weekend coming up.”
I glance up from the sketchbook in my lap. We’ve barely moved since waking up—just sprawled here, killing time. “Yeah. What’s the plan this time?”