"I love you," I say again, stepping closer."I love your brain and your stubbornness.The way you challenge me.The way you let me take care of you, even when you pretend you don't need it."
Her breath catches."Gage..."
I take her hands in mine."You don't have to say it back.Not now.I just needed you to know."
She squeezes my hands, her eyes glistening."I'm falling in love with you.I think I already have."
Her words wash over me like warm water, sinking into places I didn't know were cold until now.I pull her closer, one hand sliding up to cup her face.
Pressing my forehead against hers, I breathe her in.The scent of her shampoo, something floral and fresh, fills my senses.My thumb traces the curve of her cheek, and I feel her shiver under my touch.
"I want all of you," I tell her."Not just in the club.Not just in bed.Everything."
She rises on her tiptoes, her mouth a breath away from mine."Then take it."
I crush my lips against hers, and she melts into me with a soft moan that vibrates through my chest.Without taking my lips from hers, I guide her to her room.
Her bedroom is dimly lit, the late afternoon sun filtering through sheer curtains.I kiss her again, deeper this time.She tastes like mint and something uniquely her that makes my head spin.
"I need you to understand something," I murmur against her lips."This isn't just about tonight.This is about everything.You and me, whatever comes next."
Her hands fist in my shirt, pulling me closer."I understand."
As I study her face, I search for any hesitation, any doubt.Finding none, I let my hands drift down to the hem of her tank top.She lifts her arms without a word, trusting me completely.The fabric slides over her head, and I take a moment to appreciate the sight of her, bare except for a simple black bra.
"You're beautiful," I breathe, my fingers tracing the delicate curve of her collarbone.I unhook her bra with practiced ease, letting it fall between us.She doesn't shy away from my gaze.Instead, she stands taller, more confident than I've ever seen her outside the club.
"Your turn," she whispers, tugging at the buttons of my shirt.
I let her undress me, savoring the deliberate way her fingers work each button, the brush of her knuckles against my chest.There's something different about this moment, something more intimate than the scenes we've shared at Club Red.This isn't about power or control.This is about connection.
When we're both naked, I guide her to the bed, laying her down gently against the rumpled sheets.I hover above her, drinking in every detail —the flush spreading across her chest, the way her pupils dilate as I lower myself against her.
"I want to worship every inch of you," I whisper, my voice rough with need."Slowly.Thoroughly."
Her breath hitches as I trail kisses along her throat, tasting the salt of her skin.My hands run over the curves of her body, which I have memorized from every interaction before this.She arches beneath me, soft gasps escaping her lips.
"Gage," she breathes, her fingers threading through my hair."Please."
But I take my time, lavishing attention on every sensitive spot I've discovered on her body.Her pulse point.The hollow of her throat.The soft swell of her breasts.Each touch draws another sound from her, and I drink them in like a man dying of thirst.
When I finally settle between her thighs, she's trembling with anticipation.I look up at her, meeting her eyes as I worship her with my mouth.She throws her head back against the pillow, her hands gripping the sheets as I work her slowly, deliberately.I know exactly how she likes to be touched now—the perfect pressure and rhythm that makes her come undone.
"Please," she gasps, her thighs trembling around my shoulders."I need you inside me."
I rise above her, positioning myself at her entrance.Our eyes lock as I push into her slowly, both of us gasping at the sensation.She's so warm, so perfect around me, I have to pause, fighting for control.
"I love you," I whisper against her lips, my voice breaking slightly on the words.
I can love her enough for both of us.The way emotion spills from her actions is enough.
Her legs wrap around my waist, pulling me deeper, and I lose myself in the rhythm we create together.
This isn't the controlled dominance of our club encounters.This is raw and honest and desperate.Her nails dig into my shoulders as I move within her, and I can feel her walls fluttering around me, drawing me closer to the precipice.
"Look at me," I command softly, and her eyes flicker open to meet mine.The connection between us is electric, overwhelming.I can see everything in her gaze- her love, her trust, her complete surrender to this moment.
When she comes apart beneath me, my name falls from her lips like a prayer.It’s enough for me to follow her over the edge.The release is earth-shattering, but it's the way she holds me afterward that really undoes me.Her arm wrapped around my shoulders, her fingers stroking through my hair as our breathing slowly returns to normal.
