Page 4 of Thorns

“Do you want to go?”

She considered this for an instant that felt like a hundred years. Part of her wanted to leave, if only because she already felt like she’d asked too much of him. But with every second she spent in his presence, she needed more.

“No,” she said, surprised by how firmly the word came out.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, one hand resting at the small of her back and the other reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear gently. She stared at him, watching as he followed the motion of her hair with his eyes and then returned his focus to her face. His gaze passed over her lips, and his grip on her back tightened as his other hand rested on her shoulder and drew her to him.

His lips crashed into hers, and all at once, her hesitation evaporated. She pressed as close as she could, molding her body to his as she kissed him hungrily, desperately. He lifted her from the floor, and she locked her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. As he carried her to the bed, the rational part of her mind screamed at her that she should stop this, stop herself from getting lost in him, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull even an inch away.

Oh, how she’d missed him.

He laid her down, and his fingers skimmed up her legs, raising goosebumps on their path to the hem of her shirt. She pressed her nails just slightly into his shoulders, encouraging him. Her skin burned beneath the touch of his fingers as they brushed her hips, and then the contact was gone, leaving her aching for it to return. He made quick work of her shirt, tossing it to the floor when he’d pulled it up over her head, and she mentally cursed herself for forgetting to remove her bra when she’d gone to bed. Still, the sight of Luke staring at her chest and the white lacy garment covering it sent another hot jolt of desire through her.

Rose gripped his hand and laid it on her breast, groaning when he squeezed. His lips returned to hers, and he kissed her so hard it stung, but she only wanted more. She tightened her legs around his waist and rocked against him. He groaned roughly, and she let out a breathy sigh at the feeling of his hardness pressed to her through her underwear.

She lost herself in the sensation of his lips as they moved down her neck, his breath and his touch setting her every nerve ending on fire. She barely registered it when he removed her bra—all she could think about was the heat of his body against hers and the way she ached for more.

Rose let out a low stream of moans, her hands twisting tightly into Luke’s hair as his mouth covered the bare skin of her breasts in kisses and bites too soft to hurt her but just hard enough to drive her crazy. She couldn’t believe that hours earlier, she’d shown up on his doorstep in the cold and the rain. Now, she was elated and safe and even felt loved again as her breath grew steadily more ragged with his teasing.

His hands ran along her waist, and when she trembled at his touch, he brought them slowly inward, rubbing lightly over her stomach and ribs. Luke began to kiss downward, trailing his lips over her stomach and making her shudder once more before leaning up to kiss her forcefully. She laid her hands on his cheeks to keep him as close as she could, and her breath hitched as he slipped a hand between her legs, stroking her slowly through the lace of her underwear. Her body twitched, aching for his touch and for it to reach deeper, and she nibbled his lip. He tasted like coffee and mint.

He shifted her underwear slightly to the side to brush his fingers over her flesh, and she groaned, giving his hair a tug, which elicited a growl from him in reply. She tingled and ached with need at the touch of his fingers, and as he gave her clit a firm rub, she pulled her mouth back to gasp for air.

“Oh—Luke,” Rose panted.

He chuckled darkly, continuing to rub her in a tight circle.

Rose moaned, reaching up to grab his face and pull his lips back to hers and kiss him hard. As his fingers worked, his other hand drifted up to her breast, and she made no attempt to stifle the lusty little noises erupting from her throat at his movements. She rocked against his hand as she twisted her own into his hair once again to grip it hard.

He swallowed her moans, which increased in volume and frequency as the delicious heat within her lower half continued to build with her exhilaration and pleasure as he brought her closer to the edge. At last, Rose’s control shattered with a sharp groan that would have been much louder had most of it not been lost against Luke’s lips. Pleasure flooded through her. She gave his hair an involuntary tug as she held still to revel in the moment and regain her bearings, her chest heaving.

Luke removed his fingers slowly, his lips caressing hers for several moments longer before he pulled back, she assumed, to let her breathe. She looked up at him with a hazy smile, and he grinned, resting his forehead against hers.

“How’re you feeling?” he muttered.

She pulled him closer and kissed him again in reply.

Supporting himself with his forearms on either side of her, Luke lowered his body nearer to hers, letting his chest meet her breasts. She shivered as she felt the warmth of his skin against hers and the firmness of his muscles, and she smiled into his lips, her hand brushing lightly down over his stomach and along the waistband of his pants.

He groaned softly into her mouth, his hand moving up to caress and knead her breast. She let out a little pleased noise at his hand’s work and slipped her own beneath his waistband to press against his length.

He groaned once again, rocking a bit into her hand. “Careful, now...”

“Why?” she breathed, her fingers stroking his hardness with practiced skill.

“You’ll get me excited…”

“I already have.” She rubbed him slowly, and he pressed his hips forward, grinding into her hand.

“Mmh... I need you,” he growled, squeezing her breast with one hand as the other unfastened his pants.

“I know. Take me, Luke.” Rose’s voice was little more than a lusty whisper, and she didn’t attempt to hide her desire as she watched him.

“Rose,” Luke growled, working off his underwear and discarding them before nipping at her neck as he worked the lacy material down her legs and tossed the last bit of her clothing aside.

“I need you,” she insisted.

He gripped her hip and pushed into her with a groan. Rose moaned in satisfaction, and he began to rock into her slowly, his breath ragged against the skin of her throat. She ran her hands up his back, her eyes closed as she let out a stream of soft moans and held still to enjoy his movements and the kisses he pressed to her neck.

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