Page 75 of Spring Tide

“Maybe you could show me?”

“Hm?”

His eyes meet mine for a few beats, chest rising unsteadily. It’s clear that he’s nervous, but he seems determined to plunge forward anyway.

“Harper, I’m asking if I can go down on you, because it’s pretty much all I’ve been thinking about since you first asked me to kiss you. And now you’re sitting here, in my bed, wearing nothing beneath my work shirt.”

“Yes, yes.” I scramble to sit up in the bed, already writhing against him. “Then let’s do that. Right now?”

“Right now.” He chuckles again, fingers playfully tugging at the hemline of my T-shirt. “And maybe, in the spirit of our honesty pact, you could show me exactly what youdoand don’t like.”

“Yes, I can definitely do that.” I move to kiss him, shoving my fingers into his hair. It’s still slightly damp from the shower, but the strands feel soft and perfect against my hands. When he attempts to maneuver us onto the edge of the bed, I stop him, my rational brain making a brief appearance. “Wait, what about your knee? You probably shouldn’t—”

“Oh, fuck my knee.”

22

LUCA

My knees hitthe floor as I drag Harper’s hips into place. She’s lying back on the edge of my bed, shirt riding up a half inch below her navel, elbows perched against the mattress. Our eyes meet—slate gray against warm cedar.

“Are you sure about this position?” she asks, worrying at her lower lip. “We could just lie on the bed head to foot? Or I could hop onto the bathroom counter, and then you wouldn’t even—”

“No,” I say gruffly. “This is just how I imagined it. Me on my knees for you.”

“Jesus,” she murmurs.

My hands slide up her body, pushing at the loose T-shirt until the undersides of her breasts are exposed. Goose bumps leave a trail beneath my fingertips. As I graze the hemline, her nipples pebble against the thin fabric.

“That feels good,” she whispers.

I stretch my arms across the bed, palms moving to cup both breasts. They’re so fucking soft—small and bell-shaped and perfect beneath my hands. On a deep exhale, my fingers sweep down to gently grasp her hips.

Although the top half of her chest remains covered, the rest of her body is bare to me now. Her freckled skin is warm to the touch. Her strong thighs are parted around my waist. If I’m being honest, it’s a miracle I haven’t come in my pants already.

Steeling my resolve, I shift back to press a kiss to her inner thigh. Her eyes flutter closed.

“So soft,” I rasp.

“I shaved my legs just before our date.” Her eyes shoot open. “Not because I thought anything was going to happen, I just—”

“Shh.” My lips kiss a trail toward the center of her body. “Harper?”

“Yes?”

“I can feel how you move against me, hear how you sound, but I’m not the best at reading cues or body language. I’m gonna need you to tell me what you like, what you want, okay?”

“Using words?”

I smirk against her skin. “If you can?”

“I can.”

With my fingers flexed, I slowly drag two knuckles against the seam of her. She’s already soaking wet and warm to the touch, silkier and softer here than I could have imagined. On the second graze through, a sigh of pleasure escapes her lips.

“More,” she pleads.

I use my thumb to push against the small hood covering her clit. There’s another half sigh before I pitch forward and suck on the tiny bundle of nerves. Three slow, deep pulls before I slide an index finger inside of her.

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