Page 54 of Wild Tides
I grinned.Next time. Teasing was fun, but the trust shining in her eyes undid me.
“My kink is knowing you’re mine.”
The words hung between us, but I let my hands do the talking, gliding lower, kneading, tracing a path of muscle and bone that led me straight into temptation. Feathering kisses from her shoulder down her spine, I let my palms play at her hips, inching beneath her hipbones. Vi’s hiss sent the corners of my mouth tilting as I dipped to land a kiss on the same cheek I’d abused earlier.
She wiggled, the undulations of her slick body challenging the leash on my control. It was my turn to let out a breath through clenched teeth, fighting the need to take. My lapse gave her an opening, and she flipped beneath me, eyes triumphant when my gaze drifted, taking in every naked inch of her gorgeous body.
“You know what wouldreallyhelp me relax?”
“What?”
She reached for my lap, stroking me through my jeans. “Having you naked and inside me.”
Her stark words mirrored the need coursing through me. Everything tightened, from spine to groin. I wanted everythingshe offered. The trust. The pleasure. Her sweet sounds of satisfaction.
I tugged my lower lip between my teeth, holding back a smile when her gaze went hazy. Holding up my oil-slicked hands, I asked, “But what about your front?”
Her expression turned solemn, but there was an edge of humor in her eyes. “I have faith in your ability to multitask.”
My chuckle took me by surprise. I loved this side of her. Free. Funny. Mine.
I scooted back, abandoning her briefly to shuck the last of my clothes and find a condom. Vi clasped both hands in the universal sign for “gimme,” and I slid forward, knees bracketing her hips. She wreathed her arms around my neck, pulling me closer.
This close, the flecks of gold in her eyes held me spellbound. Falling into their depths, drowning in the chocolatey goodness almost made me forget where I was.Almost.
She stretched, bringing our mouths a hair’s-breadth apart, and paused. Waiting. For what?
“Lee.” Her voice was reedy with need.
I closed the gap between us, making the kiss deep, an exploration I never wanted to end. A giving. A taking. A pledge.
She arched beneath me, testing the last of my control. I didn’t think it was possible to swell further, but my body seemed to recognize that magic like this only appeared once in a lifetime. I drew back, just enough to hold her gaze as I slid home, inch by inch. Taking my time. Giving her a chance to adjust before I invaded further, diving deeper.
The moment stretched, our gazes locked together, a spell connecting us like a bubble that expanded and expanded, until you were sure it would pop, relieving the tension, but it held, crystallizing, until the rest of the world ceased to exist.
There was only us. This moment. A connection so bright and sure, it wasn’t fragile like a soap bubble, nor delicate like glass, but strong like spider silk. Gossamer-thin and beautiful, but stronger than steel by weight. I could only hope we’d be forever entangled in each other’s web.
“Lee.”
Benediction or demand, I couldn’t quite tell. She arched, her internal muscles clenching around me forcing an answering whimper from my lips.
I drew back, hissing as I lost the warmth of her heat, fighting the urge to finish too soon. Twining my fingers with hers, I drove back into her. “So good.”
She met me with a sharp thrust of her own, eyes blazing a dare. Every retreat felt like a little death, her loss almost more than I could bear. But each time I returned, she welcomed me, the flickers of pleasure in her gaze making me greedy for more. I’d live on the edge of orgasm forever if we could be together just like this.
Our rhythm built, until the only sounds were the harsh breaths and soft groans as we strained together. Friction and heat and Vi. When the ripples of her orgasm signaled her release, her body clenching around me dragged me with her. Her soft cry, watching her fall apart, undid something in my chest. I let go, slamming home one last time, exploding into her warm embrace. The force of my orgasm left my entire body tingling. Raw. Like I’d exposed a nerve.
Like I’d exposed everything. I pressed a kiss on her shoulder, took care of the condom, then slipped back into bed, gathering her close. She nestled into the hollow of my neck, her lips brushing my collarbone. When her mouth turned up in a smile against my skin, it felt like a prize. She sighed, the soft puff of her breath warming my skin, making me want to cocoon her in this moment and never let go.
Tires crunched on gravel outside. Vi stiffened, her nails biting into my arm. Unease knifed through me.
“I thought you were just leveraging the drama at Rae and Zach’s this summer to talk me into letting you stay at my place. If you feel unsafe here, you should absolutely move in with me. I may be a grumpy SOB, but I’d rather chew glass than worry about you alone here.”
Her fingers clenched around mine. “It’s not that. Or not just that…”
The hesitation in her tone made my jaw lock. If I barked, she’d bristle. I’d like to think I learned something during our time living together. If I wanted her to trust me with her fears, how I reacted mattered. I could feel her freezing next to me, subtly pulling away. It was the last thing I wanted.
“Cupcake, tell me.”
