Page 53 of Marry Me…Maybe?
Pressing her mouth harder against his, she felt him give in to it and heard him groan low and deep in his throat.
Rolling on top of him, she pressed her body against his from chest to thigh, feeling the hard length of him against her hip. She rubbed against him, needing him to touch her, to make her feel good, to give her respite from the confusion of thoughts swirling round her head. But he kept his hands to himself, letting her do what she wanted to him, allowing her to use his body, to find comfort in the physical connection of it without asking for anything in return.
She needed this.
So much.
Oblivion.
Even if it was only for a short time.
Moving up to sit astride him, she unbuckled his belt with shaking fingers and pulled open his fly, releasing his cock from the confines of his trousers.
Looking down at him, she saw he was staring at her intently, a muscle flicking in his jaw, and relief rushed through her as he gave a small nod of encouragement. Locating a condom in the bedside table, she rolled it onto him. Then, pulling her underwear to one side, she positioned herself over him and pushed down, feeling him fill and stretch her, hitting her deep inside her body.
It felt so right.
So good.
At that moment all she needed was to lose herself in something wholesome, something comforting, something pure.
The tears came again as she moved, and she let them fall without attempting to stop them or brush them away. This was catharsis, expelling from her body all the hurt and anxiety she’d been bottling up since Theo had first confronted her last night.
His breathing was low and ragged as she rode him, his eyes screwed tightly shut as if he was concentrating hard on giving in to her. She loved him for that – for his total surrender to her whims and needs.
She moved faster and harder against him and she felt him grab the sheet beneath him, as if trying to hold back his orgasm. The mere thought of him coming beneath her tipped her over the edge of her own control and she exploded with sensation, her breath rasping in her throat, and she called out to him, urging him to follow her.
He did as she asked, grasping her hips hard and rocking her back and forth on top of him, thrusting into her until he came too, letting out a low, guttural groan of relief.
Once their breathing had steadied, she rolled off him and snuggled into his hot body. After he’d disposed of the condom, he slid his arm beneath her neck so he could pull her against him more effectively.
They lay like that for a while, quiet and caught in their own thoughts.
‘At least my mother finally got what she wanted,’ she whispered eventually against his chest.
He put out a hand and stroked her cheek lightly, as if trying to smooth away her pain.
‘I wasn’t brave enough to forgive her, Theo, and now it’s too late.’ Her voice shook with the emotion she’d been keeping in check for so long. Too long.
‘It’s not your fault, you mustn’t blame yourself.’
‘Then who is to blame?’
‘No one. No one could have predicted any of it. There were too many people involved, too many secrets.’
‘Secrets,’ she said. ‘I knew they’d come back to bite me eventually.’
He snorted, pulling back to give her a wry smile.
‘Are you ever going to tell me any of yours?’ she asked tentatively.
The smile dropped from his lips and he shut his eyes, his brow pulling into a frown. ‘Yeah, I guess I owe you an explanation about why I’ve been so distant with you.’
His voice held a twang of discomfort and she twisted away and up, so she could rest her head on the pillow next to him. From the tone of his voice, she guessed it had to be something pretty serious.
He ran a hand over his face, apparently gearing himself up to tell his story.
‘When my brother Hugo died, I was in a tough place emotionally. I met a woman – Lauren – not long after it happened, at the local pub. She seemed to appear out of the blue at the exact time I needed someone to talk to. Hugo’s death had hit my parents hard, and I found it virtually impossible to talk to them about it. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I felt isolated, and suddenly there she was – all bright and fun and full of life, with all these wild ideas. A bit like you,’ he said, shooting her a look that appealed for understanding. ‘I fell for her hook, line and sinker,’ he said, pulling his gaze away from hers and staring up at the ceiling.
