Page 49 of Reclaimed Roots

I'd almost forgotten how responsive she was. But it was all coming back now—every touch, every taste, every sigh and moan and gasp.

I could kiss her for hours, for days. Drown in her and never come up for air. But the need for more—to feel her skin against mine, to be inside her—was a living thing, clawing at my gut.

I tore my mouth from hers with a ragged groan and trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses along the column of her throat. She tipped her head back with a gasp, giving me better access. I took advantage, sucking at her pulse point until she was squirming in my lap, her hips rocking against me in search of friction.

"Jas," she breathed. And fuck, the way she said my name—all breathy and needy—nearly undid me.

I knew what she wanted, what we both wanted..But I forced myself to slow down, to savor her. We had time now. We could make up for every lost moment.

And I was gonna do it right this time around.

I eased her back until she was lying in the grass, hair fanned out around her like a dark halo. I braced my weight on my elbows and hovered over her, drinking her in. The flush on her cheeks, the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Theway her eyes glittered up at me, hazy with desire but soft with something deeper. Something that looked a lot like love.

"Natalie." I brushed the hair back from her face with a reverent hand. "My beautiful girl."

Her eyes glistened. She reached up and brushed her thumb over my bottom lip. "Yours," she whispered. "I never stopped being yours."

The words pierced me like shrapnel. God, I wanted that to be true. Wanted it so badly I could taste it.

But we still had a long way to go. A lot to work through.

But in that perfect moment under the stars, none of that mattered. All that existed was her and me, our bodies and hearts reunited. The rest could wait until tomorrow.

I dipped my head to capture her lips again, pouring everything into the kiss. Every ounce of longing, every shred of hope. She met me with equal enthusiasm, arching up to press her body flush against mine.

My fingers slipped beneath the hem of her shirt to stroke the silky skin of her waist. She shivered, a needy moan escaping her lips. The sound shot straight to my aching cock, already painfully hard against the confines of my jeans.

"Jas," she gasped as I kissed along her jaw and down her throat. "Need you. Please."

The desperation in her voice had me tugging at her shirt impatiently. I needed to feel more of her. She sat up just enough for me to whisk it over her head and toss it aside while she unclasped her bra. It joined her shirt in the grass, leaving her naked from the waist up. I took in the delicious sight of her laid out before me, my eyes roaming over acres ofsmooth porcelain skin. Her breasts were small, perfect perky mounds, nipples pebbled in the cool night air. I couldn't resist cupping them in my palms and brushing my thumbs over the sensitive peaks.

"Beautiful," I rasped. "So fucking beautiful."

A pretty pink spread across her chest as she flushed under my heated gaze. She reached for me, and her nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons on my flannel. I shrugged out of it hastily and whipped my t-shirt over my head, letting both fall to the grass.

Her hands mapped the planes of my chest, the ridges of my abs. Sparks of pleasure danced along my nerve endings everywhere she touched.

I crushed my mouth to hers again, kissing her deep and dirty as my hand drifted lower, popping the button on her jeans. She lifted her hips to help me shimmy them down her legs, taking her panties with them.

And fuck, if she wasn't the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen, splayed out naked in the moonlight. A goddess, a siren, a fucking miracle.

I hastily shucked my pants off. All that separated us was the flimsy fabric of my boxer briefs.

"Jasper," she whimpered, hips bucking as I settled between her thighs. I could feel her heat, the slick evidence of her arousal. It took every ounce of control not to just bury myself inside her, to claim her the way my body was screaming to.

But I wanted to savor this. I took my time as I covered her in soft, lingering kisses, on her breasts, her ribcage, thesensitive skin of her inner thighs. Soon she was writhing beneath me, fisting her hands in my hair as she tried to direct me where she needed me most.

"Patience, baby," I murmured, nipping playfully at her hip bone. "I've got you."

And then I put my mouth on her, and the world fell away. There was only Natalie—her taste, her scent, the desperate sounds spilling from her lips as I licked and sucked and teased. Tongue delving deep, I lapped at her slick folds before flicking over her clit in teasing strokes.

"Fuck, Jas," she gasped, hips pushing against my mouth. "Don't stop, please don't stop..."

As if I could. As if anything could tear me away from the heaven between her legs. I doubled down, sucking on her swollen clit as I slid two fingers inside her tight pussy. She clenched around me instantly, drawing me deeper.

"That's it, baby," I mumbled against her skin. "Let go for me. Wanna feel you come on my tongue."

She let out a broken moan, head thrashing on the grass. I curled my fingers just right, stroking that secret spot, and her thighs started to quake.

---