Page 147 of Dove
As our heart rates settled we both stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms, catching our breath, soaking up the moment, until Josh gently laid me back down and pulled out of me carefully.
I winced, feeling oddly empty, and he apologized.
Curled up beside me, he brushed my sweaty curls out of my face. “Was I too rough? I tried my best to be careful since it was your first time.” He lifted my hand, kissing my knuckles. “But I’ll be honest, Dove, you felt so fucking good.” The words tickled the back of my hand and butterflies erupted in my stomach. “I kind of lost it there toward the end.”
“So, you enjoyed it?” I tried for nonchalant, but I was desperate to find out how I compared to the other women he’d been with.
Josh propped himself up on an elbow, looking down at me. “Are you kidding?”
“I mean.” I shrugged my shoulders, self-conscious. “I’ve never done it before, so I was hoping it was okay.”
Josh laughed. “It was more than okay, Dove. You were—” He shook his head. “There isn’t even a word, baby.”
A pleasant warmth spread through me. “You were pretty good yourself.”
“Pretty good?” Josh scoffed, affronted. “That’s all I get?”
I rolled so I was on my side, closer to him. I trailed my hand up his chest. “We can go again if you don’t like that answer.”
“You little brat.” Josh descended on me, tickling me until I was gasping for mercy.
“Fine, fine,” I wheezed out. “You were amazing, spectacular, best I ever had.”
“Theonlyyou ever had,” Josh corrected, hovering over me like he had earlier with his muscular arms on either side of my head. “You don’t have to goad me into a second round, little dove. I’m all yours, now. You can have me whenever you want.”
I want you forever.
And maybe now I could have him that long without worrying.
Wrapping my arms around him, I tugged until he reluctantly laid his body down over mine.
“I don’t want to crush you.”
“You won’t crush me,” I whispered, enjoying this moment. “I like it.”
Josh nuzzled my neck, pressing a kiss behind my ear. “I like it, too. Feels right.”
Yeah, it did.
Hedid.
More than anything else in my life right now, and I wasn’t going to let anyone, or anything, get in my way from having Josh this time.
He was mine to keep.
32
JOSH
We laid together under the stars after—like something out of a damn romance novel. Not that I’d read many of those, but Dove had growing up, and sometimes I’d crack them open and read them out loud to tease her. She’d always go bright red and snatch it back quickly before I could get to any of the good parts.
As tempting as her arms around me were, I made her switch positions with me, knowing that my bulk was likely crushing her, even if she protested otherwise. While I loved her hands running down my back, I enjoyed her snuggled into my chest far more.
Wrapped in each other’s arms we laid there, just existing in the quiet of the night, in the aftermath of what we just shared. As the silence stretched comfortably between us, I couldn’t help but replay everything over in my mind.
The moment I’d pushed into her and been engulfed by her tight heat, I’d lost control. Not enough to completely forget myself, but enough that seeing her wince as I pulled out of her had me wanting to punch myself from being too rough with her.
Having the very thing I’d pined for sprawled out naked and tempting before me had me wanting to do nothing but have herscream my name, the possessive side of me rearing its ugly head, but Dove didn’t seem to mind if the dreamy, satisfied look fixed on her face was anything to go by.
