Page 35 of Love From the Ashes

I put my head back, relishing his warmth and touch. A string of sensations grew in my lower body as his mouth teased one nipple and then the other, followed by a trail of kisses down my stomach. I eagerly spread my legs as he lay down between them, a small gasp escaping me as his tongue gently teased.

Reid flicked me with his tongue, causing me to gasp again, my nub sensitive from my arousal. His hands caressed my thighs, my stomach, and then my breasts as he continued to taste me, my body writhing beneath him.

I strained toward his tongue, his alternating motions driving me wild with sensual pleasure. I squirmed as he increased the pressure, his tongue sliding over me in an erotic rhythm as he pinched and rolled my nipples. The hardened points stood at attention as they begged for more. I let out a series of moans as Reid pushed me toward the brink, my body needing to release, my voice pleading with him not to stop.

Reid released my nipples and reached for my hands, his fingers intertwining with mine, the two of us connecting as I cried out, my body straining forward in sync with a wave of pleasure. He flicked and teased me again when I thought my body was spent, his action causing another wild moan and a second release underneath his tongue. Reid got on his knees and slid forward, his body hovering over me as he guided himself inside.

I ran my hands down his back, my eyes studying his face as I took him. I wanted to feel, smell, taste, and touch him. I wanted to be a part of him. I moved in a sensual rhythm to match his own, our actions slow and deliberate, our bodies seeming to meld as one.

Reid reached for my hands, holding them next to my head as his fingers laced with mine once again. His strokes were gentle as he pulled himself almost all the way out and slid back in again. It was like he was savoring every moment while trying to ensure it felt as good for me as it did for him. Reid’s pace suddenly quickened, his thrusts growing harder.

My eyes locked with his as my muscles grew taut, an unusual sensation growing inside me. Reid’s engorged head was stimulating my G-spot, which, until now, I wasn’t even sure I had. I closed my eyes, savoring the delicious pleasure he was giving me. That I could have been married for years and never felt this sensation before was mind-blowing. But I knew why. Intimacy with Dean had been a bartered requirement, a chore of sorts. Sex with him had been quick and nonpleasurable, with him fumbling at the mechanics of it most of the time. I opened my eyes and looked into Reid’s. The connection between us was electric and different than anything I’d ever felt.

“You light me on fire,” Reid whispered, his body pounding with frenzied thrusts, his breathing coming in labored pants.

I spread my legs wider, pushing my body against his. I wanted all of him. I wanted him to fill me to the point of bursting. The pleasure he was giving me made me want to scream. My whole body was on edge, my skin on fire, nerve endings like shorting circuits while all my senses tingled. I closed my eyes, ready to come any second.

“Look at me when you orgasm,” Reid whispered.

I opened my eyes, my gaze locking with his. I grabbed his hips, my entire body straining forward as waves of pleasure rippled across my midsection.

Reid strained above me, my orgasm seeming to push him over the edge. He thrust several more times, then his lips parted as he let out a long, guttural groan, his body still as a warm puddle spread inside me. Then his body slowly relaxed.

I reached up and touched his cheek, his expression looking so intimately serene. Then I saw the look in his eyes. It was the look people gave each other in romance movies, the look associated with that four-letter word. It was also the look I’d seen in his eyes earlier that I couldn’t identify. Now I understood why things suddenly felt different between us. Our connection wasn’t purely physical.

Reid rolled off me and lay by my side. I was about to snuggle in his arms when he turned and placed his head on my stomach. Surprised by his action, I stared down at him. He seemed vulnerable yet trusting, and I liked it. I slid my hand through his hair, my fingers tangling and caressing. Then I held him.

After a moment of stillness, Reid slowly stirred. He slid his hand across my stomach, his finger tracing a circle around my belly button. Then he said, “I love you,” his words spoken so softly that I could barely hear them.

I froze, my heart feeling as if it had stopped beating. I looked down at Reid, suddenly scared. He made me feel all these emotions I’d never experienced before, and I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I wanted to taste, touch, and feel every piece of him, become a part of his soul. Shaken, I stared at him, realizing that Reid Morgan loved me and I was in love with him.

Reid shifted his body, coming back to the pillows. He reached for me, and I snuggled in the crook of his neck.

I kissed his skin and snuggled closer, his body warm underneath my cheek. Then I uttered that four-letter word. The one that had never crossed my lips before. “I love you too.”

Reid seemed to expel a deep breath, and then his body relaxed, his arms tenderly holding me as he rested his head against mine. “You’re one of a kind, and I don’t ever want to let you go.”

I closed my eyes, my world suddenly feeling like a fairy tale. I could only hope it was just as happy.

CHAPTER 13

A Viper’s Threat

I’d spent theweekend with Reid, and it was one of the best I’d ever had. He’d taken me candlepin bowling besides my first play, followed by a romantic walk along the waterfront. He’d been funny, attentive, and incredibly charming, on top of his exceptional talent at being sexually exhilarating in bed.

Now it was Monday morning, and I’d tossed and turned throughout the night, Reid the uppermost thought on my mind. Unable to sleep and giddy to see him, I’d arrived to work an hour early. The office was quiet and empty when I came around the corner of my desk and sat in my chair. I was bending down, putting my belongings in my drawer, when a noise disturbed the silence. Looking up, I saw Krista marching toward me, and she didn’t look happy.

“My goodness, you’re here early. Hmm, by any chance, were you hoping to run into Reid? I heard about your escapade on the dance floor Friday night, including your running out of the club and Reid stuffing you in his car. Stay away from him, Sofie. You’re not in his league.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. You’re insignificant and nothing but a plaything to Reid. A toy he can use until he tires of you. You’d be disappointed if you thought it would be more than that.”

“How dare you!” I slammed my drawer shut, floored she’d talk to me like that.

“How dare I what? Tell you the truth? Face it, you come from the street, a women’s shelter, according to what I heard. You’re not exactly the type of woman he can bring home to his mother, especially with your background. You’ve moved constantly and can’t hold a job. One of your employers even fired you for theft. There’s also that matter of you being married. Fletcher isn’t your given name. So, where is your husband? Are you divorced or still married?”

“None of that is any of your business. Besides, Reid’s mother is already aware of everything you said. She personally hired me.” I spoke through my clenched teeth. If I weren’t at work, I’d be on her already, pummeling her with my fists while wiping that smirk off her face.

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