Page 143 of New Growth
Once inside, I slid off my coat, watching him carefully.
“You okay?” I asked, a little hesitant.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” El barely glanced at me as he pointed at my shoes. “You need help?”
“Yes, please.”
He crouched down, and I braced a hand on his back for support as he worked the straps loose. The second they were off, I kicked them aside with a relieved sigh.
El stood, and for a brief moment, he just looked at me.
Then he leaned in. My eyes fluttered shut, waiting for him to kiss me but he didn’t.
I barely even registered the sound of my zipper being undone.
Cool air kissed my skin as my dress pooled at my feet. I stiffened, and my hands flew up to cover my now-exposed body.
I stepped out of the dress, moving instinctively to grab something—anything—to cover myself, but El’s hand on my forearm stopped me. He turned me to face him. Slowly. Then, gently, his hands found mine, easing my arms away and baring mecompletely to his gaze.
He looked.
Not in a way that felt rushed or fleeting.
He took his time.
His eyes roamed my body, dark and heavy with something I didn’t have a name for. And then, without a word, he dipped his head and buried his face in my neck, pressing slow, open-mouthed kisses to my skin.
Heat shot straight through me. My toes curled against the hardwood.
His clean, warm scent wrapped around me, pulling me deeper into the feeling of his lips trailing lower and his hands smoothing down my back.
By the time he reached my lips, his arms wrapped around me, scooping me up like I weighed nothing.
I was already gone. I didn’t even realize we had made it to his bedroom.
El laid me down at the edge of the mattress, his touch careful and deliberate. He stood between my legs, his gaze heavy as he reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.
I swallowed hard.
He unfastened his belt next, letting his pants slide to the floor before crawling over me, his warmth settling against my skin. His lips found my neck, trailing lower, leaving a path of heat wherever they landed.
I wanted to let go.
I loved the way he felt against me. But reactively, my hands came up between us, pressing against his shoulders for the briefest second before falling away.
El stilled.
His forehead rested against mine, breath warm. Then he pulled back just enough to look at me.
“What’s wrong?” he breathed out.
“Nothing.”
His eyes searched mine. “Nothing?”
I shook my head in response.
“Do you need a break?”
