Page 129 of A Better Place

Oh hell. His words! I can’t begin to understand what I did to deserve him or his love, but I’m not going to deny either one of us a second longer. I lick my lips and continue to look deep into his eyes. I frame his face with my hands and pull him close to give him a light kiss. “I love you, James, but I think talking time is over for a little while,” I say, grinning up at him.

“Yes, ma’am.” I see the smirk cover his face just moments before his lips are once again on me, and we fall into a heap on the bed together. We lie down, and he stretches out his long body beside me. He bends his elbow and leans his head on his hand as his other hand makes a figure eight motion on my stomach. I shiver under his soft touch, his fingertips rough against my smooth skin.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs as he bends down and places kisses over my stomach. “So—” Kiss. “—beautiful.” Kiss. “Mine,” he growls as he moves from my lower stomach up toward my chest.

I arch my back in response, and his hand glides under my back to the hook on my bra. He kisses me as his hand works to remove it, both of us laughing against each other as he struggles to blindly undo it.

I press my lips together, suddenly feeling shy and nervous. The last man who saw me naked was Vince, and to say he didn’t necessarily sing my praises would be putting it lightly. I have no idea what to expect, how to react, or how he’ll react.

Finally, my bra comes unhooked, and with swift hands, he removes it, spinning it on his finger a few times before flinging it across the room unceremoniously. A laugh bubbles out of me as he moves to stand up. He pops open the button on his jeans with flair then slides the zipper down. I sit up on my elbows and watch when he turns around and does a circle motion with his hips before pushing his butt out and slowly letting his jeans fall. He looks at me over his shoulder, his eyes twinkling. He bends over and removes his jeans and socks, tossing the denim over his shoulder at me. I giggle, knowing exactly what he’s doing. He’s trying to make me feel comfortable, get me to lighten up, and I’m so grateful.

He crawls onto the bed and up my body so we’re face to face. With fire in his eyes, he kisses me, his tongue plunging into my mouth as his hands leave a blazing trail up to my breast. He lifts his head then moves down, placing soft kisses to my jaw, throat, down to my nipples. “Carly. It’s us,” he says after starting a fire in my belly. “You have nothing to be nervous about. Nothing to worry over. You’re so damn beautiful it makes me ache,” he says, pressing himself against me, making me gasp. “You feel that? That’s what one single look at you does to me.”

“Wow.”

He grins at me, unashamed.

“Thank you, James. For always knowing what I need, for being you.”

“Will you let me show you how much I love you now?”

“Hell yes,” I tell him and grab him by the back of his neck, bringing him down to me. We kiss until my lips are tingling, and I’m short of breath.

“You’re a really good kisser,” I say stupidly then cover my mouth.

“Well, I’m glad you approve. You’re kinda stuck kissing me for the rest of your life, you know.”

His large hand spreads over my stomach as his lips make a descent downward. He kisses me just above my panty line, lifting his eyes to mine.

“I want to see all of you,” he murmurs, his lips never leaving my skin.

I raise my hips and bite my lip. He wraps his hands around the edges of my pants and panties and pulls them both down my legs at once. My breath hitches when I feel him breathe against my center. His finger grazes against me, as if asking permission, and I squirm, wanting more. He sets me on fire as he alternates between sliding his tongue against me, and kissing me with his hot, eager lips. And then… he sucks. Shockwaves of lust shoot through me when he pulls on the most sensitive part of me with his mouth. I fist the sheets and twist and turn, letting out moans and completely unintelligible curses.

I arch my back as the storm building in me intensifies, and his fingers dig into my hips, holding me in place. I grip his head and press him closer. My legs fall to the side, opening myself up to him even more, and he nuzzles his nose against me, inhaling deeply. My eyes roll back in my head as his fingers and mouth work together, bringing me to the brink over and over again.

“Holy shit! James!”

He grips my thighs, lifting me up to him. He sucks hard on the sensitive bud, and I come apart, thrashing my head from side to side, one hand still on the back of his head while the other is pressed against my forehead. He slows his movements, kissing my inner thighs and moving back up my body.

As soon as his face is near mine, he teases, “Still nervous?”

I reach up and press my lips against his, sliding my tongue between his lips and tasting myself. We moan in unison, and his body drops to mine, his arms holding him up just enough that I’m not uncomfortable with the added weight, but I can feel every inch of him. I buck my hips, and he twists, bringing me with him.

I mumble against his lips. “My turn.”

He grins, crosses his arms behind his head, and waggles his eyebrows. “Have at it, beautiful.”

“Well, at least one of us isn’t nervous.” I chortle.

“Nothin’ to be nervous about, beautiful. Not when it feels right, you know?”

I nod my head and begin to kiss my way down his body. Taking my time, relishing every part, loving the feel of him, of the sounds he’s making because of me, of the shivers that wrack his body from my touch.

I wrap my fingers around the edge of his boxer briefs and look up at him, smirking. “You don’t have to ask my permission, baby,” he says, lifting his hips.

I pull off his boxers, staring for a few moments at the sight before me. I lick my lips and feel his hand in my hair. I look up to his face, his eyes soft as he looks down at me. “Carly, you don’t…”

“Don’t you even dare say I don’t have to. I know that. I want to. And not just because I want to see you happy and pleased. Because I want everything with you. I love you. I love you more than I thought I could ever love another person besides Jack.”

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