Page 156 of Between Despair and Hope

I blinked a few times as I took her in.

“What do you think?” she asked, fighting a smile as if her life depended on it.

A sack. That’s what she wore. A hideous brown sack hanging nearly to the floor. No shape, nothing. There were no sleeves to it, so her bare arms stuck out from either side.

“You’re a rectangle.”

She burst out laughing, and I took the moment to pick her up and toss her on the bed. The fabric of her dress was rough, and I couldn’t imagine it felt good on her soft skin. I ripped my own clothes off as she laughed. Her eyes heated as she took in my nudity.

“Where did this monstrosity come from?” I asked, tugging at the nightgown.

“Theo’s mother gave it to me. I pretended I liked it, and she gave me three more.”

She sat up on her elbows, and I tugged the dress up, rolling her over onto her stomach.

“On your knees, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t want to see this beautiful nightgown?” She rose onto her knees and shrieked as I pulled the gown up and exposed her bare ass. Plump, round, and inviting, I nearly groaned at the sight.

“The view I have now is better. Put your elbows on the bed.”

I pressed down on her upper back until she lowered, and the gown slid halfway up. Rubbing my hands over her ass and up her body, I gripped and massaged her, loosening any tension in her muscles. I had her moaning without even touching her waiting heat. And when I touched her there, parted her sweet flesh and dipped my finger inside her, I grumbled my approval when I found her soaked. When she pushed her hips back toward me, trying to take my finger deeper, I laughed.

“So needy. You ache for my cock, don’t you, Em?”

“Always,” she replied.

I dipped down, replacing my finger with my tongue. Licking her from clit to entrance, I groaned against her. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get enough of her. She hummed in pleasure as she moved her hips, granting me a better angle. As much as I loved to taste her though, I needed to be inside her more. Moving upright, I slid my hands from her hips up to her waist, my thumbs bracketing her spine. When I sheathed myself inside her in a slow stroke, her low, throaty moan tugged on something deep within me. Completely seated, I stilled, allowing both of us to get used to the feeling. The angle made her so tight I had to grit my teeth.

Hands on her ass, I guided our movements. She gripped me tight as I slid out slowly before pushing back in. Her knees were close together though, and I knew I could get deeper. Nudging her legs open, she repositioned and moaned when I thrust again, going farther than before. I continued moving, dragging out of her and forcing my way back in—languid movements requiring every bit of self-control I could muster. It was excruciating torment to go so slowly, but I wanted her to savor it. To feel every bit of me I had to give her.

She twisted and looked over her shoulder at me, stretching her arm back to grip mine while she rested on her other elbow. Clasping my hand around her wrist, I held onto her as she looked up at me. Eyes I wanted to dive into met mine as I moved faster. Even though I was the one fucking her, barreling us both toward release, the grip on my arm told me how much she wanted it. How much she wanted to work with me to give us both what we needed. An active participant in our meeting of flesh and melding of desire. Holding that arm back, I used my other hand to guide her ass as I picked up my pace. She bit her lip as she bounced from the motion. Panting, her mouth opened on a silent scream as I pumped into her.

She gasped, dropping her face into the bed as I let go of her hand. Grabbing her with harsh fingertips, I pounded hard into her. Watching her ass bounce, seeing the jiggle of sweet flesh I wanted to bite, nearly undid me.

Putting my knee on the bed, I bent over her body, sliding her gown up and brushing my lips across her shoulder blades. She was so gods damn perfect. Her bravery and courage over the past few months were nothing short of extraordinary, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. There was nothing she couldn’t do. And in turn, there was nothing I wouldn’t do for her. She’d shown me the lengths she’d go to for me, in so many ways, and I needed to get out of my head and make her know I’d do the same.

Climbing over her, both knees on the bed, I yanked the horrifying gown over her head, and she flattened, laughing as she pulled it down off her arms.

“I said you had to leave it on,” she whined.

“You also said I’m incorrigible. What did you expect?”

I’d slipped out of her when I pulled the gown from her body, and as she moved back onto her knees, I splayed a hand on her backside, forcing her flat. One knee on either side of her legs, I slid back into that wet heat. She groaned and arched her spine as she reached back, running her fingers over where we connected.

“Gods,“ she murmured.

“I know, Em. You feel how good you take me? Gods damn made for me.”

Her whimper told me she agreed, and I decided I needed to be closer. Needed to feel more of her skin. Sliding my hands over her body, I leaned down over her, kissing a path up her spine before bracketing my arms on either side of her. I buried my face in her neck, breathing her in as I pushed deep inside her. Gripping her throat, I turned her head to the side and kissed her the best I could from that angle.

When she laid her head down and grabbed my hands on either side of her, pulling me forward, I had no choice but to collapse on top of her. My elbows bracketed her own, and every part of our bodies aligned. I settled my legs between hers, my chest pressed to her back, and I relished the closeness.

“I’m too heavy,” I panted into her ear even as my cock moved within her.

Pulling my hand, she brought it to her mouth and kissed.

“Harder,” she demanded in a whisper.

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