Page 26 of Keeping Caroline

With his eyes still on mine, darkened by desire, he slid my panties down my legs, settling between them. I reached for him, but he caught my hands, pinning them above my head.

“Not yet. Let me taste you first, Superwoman. I need you back on my tongue.”

Then he was on me, tongue teasing and tasting, pushing me higher and higher. After the time we spent on the mountain lookout, he knew enough about my body to know every place that brought me pleasure, and he lavished them all with attention. I twisted beneath him, tension coiling tighter and tighter, release hovering just out of reach.

When he increased his suction, focusing all his attention on my clit, I shattered, crying out as ecstasy flooded my veins. He gentled his touch once I’d fallen over the edge, easing me through the aftershocks until I lay limp on the rug, heart pounding.

Before I had even come back down to earth, Tristan lifted me into his arms, carrying me down the hall to my bedroom. I nestled against his chest, sated yet craving more.

When we got into my bedroom, the moon was the only light as it filtered in through the window. He laid me on the bed, following me down to cover my body with his. I wrapped my legs around his waist, urging him closer, gasping as he slid inside me an inch, but Tristan was impossibly large, so taking him all the way was a slow process.

“You’re so fucking big, hacker.”

Hooking his arm around my back, he chuckled as he rolled onto his back, leaving me to straddle his hips—giving me control. I braced my hands on his chest, leaning down to kiss him as I rolled my hips to take him deeper. With every inch that stretched me more than should have been normal, I hissed, legs trembling. “You can take it, baby. You took it all the way already tonight.”

The corner of his lips lifted in a smug grin as his hands gripped my waist and he braced my weight, helping guide me up and down on his length. My head fell back as his massive cock invaded every empty space inside me, claiming it as his own. When I looked back down, our gazes locked, breaths mingling, and the affection I saw in his eyes was painfully raw. In that moment, with pleasure making even my face tingle, I gave myself over to him, and when release came, it was shattering in its sweetness.

Chapter 17

The Phoenix

Tristan’s breath was warm against my neck when I woke up the following morning with his arm draped over my waist, our legs tangled together under the sheets. It should have been comforting, but it only amplified the thrumming guilt gnawing at the edge of my conscience as I realized we had crossed a line we could never uncross. In the light of morning the fog cleared, and Daniel’s face flashed in my mind, sending a sharp pang of betrayal straight through me.

“Morning,” Tristan murmured, his voice raspy and thick with sleep as he tightened his grip around me.

“Good morning,” I whispered back, forcing the words out through the tight knot in my throat.

“Did you sleep well?” His hazel eyes met mine, searching for more than what he was asking.

“Um, yes,” I lied, not wanting to admit that I had woken up at some point in the middle of the night, questioning everything I knew about love and loyalty. After three years, the ghost of my late husband still lingered, a silent witness to my indiscretions, and I didn’t know how to make it leave so I could move on.

“Good.” Smiling softly, he pressed a gentle kiss on my forehead. “I’m gonna take a shower, if that’s okay.”

I nodded, forcing a smile to cross my lips even though I didn’t know if it was real. “Of course. Make yourself at home.”

I couldn’t help but watch him as he walked to the bathroom, the lean muscles of his back moving gracefully beneath his skin as he disappeared behind the door. There was a lot I didn’t know, but I couldn’t deny how attractive he was, and how much I craved his touch.

With Tristan gone, I pulled the sheets tighter around me, trying to make sense of my conflicting emotions. Was it so wrong to feel so drawn to him when my heart still ached for Daniel? My thoughts swirled like an unforgiving tempest, offering no solace or resolution.

But as much as I tried to resist it, there was no denying that Tristan had awakened something within me—something that had lain dormant since Daniel’s passing. It scared me, but at the same time, I couldn’t ignore the comfort and connection I felt with him.

As the sound of water cascading in the shower reached my ears, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to breathe, but I didn’t remain there long, not with the text from Scarlett saying that Evie was asking to go home and play with the kitty.

So, although I would’ve liked to stay curled up in bed longer, I slid out of bed, pulled on some tights and a shirt, and headed out into the main living area. I needed time to process what had happened between us. How much time? I wasn’t sure. I just needed…time.

When I entered the kitchen, I spotted Houdini beneath the table, but he popped up as I walked in, curling around my ankles. “Good morning, you little magician.” Reaching down, I scratched behind his ear. His appreciative purrs brought a smile to my face even when my heart was hurting. “Let’s get you fed.”

With the black cat following my every move as if he was silently urging me to hurry up, or judging me like I was judging myself, I opened a can of his food and set the plate on the ground.

Once Houdini was eating his meal and the coffee dripped, I leaned against the counter, my heart falling back into the tangle of emotions stirring inside me. I stood there for a moment as I listened to the sound of the shower down the hall, my mind spinning as I tried to process the conversation Tristan and I needed to have. Yet, the thought of discussing it with him filled me with apprehension, as if uttering the words would make the situation all too real. The worst part was that the sex had been great—impossibly so. There was incredible chemistry between us, and his willingness to put himself in the line of fire for my family was something most people would die for. There were so many reasons for me to explore something deeper with Tristan, but my damn heart... I just didn’t know if I was ready.

The coffee maker gurgled as I cracked eggs into a pan, my thoughts churning endlessly. I had sacrificed everything to keep Evie safe, including my own happiness. How could one night with Tristan unravel all my resolve?

“I’m sorry, Daniel,” I whispered, just in case he could still hear me. “I never meant for this to happen.” The words echoed hollowly in the empty kitchen, a vain attempt to assuage my guilt. But it was too late for apologies. I had opened the floodgates, and there was no going back. The only question was whether I would drown in the deluge or find a way to stay afloat in the churning sea of emotions Tristan had awakened in me.

The floorboards creaked behind me and I tensed, my heart leaping into my throat. I didn’t dare turn around, afraid of what I might see in Tristan’s eyes. His bare feet padded across the kitchen tiles, coming to a stop a few feet away from me. Avoiding looking at him, I kept my gaze fixed on the eggs, pushing them around the pan.

The silence stretched between us, fragile and tenuous, as if the wrong word might shatter it into a million pieces. I swallowed hard, acutely aware of his presence behind me. His scent enveloped me, sandalwood mixed with the scent of body wash, evoking memories of our night together that I now longed to forget, because I didn’t know how else to forgive myself.

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