Page 62 of Redemption

He groans. “Pres.”

I put pressure on his fingers, curling them into my skin. When his calloused palm abrades my nipple, I gasp, but not in pain. “Touch me, Beck.”

Erase my bad memories with some good ones.

Beck nods before slowly running his finger along each curve, down each dip and valley, before circling my areola and repeating the process on the other side. He watches my face the entire time, clearly searching for any signs of distress, which would be incredibly unnerving with any other man. But Beckett Armstrong is no ordinary man. God, the amount of control he’s exerting right now proves that in spades. I know his body is demanding relief, but his concern for me outweighs any physical needs. He may not know why I’m so jumpy, but he’s smart enough to understand how important this moment is.

When he slowly lowers his head and swirls his tongue around my peaked tip, my head falls back on a breathy sigh. I moan shamelessly when he does the same to the other. Beck takes his time, loving on me, reminding me that my entire body is fully capable of pleasure once I get past the roadblock in my mind. When his hand glides down to my sex, toying with that bundle of nerves while he simultaneously creates suction on my nipple, any walls I had remaining are obliterated. Stars burst behind my eyelids as I come apart for the third time under his gentle touch. After the tremors wane, Beckett trails soft kisses along my neck, over my jaw, before once again fusing his mouth to mine. I can taste my arousal on his lips, and for some reason, it only heightens the intimacy of this moment.

Beckett pulls back and wipes some damp hair away from my forehead. “You good?”

“I’m great.” I smile, running my finger down the bridge of his nose, pausing at his lips for a moment. “I never thought I could feel that way again. Who knew being proven wrong would’ve been the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time?”

Beck’s head falls into the crook of my neck. “Presley, you can’t say cryptic shit like that and expect me not to have follow-up questions.”

I run my hand along his back, cursing the shirt he’s wearing. “Beck, you’re wearing too many clothes. I want to feel your bare skin against mine.”

He lifts his head, narrowing his bourbon eyes. “Are you trying to distract me?”

“Depends.” I shrug. “Is it working?”

His lips twitch. “Honey, you’re naked. I’m already distracted. But I still have questions. A shit ton of questions.”

“Not tonight, Beckett.” I reach between us and pull on his belt buckle. “Let me touch you. Feel you. I want to take care of you like you just did for me.”

Beck climbs off the bed and begins unbuckling his belt. “I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but I don’t want you to return the favor. Not because I don’t want you, because, fuckin’ A, honey, I want you, but that’s not what this was about.” He flicks his finger between us as his pants drop to the floor.

“Then, why are you taking your clothes off?”

Beck pulls his shirt off in that sexy one-armed way and tosses it behind him. “Because you asked me to, and I’m not stupid enough to waste an opportunity to be close to you.”

My God, it’s even better than I imagined. All of his muscles seem larger, the ridges on his abdomen are deeper, and the way his waist tapers into that sexy vee makes my mouth water. His legs are strong, defined muscles sculpted by the heavy lifting he does each day. My eyes travel to the erection that’s trying to escape his black boxer briefs, and I lick my lips, thinking about what’s behind that cotton.

He looks to the ceiling for some divine guidance before pointing a stern finger at me. “And that is exactly why I’m keepin’ my underwear on.”

A shocked giggle spills from my lips when I realize what just happened. I was downright ogling the man, thinking about climbing him like a tree.

“You know, it’s not exactly good for a man’s ego when you laugh while he’s standing before you practically naked.”

That makes me even more hysterical, so much so that I’m clutching my side. Before I know what’s happening, Beck’s on top of me, pressing his cotton-covered erection against my core. I moan as it creates another wave of arousal.

Beck curses before falling to my side and yanking the covers over us. “Well, that backfired, didn’t it? It’s late. Go to sleep, Pres.”

I rest my head over his heart, running my fingers through the thin patch of hair on his chest. “What if I don’t want to go to sleep?”

“Tough shit.”

I smother my laughter into his chest. We never did turn on the lights when we came in here. There’s still plenty spilling in from the hallway, but it’s not bothersome enough to get out of bed and flick it off. Despite my earlier sass, I am actually tired, especially after having three mind-blowing orgasms. As I listen to the rhythm of Beck’s heartbeat while he strokes the back of my hair, I drift off into the most restful sleep I’ve had in over a decade.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Presley

I wake to the sounds of Beck moving around in the kitchen. I listen for a few moments, smiling when he curses as the unmistakable smell of burnt food permeates the air. I gather the comforter around my body and pad down the hall to see what he’s up to.

“Good morning. Why didn’t you wake me?”

He smiles. “You looked so warm and cozy under the covers; I didn’t want to disturb you.”

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