Page 12 of Always Been You
“Now that’s not true.” I take a step closer, faking the kind of confidence I don’t really feel. My hands tremble slightly, but I reach up anyway, letting my fingers brush the fabric of his tailored shirt.
He sets the champagne glass down on the edge of the minibar, his attention shifting entirely to me.
Slowly, I ease his shirt open the rest of the way, exposing his chest. His skin is warm under my touch—solid, real. I spot a faded surgical scar just below his collarbone, a deep line that travels to his shoulder.That must be from the accident. I swallow, realizing that this version of Eddie has been through things I don’t know, that I wasn’t there for.
I reach out, tracing the scar along his collarbone. “I don’t remember this,” I murmur, my fingers following the line without thinking.
He tenses, his hand pressing a little more firmly into my waist. "Yeah, there’s a lot you don’t know about me, Lawliss. I’m not the guy you remember.”
“Are you sure about this?” he asks again, his voice barely more than a whisper. He doesn’t pull away, though. Instead, the fingers of one hand graze my shoulders while the other brushes my cheek, almost like he’s grounding himself. My breath catches, and I lean into his touch, feeling my heartbeat quicken.
I don’t know why, but I feel a sudden urge to pull him even closer. He’s right. I don’t know this version of him, and maybe that’s what makes me want this so badly. He was the first guy to look at me with such ferocity; not even Derrick looked at me that way.I don’t want to know all the details. That’s easier.
“You think this is a mistake?” I ask, barely getting the words out.
For a second, he doesn’t answer. He just looks at me, like he’s trying to find something in my expression. Then his grip tightens on my waist again, just enough to make my breath catch. “Maybe, but if I take you now, there will be no turning back,” he says ominously, his eyes flicking to mine.
I let out a shaky laugh, brushing off the tightness in my chest. “Eddie, you’re probably the only person I wouldn’t regret.”
The words hang there, heavy, and I can’t believe I’ve said them out loud. He lets out a breath and looks at me, almost like he’s daring me to say it again. But I don’t. I just close the gap between us, feeling his breath against my skin as I press my lips to his, feeling him, really feeling him in a way I’d never let myself before.
The kiss deepens, his tongue sliding against mine in a way that makes my whole body respond, evoking a promise of what is to come. He maneuvers us to the bed without break. I start shoving his shirt off and he pulls me close to him, raising my dress up. “Easy access, I love that,” he murmurs, then his tongue and hand, skillfully matching with his perfect body, move beneath my dress.
He uses his thumb to trace my thigh, and I bite back a moan against his shoulder, shivering as he brushes his lips along my neck.
He caresses my inner thigh and then hikes me up to get closer. He leans in, then growls when I begin to unbuckle his belt. He lets it fall away, and seeing him with only his boxers unravels me. The outline of his cock peeks out. His erection throbs, undeniable proof of his arousal.
His hands trail over my skin, igniting nerves I didn’t know were there. I bite back any thoughts, any doubts, letting myself sink into the way he feels against me. The way he looks at me is as if I’m his and have been all along, which is strange.
He rubs his cock against my pussy; even with fabric between us, I feel my body tremble with desire. I pressed my hips firmly against him, unable to hold back. “Edmund, I want you,” I say breathlessly, wrapping my arms around him to draw him closer. His eyes sharpen then, and his brow drops.
“Impatient much, huh?" He chuckles, then he takes my dress off in one smooth move and unbuckles my bra, leaving me in just my panties. I suddenly feel self-conscious, sneakily looking outside.
“There’s no way I’d let anyone else see you,” he says, his voice low and firm, as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking. His gaze drifts to my body. I push down my panties and let out a breath. My knees are visibly shaking with my hands trembling. I’ve never had a one-night stand before and that too with someone who I’m acquainted with or done anything remotely reckless like this.
From the look in Eddie’s eyes, I have a feeling this memory is going to last me a lifetime. “Fuck me. You’re more beautiful than I imagined, Lawliss. This is my every fantasy come true. You are going to be my undoing, I swear,” he murmurs, then drops to his knees, dragging me to the edge of the bed with his face closer to my bare pussy.
“At any point, if there is something you don’t like, you tell me or tap me, understood?” I nod and close my eyes, my heart beating fast in anticipation of what is to come.
Eddie’s fingers brush over my clit, sending shivers down my spine. He rubs it a few times with his hand and pushes a finger in and before I have a chance to adjust to the sensation, he pushes a second finger in, then a third, eliciting a moan from me.
My body arches instinctively, pressing into his hand as if it has a mind of its own. Each movement of his fingers sends another wave of heat through me, my skin prickling with anticipation. My breaths come faster, uneven, and I grip his shoulders, needing something to hold onto to ground me in the moment.
I meet his gaze, his blue eyes unwavering as he watches my reaction. It’s as if he’s studying me, learning every response, every breath. The intensity in his gaze is almost too much to bear, and I close my eyes. “Look at me,” he murmurs softly, and the warmth of his voice only adds to the fire coursing through me.
I shouldn’t want this so badly. I shouldn’t be giving in so easily, but every touch of his hand seems to undo me. I open my eyes, meeting his gaze, but before I can say a word, he curves his fingers just right, hitting a spot that sends a jolt through me. A moan slips out, raw and unguarded.
“That’s it, Empress. I want your pretty eyes on me when I bring you to the edge.” And then he takes it to the next level, adding his tongue, weaving it beneath me while rubbing my clit simultaneously. My whole body shivers. He slides his hand up to my breast, grabbing and squeezing, his touch possessive and knowing as if he’s memorized every inch of me. As if he’d known my body forever, and this wasn’t our first time together.
His movements grow more intense, each touch and caress deliberate, until I can’t hold back. Moans spill from my lips, my breath hitching as I come undone under him. The world seems to slow, everything blurring except for the warmth of his body pressed against mine.
“That was…” I trail off, still catching my breath, feeling like I’m floating.
He leans close, his voice low and almost dangerous. “I’m not done yet. This is just the beginning.”
A thrill runs through me at the promise in his words, but I raise an eyebrow, trying to keep my composure. “You don’t say,” I murmur, my voice a little shaky, teasing.
He smirks, then captures my mouth, the kiss deep and consuming, stealing whatever strength I had left. My fingers slide into his hair, gripping him like he’s my anchor, even as I’m drowning in him. When we break apart, our foreheads pressed together, his eyes search mine, filled with an intensity that says he’s not letting go anytime soon.
