Page 41 of Wildflower and Whiskey
“Woman, I love your curves. I sure as hell am not going to complain about that,” I said, and it bought me a real smile that touched her gray eyes, softening them. The way she looked at me now almost had me undone. What was happening to me?
“And I like seeing you with Braden. I’m guessing becoming a mother was a good thing for you.”
“The best,” she replied.
I shook my head. “Seeing you with him…” My voice snagged. I didn’t talk about Mom, not to my brothers, not to anyone. But the words came anyway.
“I watch you with Braden, how you worry about him, how you put him first. And I don’t understand how my mom could just walk away from us. She didn’t cry, didn’t fight, didn’t look back. You tore yourself apart just leaving him at daycare for a few hours, and she… she left us for good.”
Her eyes softened, shimmering with tears.
“It kills me sometimes,” I admitted. “Because when I see you hold him, it makes me realize what we lost. And how lucky Braden is to have you.”
Her hand fully covered mine now, warm and steady. “I’m sorry, Phoenix,” she whispered.
“Don’t be. Just… don’t ever doubt you’re a good mom. Because I see it, every time you look at him.”
She blinked rapidly, then smiled through her tears. “You really are too much sometimes.”
I grinned faintly. “Wait until you taste the crumble. That’ll seal the deal.”
We ended up eating it straight from the pan, sitting shoulder to shoulder on the futon. She laughed when I tried to steal the topping, and for the first time all day, some of the heaviness lifted from her face.
Elyna leaned into me, her head resting against my shoulder. “He’s out for the night,” she murmured.
“Then it’s just us,” I whispered, brushing a kiss into her hair.
Her lips found mine next, soft but searching. The kiss deepened quickly, sweet turning molten, and soon her hands were sliding under my shirt, pulling me closer. I laid her back on the futon, covering her body with mine.
“Tell me this isn’t just heat,” she whispered against my mouth.
“It’s not,” I swore, kissing her again, harder. “It’s always been more.”
The loft stayed quiet but for our mingled breaths.
She removed my shirt with hunger and then spread kisses down my chest. I reached down and pulled off her sweatshirt to see she wasn’t wearing a bra.
I hissed, taking in her breasts, and she smiled from the way I watched her.
I hissed, my body tightening at the sight of her bare breasts. She smiled slow, wicked and knowing because she liked the way I couldn’t tear my eyes off her.
“You like?” she teased, her voice husky.
“Like is an understatement,” I growled.
She leaned over me, brushing her nipples across my chest deliberately, her soft skin making me twitch with need. I reached up and cupped her breasts, rubbing my thumb across her peaks until she gasped. Then she surprised me by sliding down my body, kissing lower, scraping her teeth gently over my ribs and down my stomach.
“Elyna…” My voice came out strangled when she tugged at my jeans, freeing me. Her hand wrapped around me, slow and sure, and when her mouth followed I almost lost it. The heat of her lips made me curse and my head snapped back against the futon cushion.
I wasn’t used to her taking control like this. But I loved it. Her tongue traced my length, her mouth hollowed, and I couldn’t stop the groan that ripped out of me. My hand went to her hair, not pushing, just grounding myself, because if I didn’t hold on to something, I was going to lose it too fast.
After a few torturous minutes, I yanked her back up, kissing her fiercely, tasting myself on her lips. “Your turn,” I rasped.
She giggled breathlessly, but the sound turned into a moan when I rolled her beneath me, tugging her sweatpants down and tossing them aside. I settled between her thighs, spreading them wide, and lowered my mouth to her.
The first stroke of my tongue had her jerking, hands fisting in my hair. “Phoenix!” she gasped, her hips arching.
I groaned against her, “You taste so damn good.” Her response was a moan that grew louder. I licked and sucked until she was trembling, her thighs clamping around my head. “Phoenix, it’s too much.”
