Page 170 of Love, Rekindled

“Fuck,” I mutter and turn away, going back down to my knees in the water so my hands can move along the silt at the bottom. I push through wet leaves, sticks, and God knows what other kind of crud has settled at the bottom. As I move along, finding my Cinderella’s lost shoe seems hopeless, but then I catch hold of the smooth, leather band. I didn’t pay much attention to them before, but when I pull it out of the mud with a squelching sound and plenty of suction, I note regretfully that it’s probably ruined.

I turn to her and hold up the hidden treasure I located for her, only to find her bent over and shimmying out of her wet jeans. A lacy thong and a shapely ass are revealed, curves that I know all too well. My body reacts despite the cold water and my own wet jeans, my cock starting to thicken at the sight of her.

She finally gets them off and is almost naked save for the thong and a matching lace bra. She turns toward me, and I’m not quite sure what my face reveals, but her chattering teeth stop, and she flushes from her cheeks down to the rounded globes of her breasts.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I warn her, taking a step out of the mud toward the bank.

“Like what?” she asks, and…yeah, she’s not cold now. Heat and challenge are clear in her voice.

I don’t bother answering her. It’s rhetorical anyway.

When my foot hits the bank, I drop her sandal to the grass and immediately pull my wet T-shirt over my head.

Because you know...I need to wring it out, too.

Except I drop it to the ground, and it hits with a wet splat.

We stare at each other, each silently demanding something of the other. Are we on the same page? Does she want me the way I want her?

My silent question is answered when her trembling hands move to the center clasp of her bra, and with practiced ease, she flicks it open. The wet lace clings to her skin, so she has to peel it away. Her breasts spring free, nipples pebbled hard. I groan.

“You’re beautiful, Poppy.”

She doesn’t chastise me again for using the nickname that was solely mine to use for her. Instead, with a bold look of determination, her thumbs go to the band on her thong, and she bends forward to inch the lace down her golden thighs.

I think I may have died and gone to heaven as her breasts sway with the motion. She steps out of the thong with such delicate grace that I’m mesmerized. My gaze narrows and focuses on the apex of her thighs. Trim, dark curls wet from the water glisten, and I hope what’s nestled deeper is just as wet.

I move toward her with purpose, one hand going to her neck to hold her in place for my mouth, the other going straight to a plump breast.

Calliope groans and arches her damp body into me. My cock starts to ache with need.

Our kiss turns instantly ravenous, no more hesitant exploring and getting reacquainted. Everything I ever knew about this woman immediately feels like a comforting blanket. I trace the curve of her breast, flicking her nipple with my thumb.

“Rafe,” she moans into my mouth as her hand latches on to my wrist. She pushes my hand down so it glides over her belly and moves right between her thighs.

She is no different than the woman I knew eight years ago. One of the things I loved most about her was that she could be demanding and never hesitated to let me know exactly what she wanted.

My fingers play with the lips of her sex, then find the warm, wet entrance and dip inside. With a feral growl, Calliope bites down hard on my lower lip. Suddenly, my jeans are way too tight.

It’s a good thing she’s feeling greedy because, in mere moments, her hands free my cock. I don’t bother to wonder at her dexterity as she makes short work of my zipper and pushes the wet material down over my hips just enough so she can take my length into her palm. I hiss as she grips me hard and starts to stroke. And because I can give as good as I get, I press two fingers into her pussy and stroke that sweet spot deep inside.

That’s all it takes before she’s climbed back up my body, maneuvering up so high that her arms press down into my shoulders so she can angle herself above me. I spin to the edge of her Pathfinder and set my naked ass on it. Planting my feet hard against the ground, I brace myself as Calliope takes my cock in hand and starts to guide it to her entrance.

The first touch of her heat against the head of my dick is nirvana, and my hips strain upward for more contact. Her knees move to the cargo platform and she balances herself with her hands on my shoulders as she works her way onto my cock. I look down in fascination as I start to disappear into her, my head fuzzy, and my blood pounding in my ears. I glance up, see the look of fierce determination in her eyes, and fall a little bit in love with her again as her tongue peeks out from between her teeth in concentration.

Slowly, she lowers herself onto me, my one-time true heartmate and the sexiest lover I’ve ever had. She grinds all the way down as a tiny huff of exultant air escapes her mouth and blows across my face.

When she bottoms out, her forehead comes to rest against mine, and she holds utterly still for a painful moment.

My cock pulses inside of her, straining for release. I’m dizzy with lust and the need to flip her over and fuck her hard.

But I know one thing.

This is all Calliope right now. She has to set the boundaries of what we are. I need to let her be in control. Even if she were to climb off my lap and proclaim this to be a mistake, I would let her do so without an ounce of regret.

That’s how grateful I am that she trusts me enough to let me back in.

Calliope sucks in a deep lungful of air, and when she lets it out, her mouth is back on mine. Her body starts to move, and she rises and falls on me.

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