Page 148 of New York Love Stories: Vol. 2

Cupping her chin, I take a deep breath and release a sigh. What am I going to do with her?

Sexually—I already knew back at the party. Sex with her is always phenomenal.

Emotionally—this is foreign territory.

By the uncertainty in her eyes, I’m not alone.

There’s not one part of our bodies that we haven’t openly shared. But the walls have remained in place when it came to anything deeper.

I climb onto the bed and right on top of her. Her legs butterfly open for me, and her arms come around my neck. Resting on my forearms on either side of her head, I say, “I’m thinking we should try that kissing thing again.”

“What are you waiting for?”

I don’t.Not any longer.I kiss her firmly on the mouth as I position myself at her entrance. The heat between us penetrates the cool air as soon as my dick touches the apex of her legs.

Deepening the kiss, I push in, capturing her gasp. Her nails dig in as she holds me, her tongue finding and then twisting with mine.

I pull my hips back and push back in, wanting to lose myself in the ecstasy of her warm embrace. The sounds of our connection fade under the sensation, her moans and hearing her beg for more, faster, spur me to drive harder. The rhythm of our bodies together and then apart, the push and pull,the impatience, the love, the like, and everything we’ve ever said orfelt for each other mix into a singular goal—my name from her lips for the whole fucking city to hear.

And kissing her?Marlow is an incredible kisser—like nothing else exists but this connection with me. This newfound intimacy heightens every sensation we’ve ever shared.

Sliding my hand between us, I find her clit and rub small circles, causing her to buck against me. One more rotation of my hips and hand, and I’m rewarded.

“Jackson . . .” My name rips from her throat before Marlow digs the back of her head into the pillow—mouth open, eyes clamped closed, body trembling around mine—and then a stuttering breath is exhaled before she’s collapsing beneath me.

With her arms still wrapped around my neck, I stay close, but the sight of her falling apart sends me into my own completion. “Oh, fuck,” I growl, my body charging into the release. Swept into the ecstasy, I freefall into it, letting my mind rest as my body vibrates.

The fog clears, and I exhale, dropping on top of her before rolling off to the side, sated.

We don’t speak or rush to move.

Heavy pants fill the air until our breaths and speeding hearts settle into a manageable rate. I reach for her hand, my fingertips touching the tips of hers. She takes the offer, and we lie there a little longer.

I turn to her, and whisper, “Happy New Year.” It’s then that I see the glisten in her eyes as she stares up at the ceiling, a desperation in her features willing the tears away. I angle toward her and brush the hair back from her face. “What’s wrong?”

She glances at me. “Nothing.” Sweeping fallen strands away from my forehead, she takes a breath. “Everything is so right.” She lifts to kiss my cheek and then my mouth once more. Her lips linger while a tear streaks down her face, landing where our chins meet. “Thank you.”

I swallow, not sure I’ve ever seen her cry before. And not exactly something I wanted to experience after having sex either. I slide my hand to the back of her neck and bring her closer to kiss her forehead and then the apple of her cheek, the tip of her nose, and then her mouth. The liquid coating her eyes subsides, so I fall back on the pillow, and ask, “Thank you for what?”

“An amazing night.”

I realize then that despite our best efforts, we’re never going to be the same—a casual hookup when we were lonely, a secret affair that we kept hidden from most of the world, friends with benefits with no strings attached.

All it took was one kiss at the stroke of midnight, and a million strings attached. But I don’t broach that, especially not after sex. I lean into what I know she wants from me—easy and carefree. It’s the safest place to be. “It was literally my pleasure, so I can’t take much credit.”

She laughs, lying back on the mattress. “As good as the sex?—”

“Good?”

Rolling her eyes, she giggles. “Great. Asgreatas sex is with you . . .” She looks over at me again, her smile genuine in its placement. “I didn’t know what to expect at midnight, but you didn’t disappoint.”

“So what you’re saying is I don’t disappoint in the bedroom or outside these walls?” Hope grows wings.

Her laughter is heartier, feeding my ego and making me feel like the king of the world. “I guess that’s what I’m saying.”

I kiss her shoulder. “See? That wasn’t so hard to admit.”

She sighs, shaking her head. “For a man who can have any woman he wants, you sure do need a lot of stroking of the ego.”

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