I broke away from her lips, trailing kisses down her neck while my hands trailed up her sides, tracing the curve of her waist. She gasped, throwing her head back as she clung to me.
I undid the zipper of her jeans and slid my hand inside, finding the soft fabric of her underwear. “God, you’re soaked,” I murmured against her neck.
Her breath hitched as I moved my fingers in slow circles, eliciting a muffled moan.
“Kieran,” she whispered, her breath hot against my ear. Her hands moved to my belt, unbuckling it before moving to unzip my jeans. I helped her by kicking off my shoes and stepping out of the pants pooled around my ankles.
She moved her hand to cup me and I hissed in pleasure, controlling myself from bucking into her touch. “Ruby,” I growled, sliding a finger inside her. She gasped, her grip on me tightening in response.
“You like that?” I asked.
“Yes,” she breathed out, squirming against my hand. “More.”
Without wasting any more time, I moved her underwear aside and slipped another finger into her. She moaned, her body arching into mine as I picked up my pace.
The sound of my name from her lips sent a thrill of desire down my spine. I added another finger, slowly stretching her while my thumb circled her clit. Ruby cried out, her body shaking in my arms.
“Are you close?” I asked, pressing my fingers deeper within her.
She nodded, biting her lip as she tried to stifle the sounds escaping from her. I eased off her, slowing my strokes as Iwatched her squirm in frustration. The sight was incredibly arousing, the evidence of her pleasure glistening on my fingers. “You’re so beautiful when you’re this desperate,” I murmured, leaning in to capture her lips with mine. “But I only want you to come with my cock inside of you.”
“Kieran…”
“Can I fuck you raw today, baby?” I asked her, knowing the chances she’d let me were…slim. Still, it never hurt to try. “I’m only seeing you and I hope you’re only seeing me.”
I meant it casually—like a joke, like something fun to try—but I realized right away it was more than that. I want more than to feel her…I wanted to have her completely, no barriers, no space between us. I wanted to mark her, keep some part of her with me, even if she never said yes to anything else. It was reckless, I knew that. But with Ruby, I always wanted too much.
She pulled back, meeting my gaze with a mixture of apprehension and…excitement? “Kieran, I don’t usually…” She trailed off, her cheeks flushed.
“Don’t you want to feel me inside without a condom?” I asked.
I could see the battle waging within her, the conflict between her rational mind and the desire that was threatening to consume us both. She bit her lip, her eyes searching mine for something—reassurance, maybe, or an excuse to give in.
“Don’t make this harder,” she said, though her voice lacked conviction.
I stroked her cheek with the back of my hand, then let my fingers trail down her neck and over her collarbone. “It’s only as hard as you want it to be,” I said, leaning in so my lips were just a breath away from hers. “Tell me to stop, and I will.”
Silence hung heavy in the air as she weighed my words. Her chest rose and fell in deep, uneven breaths. I could hear the ticking of the clock on the wall, each second stretching into an eternity.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered at last, and my heart fucking leapt.
It shouldn’t have meant anything — we’d said those words to each other before, in different ways, different beds. But something about the way she said it now — breathless, shaky, trusting — cracked something open in me.
I kissed her again, hard and hungry, pouring everything I couldn’t say into the press of my mouth against hers. My hands moved over her body with new urgency — not just to touch her, but to keep her, like if I held her tight enough, she wouldn’t slip through my fingers.
I peeled her jeans down over her hips, letting them fall to the floor, then gripped her thighs and lifted her onto the bar. She moved like she’d done it a hundred times — like she knew exactly how we fit together — and when her legs wrapped around my waist, ankles locking behind me, I swore I felt something shift between us.
The heat of her pressed against me through my boxers, and I had to close my eyes for a second, just to keep from losing it. The scent of her—of us—hung thick in the air, dizzying and heady.
My hands roamed her body, slower now, like I was trying to memorize her. Every curve, every soft sigh. Not just because I wanted her — God, I did — but because a quiet voice in the back of my head whispered that this might be one of those moments that sticks. The kind you replay when everything else falls apart.
And I didn’t want to forget a single second.
Ruby’s fingers dug into my shoulders, her breaths coming in short, desperate gasps. I kissed her collarbone, her chest, the soft skin just above her bra. With a quick flick, I unhooked it, letting the straps slide down her arms. Her nipples were hard and inviting, and I took one into my mouth, rolling it with my tongue while my hand massaged the other.
She writhed beneath me, her hips grinding against my erection. The friction was almost too much to bear, and I groaned against her skin. Ruby pulled my head up, capturing my lips in a bruising kiss that left us both breathless.
I grabbed her, picked her up and walked her over to the sofa, until the back of her legs hit the cushions, and I gently laid her down. Her hair fanned out around her like a dark halo, her chest heaving with anticipation. I stood for a moment, taking in the sight of her—flushed, disheveled, and utterly gorgeous.