Page 55 of Love You, Mean It

“Of course I’ve thought about it.” He gazed straight into my eyes. “But when I say there’s nothing there…I mean it, Ellie. I feel bad about how things ended, but in a way, I think everything we went through just proved we were never really right for each other. And lately…” His eyes dropped to my mouth, and the air between us crackled again, prickling through the hairs at the nape of my neck.

“Lately…what?”

He set his champagne down very deliberately, then reached for my glass. I released it, obedient, lips parting of their own accord.

“Lately I’ve realized that maybe I’ve never given the right thing a real shot. Or the right person.”

“Oh?” My breath hitched as I raised my eyes to his. The intensity of his stare felt like a brand on my skin. “And who might that be?”

“Someone who challenges me…” He leaned closer. “Someone who isn’tlikeme so much as they complement me.” Closer yet. Hiseyelids went heavy, the firelight flickering across his skin. “Someone like…well,you,Ellie.”

I wasn’t sure who moved first, but within seconds his lips were on mine, strong arms slipping around my back, pulling me to him. I wriggled onto his lap, wrapping my legs around his waist, mouth level with his now, moaning low as his fingers traced the furrow of my spine, slipped over the curves of my ass, gripping me tight as his tongue slid between my lips. Some distant corner of my brain sent up a flare—Bad idea—but it felt unimportant, the urgency of his mouth, his hands, too much to ignore.

I reached down blindly to tug his shirt up, broke the kiss to pull it over his head. I ran my fingertips over the hard ridges of his stomach muscles, biting my lower lip as I grazed the skin there, relishing the shiver that ran through him as my hand moved lower, to where the sharp lines of his pelvis dipped beneath the waist of his jeans. In an instant, his hand was cupping my nape, pulling me in for another hungry kiss before he released me to hurriedly tug my shirt over my head.

“Jesus, Ellie,” he murmured, thumb grazing along my collarbone then down toward the extremely gentle curves of my breasts. I sent up a tiny prayer of gratitude that I was wearing my “good” bra, simple black with lace trim, but actually fitted to my almost-a-chest.

“I know, they’re tiny.”

Theo’s eyes lifted to mine.

“They’re perfect. You’re so incredibly sexy.”

And then we were on each other again, my teeth scraping the inside of his lower lip, testing its softness and give, his hands loosing my bra deftly, one palm sliding past the dip of my waist and up my stomach to lightly cup my breast, his thumb moving over my nipple in a way that made me groan aloud. I fumbled at his belt, need throbbing through me, radiating outward from my core, heightening every sensation.

Theo put both hands around my waist, lifting me off him easily,then tugged his belt free, fumbling his fly open with one hand, the other still on me. I wriggled out of my jeans, kicking them aside unceremoniously as Theo stood to tug his pants down. I could see him straining against the fabric of his boxer briefs, and a new thrill went through me.Look how much he wants you.I ran my hand over his length and he pulsed gently against my palm, eyes closing. He drew in a sharp breath, head tilting back slightly as I swirled my thumb over the tip.

“Fuck, Ellie…” he said, voice rough. “That’s…Fuck.” He gripped my wrist, eyes blazing with intensity as he urged me back along the couch, moving over me in one smooth motion. I slipped the fingers of my free hand beneath the waistband of his underwear, running them along the sharp vee of his pelvic line and back up slowly. A flicker of amusement passed over his face.

“Are you trying to torture me?”

“Maybe a little.”

With a grin, he lowered himself over me, hips grinding against my own as he kissed me deeply on the mouth, then along my jaw, then down the length of my throat, my head dropping back to give him access. One hand moved back to my breast, gently squeezing as his thumb flicked over my nipple, the motions rougher now, more urgent. My hips bucked up against him and he pushed up, staring into my eyes.

“Is this okay?”

“God, yes,” I said, the words coming out in a breathy rush, body speaking before the rest of me. His fingers slid over my stomach, my back arching as they moved lower, lower still, until they were tracing slow circles over me through the fabric of my underwear. Every nerve in me flared to life at once, concentrating their electric energy at my core. My skin tingled all over, the effervescence of the champagne buzz intensifying every touch. Theo bent over the side of the couch to fumble a condom out of his pants pocket. I laughed aloud.

“You wereplanningthis?”

The twist of his lips, sultry and knowing, sent a new swirl of heat through my belly.

“I was a Boy Scout, Ellie. I believe inalwaysbeing prepared.”

“Of course you were.”

He raised an eyebrow, then tugged his underwear down.

“Take those off,” he growled, pointing at mine.

“Aren’twedemanding,” I said as I arched up to tug them free.

“When I know what I want.”

He lowered himself back over me and I took him in hand, guiding him against me, letting the friction of skin on skin stoke the fire that was spreading from my center over every inch of my body. Finally, when it felt like something inside me might burst from need, I slid my hand around to the small of his back, guiding him in. He moaned, thrusting into me slowly at first, then more quickly, his body taking over.

“You feel incredible, Ellie.”

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