Page 112 of Only Ever You

“My god, Faye,” he said as he switched sides. “You’ve riled me up with these for years.”

“Is that why you’ve stayed my friend?” Each teasing syllable ran away with Faye’s breath. She gripped Bash’s hair to keep herself steady when he met her eyes through his lashes, flashing a satisfied grin before he sucked her more thoroughly through the lace.

“No.” A sharp edge of teeth deliciously scraped her modest cleavage, swallowed up by Bash’s paw-like palm cupping her breast. “But the shape of you certainly hasn’t hurt.”

If he’d been thinking of how she might look unclothed for years, Faye didn’t want to disappoint any picture Bash might have built in his mind. With a firm but gentle tug and a whine to herself in protest, she pulled him up.

“I haven’t … um …”

He nuzzled the slope of her neck right beneath her ear. “Haven’t what?”

Faye braced for a reaction. “Waxed.”

Something shifted on Bash’s face when he came level with her, like he’d been offered a golden ticket. “I’ve been needing to refresh my wilderness explorer badge.” He winked at her and Faye snorted so hard her hand flew to cover her face.

“Oh god …”

Bash peeled her palm away and pecked a sweet kiss to her nose. “I don’t mind. You don’t need to do that for me.” She opened her eyes to find his gaze utterly gentle. “I’ll have you as you are, every time, Faye. However you come to me.” His waggling brow made her nearly snort again. “Grizzly bear and all.”

OnlyBashcould pull off a joke like that at this moment with such ease. The innuendo had been hilarious and mortifying all in one measure, yet she relaxed because of it.

As you are. Every time.

The kiss he gave her was just as honeyed, slow and savouring. Faye opened to let his tongue dip past the seam of her lips.

He walked her backwards, and they lowered down to the bed with hearts racing. Fire filled Bash’s gaze, branding her breasts, her stomach and waist, until he was finally above her. Faye didn’t mind how they were together, so long as she could feel the weight of him after needing him for so long.

Opening up her thighs, Bash balanced himself between them and pressed his body to hers. She sighed and squeezed his backside to draw him closer. His steady grind elicited a grunt and the friction of his jeans against Faye’s leggings sent a current to her core.

The material between them was too thin. Faye felt every insistent, straining part of him that rocked into her as he drew her lower lip between his teeth and lightly grazed her there.

She tugged on his belt loops. “Jeans …”

Sitting back, Bash undid the buckle while Faye slithered to kneel between the gap of his knees. She stopped his hands and kissed him, feathering her knuckle over the dark, clipped hair beneath his navel, down, down …

“Mh—” Bash grunted against her lips as his stomach cinched. “If you’re going to tease me, Peanut, do it properly.” His voice was a low rasp full of gravel and sinful things that gave Faye ideas as she worked his zip down.

He stood to shuck off the jeans, and Faye’s undivided attention moved from the excitement setting up camp in his black boxers to his backside that looked just as good as the first time she’d seen it in all its glory.

And itwasglorious.

With her permission and one twist of the clasp, Bash took off her bra and kissed his way across her chest, caressing her, skin to skin. Her breasts had never been this sensitive before to anyone’s touch and Faye was like dough in his hands.

Impatience to peel off her layers was written all over Bash’s face. His fingers danced up her back and then dipped under the waistband of her leggings. “Please tell me I can take these off?”

“I’ll be unhappy if you don’t.”

Though it was easier said than done.

They chuckled together at the effort of removing the leggings and her socks. It was ridiculous; the teamwork that ended up with Faye having to roll upon the bed shouldn’t have been necessary. With the full show Bash received, he enjoyed himself at least.

He tossed the leggings with a flourish over his shoulder and Faye had no instinct to hide from his sight as she laid down and curled her legs toone side – an attempt at looking sultry, which, given the tent in Bash’s underwear,worked.

“This … this doesn’t feel weird,” she said. “Half of me thought it might be awkward.”

Bash’s feline smirk curved as he dusted his fingers up the back of her calf. “You’ve thought about this before?”

A burst of warmth coated Faye’s cheeks. “Once or twice.”

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