Page 78 of Willow Vale

Travis slowly laid me down on the bed, his hand gently guiding me until I felt the cool fabric of the sheets against my exposed skin. I gripped the comforter as I felt his breath caress my neck, moving to my collarbone, then my chest and stomach, all the way down to my knees where he slowly eases them open. I propped myself up on my elbows when he lowered himself between them, finally bringing his mouth to me. I jolted at the sensation of feeling him against me and his hands came up to my hips to steady me. Then he was rocking me until I started helping him, moving together as one. Chasing the feeling that had me utterly lost to every minuscule sensation. Until my heart felt like it would burst out of my chest. Until I told him as much if only to get him to give me more. More of him, of this, ofus.

“Travis—”

“You’re so beautiful, Delilah. Devastating,” he whispered against my hip before he finally pulled away from me and sat on his heels. The sight of him—his hair all disheveled, eyes dark and consuming—is my undoing. I didn’t drink but, if I did, I’d say Travis was what I thought a shot of tequila tastedlike. Rough, burning desire that melted all my worries, all my thoughts away until there was nothing but him. Making me drown in every wave he made me feel until I’m desperate for air.

I reached for him, capturing his face in my hands to bring him to me. I felt the way his breath got caught in his throat as our lips crashed together, becoming a needy mess when my hands moved between us. His teeth sank into my bottom lip when I unbuckled his belt, wrapped my hand around him. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling when he dropped his head against my shoulder, rocking into my touch as he said my name on a hiss. Both a reprimand and an anguished request.

“No more.” His hands gripped mine, trapping them on either side of my head. Our urgency to feel each other slows down as he takes over, drawing out soft sighs from me as he told me how badly he’s wanted this. I made sure to tell him I felt the same. “I need to be inside you, Delilah.”

“Condom?” I asked him, barely able to recognize my own voice.

When the tenderness shared between us was once again overruled by our need, he pushed off me and wandered to the nightstand. The sound of foil tearing made me shiver before he was crawling over me again. A heartbeat passes between us, and then he was easing into me. It was slow and methodical, careful when I tell him to let me adjust. Travis never treated me like I was breakable before, but tonight every inch of him seemed to covet me like delicate porcelain.

When we started moving together, the world around us disintegrates completely. There were only shadows surrounding us, the only sounds heard were our breaths. His mouth makes me dizzy, and my hands dig into his back, marking him as if I needed to make sure he’d always be mine.

His hips push against mine and I gasped, “Travis.”

“Is this okay?” he asked, trying to slow down when he seemed to lose control.

I nod, it’s the only thing I can do as I get lost in everything that was him. His scent, his touch, the reverent way he said my name. It was all so perfect I couldn’t believe we’d gone without feeling one another for so long.

“You have no idea how many times I dreamed about this.” He confessed.

“Is this as good as your dreams?” I asked, running my fingers through his hair.

“You’re perfect, Delilah. So fucking perfect that I’m scared I’ll wake up and find out this was a dream too.”

My heart soars at his words. My body reacting as if I were about to shatter into a million pieces.

“This is real. We’re real.” I said as I kissed him, rocking against him to tell him I didn’t want slow and careful anymore. I only wanted him. Forever.

Words weren’t necessary anymore. We spent the rest of the night just like that, lost in each other—demanding more and more—until there was nothing left of either of us.

CHAPTER 33

Lila

I’d been helpingAmelia in the kitchen all day in preparation for Fourth of July.

She and Desmond invited everyone to a barbecue and Manny also showed up to help grill the meat since there were so many mouths to feed. Everyone was outside, music was playing on the speakers someone brought out, and laughter echoed nearby.

River had been hanging out with the boys on the back porch all day, sticking to Travis like glue. Looking out toward the window over the sink, I spotted him running away from Finn in the backyard with a shriek of delight. Desmond snuck up behind River and hauled him over his shoulder. They both smiled at each other before Desmond tossed him over to Finn.

A part of me was worried they were treating my kid like a football, but I knew neither Desmond nor Finn would let anything happen to him. They loved him too much.

It’s funny how things could change in so little time.

A few months ago, it was just the two of us in our little apartment. I was running late to everything, and River constantly had to get dragged around wherever I went.

I used to think accepting help from the Adlers was a sign of weakness. It took me a while to understand that they didn’t pity me or think less of me, though sometimes I still couldn’t understand it, but in time I had a feeling I could. Because this family genuinely wanted us in their lives.

Now I couldn’t possibly imagine going one day without seeing one of the Adlers. Couldn’t imagine a world without the family that had shown up for us more times than I could count.

“You look happy, Lila,” Amelia said, snapping me out of my trance.

Turning to face her, I noticed she was smiling at me with affection. Her blonde hair was loose around her shoulders and the faint makeup she’d applied gave her a flawless natural look.

“I am happy.” I finished washing up one of the pans and placed it on the rack to dry.

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