Page 99 of Ablaze

Thrust, drive, pound.

I can barely catch my breath, but I mewl and mumble in response.

Dean pulls his hand off me, and the second his fingers circle over my swollen nub, my body tenses in pleasure. I clench hard around him and groan out another release.

For the quickest second, Dean’s eyes flash before he buries his face into my neck. His movements become jerky before I wrap my legs around his torso, pulling him into me as far as I can. With one more final thrust, his body shudders and he rolls his hips slowly, taking every ounce of his pleasure before he stills.

A moment later, he pulls out of me before laying on his side, facing me. We both breathe harshly, staring into each other’s eyes.

Dean lifts his hand to drag a strand of my hair behind my ear. His gaze is so soft, so tender, my heart feels like it’s being hugged from the inside.

“What are you thinking?” I whisper, turning my face into his hand and placing a kiss to the center of his palm.

A slow grin dances on his face. “About all the ways I want to fuck you after this. All the ways I want to fuck you for the rest of our lives.”

The rest of our lives . . .

“Gosh, you really know how to woo a gal,” I tease, even as my heart does a somersault.

The rest of our lives . . .

He pulls me into him, my nose against the base of his neck, his chin resting on my head, and my arms wrapped around him. I press soft kisses over his collarbone, dragging my nose over his skin, and feel his arms tighten around me.

I’d always figured he’d be a cuddler, and I’m totally fine with it. In fact, it might be my most favorite thing. Well, besides his smile, his blue-as-a-summer-sky eyes, and his luscious hair–whether long or short.

“I was actually thinking about next steps,” he murmurs after a long silent moment passes between us.

I look up at him, kissing the bottom of his jaw. “Hold that thought. I need to get cleaned up.”

I rush out of bed, all naked and not very lady-like, feeling Dean’s eyes on my ass. Once in the bathroom, I quickly clean up and walk back, grabbing my panties from the ground and putting them back on while Dean grumbles in protest.

Once I’m back in bed, he pulls me in–his big spoon to my little–wrapping his arm around me and stretching his hand out possessively on my stomach.

“Now, tell me what you were thinking about next steps.” I look over my shoulder and he brushes his lips on my cheek, my temple, my shoulder.

“I looked into an open position at the fire department near your apartment.”

I take in a soft breath. “You–”

“Well, it’s actually closer to your work, but I think that would be okay. I don’t know what kind of shifts I’d have–maybe two days on, two days off–but we could commute together if it worked out.”

I can’t not look at him. Turning around in his arms, I grasp his face and kiss his lips. He pulls me closer and I trail my tongue into his mouth, tightening my hands over his jaw.

Of all the things I’d expected in terms of next steps–the first being that he’d ask me to move back–I hadn’t expected that he’d already have looked into moving near me. And it’s clear he has no idea how deeply that sweet gesture affects me.

I pull out of our kiss, trying to get air into my lungs. “You would move to L.A. for me?”

“Sweetheart, I don’t care if it’s Antarctica, Timbuktu, or Mars. I’d move anywhere for you.” He sees my wobbly smile and adds, “Because if you’re there, I’d be home.”

I speak around that damn knot in my throat. “I love you, Dean Emerson Meyer. I don’t want to live another second without you.”

He runs his nose along mine, leaving a kiss on my lips. “Good, because you don’t have to.”

“But,” I say, finding his eyes again, “you don’t have to leave your job in Tahoe. I’m actually putting in my resignation as soon as I get back and returning to the bakery.”

His eyebrows lift. “What? Are you sure? It’s been your dream to work there. Why would you quit?”

I shake my head. “It was a dream after I graduated college, yes. But it isn’t what I want to do now. I miss running my bakery. I miss what I had for all those years in Tahoe.”

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