Page 44 of Murder in Calusa Cove
She breathed out softly, her voice barely more than a whisper against his ear. “You. Just...you.”
“No. I want you to be specific.”
Her eyes flickered with uncertainty and lust as she hesitated, then whispered, “I want your hands...everywhere.” It was an open invitation, a plea of trust and desire that cut through the last veil of his restraint.
His fingers trailed down her spine, drawing soft gasps from her lips as he complied with her request. A slight tremor ran through her under his touch, his fingers crafting an enigmatic symphony on the smooth canvas of her skin. He traced every ridge and valley with a gentle urgency, committing each sensation to memory.
Sex had always been an act of exploration—and release. This was something more. Something he couldn’t put into words, and he didn’t want to think about that.
Chloe clung to him as he explored her—a warm, breathy sigh escaping her as his lips found the hollow at the base of her neck. The taste of her skin sent shivers of anticipation coursing through him.
“Is this what you wanted?” he asked tenderly, caressing the shell of her ear with a feather-light kiss as he pinched and plucked at her nipples.
She let out a whimper in response, arching into him as desire took hold. “Yes,” she whispered back, locking gazes with him in a look that held nothing but pure, unadulterated longing.
He continued his exploration, angling his body to cover hers fully. He watched her—watched the way her breath hitched when he grazed sensitive areas, how her pupils dilated with each ignited spark between them. She was a masterpiece—one that he found himself growing more and more enraptured by.
His hands roved further south, venturing into territories that had remained untouched until now. His fingers danced on the edge of her inner thigh, and Chloe let out a soft gasp at the teasing touch. Seeing her writhing beneath him only urged Hayes further into this whirlpool of desire they were both falling deeper into.
“Yes, Hayes.” She lifted her hips. “Please,” she begged.
He eased his fingers inside, kissing his way down her taut stomach. She tasted like sweet strawberries mixed with champagne.
He continued to tantalize and tease, as her desire built like a gathering storm. He became lost in their shared ecstasy, bodies intertwined in a dance that was both a beginning and an end.
He flattened his hand over her midriff, feeling it tighten and quiver as her body released the first wave of her climax.
Hayes knew that this was just the start—the beginning of something that held no boundaries or limitations. One that would etch her into the very fabric of his existence and forever change the course of his life. He promised himself then and there, under the blanket of starlight and vulnerability, that he would honor her trust wholeheartedly. For he had finally understood what love was—it was Chloe.
His breath caught in his throat as he dotted tiny kisses up her body, settling between her glorious legs.
She cupped his face, holding him steady, staring into his eyes. “What?” she asked, breathlessly.
“You’re beautiful,” he managed. He claimed her lips in another heated kiss, muffling her soft cries that filled the silent night. His hands moved with expert skill down her sides, each contact imprinting an indelible mark on her skin. He relished the feel of her—soft, warm—alive under his hands, reciprocating his ardor with equal fervor.
Her nails dug into his back as she clung onto him with a desperate need, pulling him closer. A gasp escaped her lips as he pushed deeper into her world of desires. He held her gaze—stormy with unleashed fervor, while his own desire was an equally passionate gale refusing to be tethered.
He laced his fingers with hers, their palms etching passion-filled stories on one another while their bodies kept up the carnal choreography. The pace quickened. The air crackled with an electrifying energy that rose to a crescendo, building up to an imminent climax. Chloe was lost to him now—in the best possible way—consumed by the storm of passion that they had both unleashed. They moved as one, a dance choreographed by their joined hearts.
And then, with a shuddering sigh that echoed through the silence, Chloe fell over the edge. The sweet surrender etched on her face was a sight Hayes would hold close to his heart forever. It wasn’t long before he followed her lead, consumed by the same waves that crashed over her.
They lay tangled in each other’s arms, basking in the afterglow, allowing the stillness to encase them. The sacred silence was broken only by the sound of their irregular breathing slowly syncing back to a comfortable rhythm.
Hayes fingered Chloe’s hair away from her face, looking at her with an affection that extended beyond the realms of physical desire. She reached up lazily to touch his face, her gaze softening as it met his. A silent understanding passed between them, something more profound than words could express, sealing a promise onto their entwined hearts. This night was not an end but a beautiful beginning to uncharted territories of love and desire.
A part of him would now forever belong to her. He accepted that because he couldn’t deny it, even though a small part of him wanted to.
He gently brushed a loose tendril of hair from Chloe’s face, watching as the pull of sleep tugged at her eyelids. He pulled her closer still and pressed his lips to her forehead in a silent promise.
For a man who’d built walls around himself to keep others at bay, the surrender had been earth-shattering. Yet, there she was—Chloe. She’d broken down those defenses with an ease that left him exposed yet unafraid. He marveled at this feeling—this vulnerability woven with trust which he’d never experienced before.
Chloe’s sleepy eyes looked up at him, veiled with the hints of unspoken promises and secret desires. In a voice husky from satiation and fatigue, she whispered, “Hayes...” Her voice trailed off into nothingness, leaving the meaning of her words suspended in the air between them like potent magic.
“Yes, Chloe?” he prompted gently, stroking her hair as he watched her struggle to find the right words.
“Hayes,” she started again, her voice barely above a whisper. “I…” She paused, biting her lower lip unsurely. He watched her, feeling the pulse of anticipation thrumming between them as he waited for her to gather herself.
Wordlessly, he traced his fingers over her cheek, coaxing out the words held captive in her throat. She took a deep breath, the air shuddering slightly as it exited her lungs, then looked into his eyes with an intensity that left him breathless.
