Page 76 of The Sound of Silence

Gianna nodded in agreement.

“My friend, Natalia, always said chivalry is lost. Too many prefer looking at a screen over making eye contact with a human being. I think you’re a rare exception. I can count on one hand how many times you’ve texted me. You’ve always called or spoken to me in person.”

“I would text you more, but you’re always worried about going over your monthly allotment. You know,” I added as an afterthought. “We could solve that problem if I added you to my cellphone plan.”

There was no mistaking the way she stiffened beneath my palms.

“No. I’ll get a better cellphone plan one day on my own… but thank you.”

“Fair enough,” I replied, thinking about what she’d said earlier about her husband controlling her. I now had an understanding why she wanted to maintain her independence, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. As much as I wanted to make her life easier, I had to respect her decisions.

“I wonder if romance was hard for our grandparents and great-grandparents,” she said, returning to our previous topic. She craned her neck to the side, allowing me to massage the tendons above her collarbone. “I mean, I don’t want to glorify a time period with repressive gender roles and patriarchy, but I am curious if good, old-fashioned courting made things easier.”

“It did for us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about the six months we spent just being so-called friends. If that wasn’t old-fashioned courting, I don’t know what is.”

“Hmmm… you might be on to something there.” She fell silent for a while as I massaged her neck and shoulders, until eventually angling her head back to look at me. “Derek, can I ask you something?”

My fingers slid over a raised area near her shoulder, and I paused to look at it. The discoloration on her creamy skin was similar to what I’d seen on her abdomen that day at Camilla’s—another scar. I pushed down the rage threatening to boil over and focused on her question.

“You can ask me anything.”

“Why me?”

I carefully studied her face and tried to get a read on what she was thinking. Her eyes looked moist as if she was holding back tears. I had a thousand answers for her, but I wasn’t sure if they would be too much for her to hear. My throat clogged with emotion. This woman owned my heart in more ways than one. Taking a chance, I wrapped my arms around her wet shoulders and pressed my lips lightly to her forehead. She didn’t push me away, closing her eyes and melting against me.

“I think the bigger question is, why not you? After everything you’ve been through, nobody would blame you if you didn’t want to be involved romantically with anyone ever again. I’m humbled by your strength, and I’m honored that you chose me. I’d be a fool to not want someone like you. When we first met, I knew there was something about you. I just didn’t know what. Then you were gone, and there was this ache in my chest. I don’t know if this will make sense, but it was akin to a phantom pain—as if a part of me was lost, even though it was never a part of me to begin with.”

“It makes perfect sense,” she replied softly. “I thought about you too. Our meeting should have been inconsequential, yet you were often the safe place in my head when things… when things were bad.”

Her eyes glistened with tears as she reached up and pulled my head down. Our breaths mingled hesitantly as I waited for her to close the distance. When she did, our mouths melded in perfect harmony. Her tongue danced with mine in a perfect rhythm of temperance and desire. The kiss was sweet yet indescribably erotic.

“You’re beautiful,” I whispered against her mouth before running my tongue over her lips, demanding she open to me. I kissed her tenderly, passionately—desperately. I wanted to erase her horrors and give her something new to dream about.

With one hand still entwined in my hair, she used her other hand to grab hold of my wrist, pulling my arm to position it, so my soap-covered palm cupped one of her breasts. I nearly groaned as my fingers slid over her pebbled nipple. Pinching the hardened nub, I felt a shiver rock her body as she moaned. Trailing my mouth down the line of her neck, I tasted the divot near her collarbone and nipped along the curve of her shoulder.

“Derek…” she sighed. The sound of my name on her lips was like a fragmentary caress that ended in private agony. When she tried to turn and face me, I stopped her, keeping her back firmly against the side of the tub.

“No. Just stay still and relax.”

I wanted to explore for just a little while longer and savor this sweet moment. When I brought my other hand around, so I could cup both breasts at the same time, I captured her startled cry with my mouth as I rolled the tight peaks between my fingers. Her back arched, searching for more. I complied, sliding one hand down the tight curve of her side, under the water, until my fingers reached the folds I’d barely had time to explore. I couldn’t wait for the day I’d finally get to taste her—to explore every nook and crevice of her most intimate parts with my tongue—but for now, I would give her this.

I slid the pad of one finger gently over her clit. Her back bowed as an elicited gasp wrenched from her throat.

“Oh, God!”

As I parted her center and slowly sank one finger inside her heated well, a sharp hiss escaped me. She was so damn tight. I slid another finger in, stroking her inner walls while my thumb traced slow, leisurely circles over the pulsing bundle of nerves. Her soft, mewing sighs echoed through the steam-filled bathroom as she slowly built up to the most delicate climax I’d ever witnessed. It was only a matter of minutes before she began to clench around me.

“That’s it. Let go,” I whispered into her ear. “I want to feel you pulse around my fingers, for you to feel all the things I was meant to make you feel.”

Her head lolled side to side as she pushed up against my hand. I pumped faster, deep and firm, searching for the release she so desperately wanted to give. I used my other hand to pull and pinch at one of her straining nipples. Her soft cries changed to breathless pleas as I drove her higher and higher. I felt her body stiffen and heard her sharp intake of breath. When she came, she screamed out my name, and it was the most magnificent fucking thing I’d ever heard.

My cock strained in my pants, and I thought I might come on the spot. I wanted nothing more than to pull her from the tub and fuck her senseless, right here on the floor. My need was so hot, I couldn’t even think straight. This woman was turning me inside out.

But I could not give in to anything that might mess this up. I’d relaxed her body and her mind enough, she wasn’t thinking straight. I didn’t want her to have any regrets in the morning. That worry was the only thing that forced me to pull my fingers from the clutches of her body. I allowed my hands to linger over her lush, glorious tits for just a second longer before reining in my mad desire and resolving to do exactly as I’d promised.

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