Page 33 of Falling for Red
Slowly, she examines the black and white compass that bleeds into a map of the world on my shoulder.
“Semper Fi,” she says, her finger gliding over the black ink above the compass.
“My first tattoo.” I shrug. “Eighteen and in the marines. Felt like the right idea.”
“You don’t like it now?” She props her head up, resting it in her hand as she lays on her side.
“I like that it translates to: Always Faithful.” I lean in to kiss her. “Because I am.”
She smirks, breaking my gaze. I grab her chin, and she looks back into my eyes. “Your eyes are amazing.” She softly closes them. “They are. So, do you still want to try something new?” She nods. “Think about being in high school when you were too nervous to do more than just kiss and touch. It’s like that, but without the awkwardness.”
“Well, I’m still a little insecure. Especially compared to you.”
“Why?” I glide my hand down her leg, wanting her to feel like the sexiest person alive because she is.
“I’m soft. You’re … well, an action figure.”
“Soft where?” I squeeze the inside of her thigh, and she lets out a small sound. “I like that you're soft.” I brush my fingers over her skin again, watching her reaction. “You like when I touch your thigh here?” I ask, caressing her inner thigh.
“Yes,” she breathes out and I love that sound. She’s relaxing.
“How’s the eye contact?” I ask, grinning as I kiss the strap of her bra.
“I’m getting used to it.”
“Good. Keep at it.” I trail my fingers up her stomach, watching her squirm slightly when I reach her ribs. “Learning your body is fun. Every reaction makes me want to learn more.”
I slide one strap of her bra down, kissing the skin it leaves behind. “You’re beautiful.”
She smiles softly, and I reach behind her, unclasping her bra. She moves to cover herself, but I gently stop her hand. “Let me.” I ease it off, my gaze lingering on her. My pulse picks up. I kiss across her chest, then flick my tongue over her nipple, watching the way her breath catches. There’s something intoxicating about the look in her eyes—like she’s teetering between trust and desire. “I like that you’re not used to taking it slow.”
I smile against her skin, kissing my way down her stomach.Claire could be the one.The thought keeps popping into my head.She is the kind of partner I want: strong, passionate, loving, easy to be with … and too fucking gorgeous. I reach her hip bone, and she tilts her head back, closing her eyes.
“Look at me,” I whisper.
Her lashes flutter open as I trail my tongue up her stomach, claiming her lips in a deep kiss.
“Roll over.”
“Why?”
“I need to continue exploring.”
“What about you?”
“This isn’t about me.” I press a kiss to the center of her back, smiling when she wiggles beneath me.
“It tickles,” she laughs, shifting.
“Tickles, huh?” I run my fingers lightly down her spine, stopping at the curve of her waist. She squirms again. I can’t hold back a smile.
I pull the covers down more, admiring her in her bike shorts. “You have a great ass.” I playfully swat her, then place soft kisses along the fabric until I reach her bare thigh. Every movement, every little reaction, makes me want to know her even more—every part of her, not just this. I bring the covers back up so she doesn’t get cold.
“Look at me,” I say softly. She turns to her side, locking eyes with me. “I really like this. Just touching and playing around.”
“It’s nice,” she says with a soft smile. Claire slips her hand under my waistband. Her eyes narrow slightly. “You’re not hard.”
I chuckle, grabbing her wrist and pinning it back as I roll on top of her. “Because that’s not what we’re doing.”
