Page 217 of Ruin Me Gently

My lips trailed down, pressing slow, open-mouthed kisses to her throat, her collarbone, teasing the strap of her dress with my teeth.

She shuddered, nails scraping over my scalp. “Silas.”

I kissed her throat harder, hands sliding beneath the hem of her dress, palms skimming over soft, warm skin.

“Let me take care of you.” I murmured as I flipped her onto her back, settling her into the plush cushions and blankets spread out beneath us.

She gasped softly, and I caught her lips in another kiss, deep and slow, swallowing the sound before it could disappear into the night.

Her fingers teased at the buttons of my shirt, knuckles grazing at my chest.

I exhaled sharply, lifting up to undo them myself, slipping the fabric off and tossing it aside.

I lowered myself again, pressing my lips to her collarbone, tracing them along the delicate curve of her neck.

She sighed, herfingers tightening against my waist as I slid my hands up her thighs, pushing the hem of her dress higher—

She tensed. Her eyes widening as she shook her head. “I’m not feeling so good about…” she gestured down to herself, her throat working like the words were physically hard to say. “You know.”

My jaw clenched. What did that mean?

This woman had the most beautiful body I’d ever laid my hands on.

Every soft curve that fit against me like she was made for it.

Every dip my mouth had memorised.

Every mark that made herLilith.

I knew how much courage it had taken her to show me her body, to reveal herself to me.

I didn’t want her shying away from herself now.

No.I couldn’t let her think like that. I had to show her how I saw her.

I brushed my thumb along her jaw, tilting her chin until our eyes met. “Do you trust me?”

She didn’t answer right away. Didn’t nod, didn’t pull away, just looked at me.

I pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, my grip on her thigh gentle. “You can say no, sweetheart. At any point. But I want to try something.”

She nodded.

I helped her to sit up, peeling the dress and underwear from her body, letting them pool onto the blankets beside us.

My gaze trailed down the length of her, drinking her in, every curve, every mark, every inch of skin that she had somehow convinced herself wasn’t enough.

I kissed her again, deep and slow, letting her feel exactly how much I wanted her, exactly how much I adored her.

“Any time, okay?” I murmured against her lips. “If you want to stop, just say so.”

She nodded again. “Okay.”

“Good girl.”

A shiver ran through her, and I smirked against her mouth, then caged her in, pressing her back into the blankets as I ran a hand down the centre of her chest, over her sternum, over the soft curve of her stomach until my fingers slipped between her thighs.

Andfuck,she was already wet.

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