It comes out like a plea, low and hoarse.She hesitates, biting her lip, and my stomach knots.Then she nods, a tiny movement, but enough to send a rush of heat through me.
I open the passenger door and help her in, tucking her notebook into her bag and setting it at her feet.She doesn’t say much as I drive, just stares out the window, her fingers twisting in her lap.I can feel the tension radiating off her, but I don’t push.
The roads are mostly empty at this late hour.The glow from the dashboard lights her profile, and I find myself memorizing the curve of her jaw and the few strands of hair that have escaped her ponytail to frame her face.My ribs throb with every breath, but I don’t care.Not when she’s here.
When I pull into my driveway, she finally looks at me.
“You live here?”she asks softly, like she’s surprised.
“Yeah.”My voice is quiet too.“It was my mom’s place.I fixed it up after she passed.”
Her eyes soften, and she lets me help her out of the car.I grab my bag from the back and sling it over my shoulder, then take her hand again.It feels natural now, like it’s supposed to.
Inside, the house is warm, dimly lit, all wood and leather and faint hints of cedar.It smells like me, soap, ice, and a trace of cologne.
When Elle steps in, she pauses, her gaze flicking over the space like she’s trying to see the man behind the mask.
I drop my gear by the door and turn to her.“You okay?”
Her eyes meet mine, shining.“Yeah.Just… trying to figure you out.”
I move closer, sliding my hands to her hips.“What do you want to know?”
Her breath catches, and she stares up at me.“Why me?”
God, she has no idea.
“Because you look at me like I’m not just a number on a jersey.Because you make me feel like… like I can breathe.”
She blinks rapidly, and before I can say anything else, she’s in my arms, kissing me again.This one is slower, deeper, like we’re both exploring.I back her up until her shoulders brush the wall, my palms flattening on either side of her head.She’s soft and warm under my hands, and when she sighs into my mouth, it’s all I can do not to groan.
I break the kiss long enough to rest my forehead against hers.“Tell me to stop and I will.”
Her answer is to rise on her toes and kiss me again, her fingers threading into my hair.
Something inside me unclenches.I lift her easily, her legs wrapping around my waist, and carry her down the short hall to my bedroom.The door swings shut behind us, and for the first time in years, the noise in my head goes quiet.
It’s just Elle and me.
We bump into the bed and tumble onto the mattress.
Elle gasps as she falls on top of me, looking down at me in a panic.“I… I’m sorry,” she stutters out, her face turning bright red.
“I’m not,” I growl.
“I didn’t hurt you?”she asks, trying to shift off me.
I grip her hips and urge her to rub against me.“No, Elle.You didn’t hurt me.”
She blinks, licking her lips.I reach up, cup the back of her neck, and pull her down to me.Our mouths crash together, and she moans.Her lips part automatically, and I lick into her mouth.
Our tongues tangle in an erotic dance, and my cock hardens between us.Her fingers tangle in my hair as I nibble on her bottom lip.She whimpers at the sting and moans as I rub my tongue over the spot.
Elle is humping me, her hips rocking back and forth along my length, and I growl.I can’t take it anymore.I roll her onto her back and settle on top of her.
“Need to get you naked,” I tell her as I push to my feet and pull off my shirt.
Her eyes drink me in as I tug her pants down her legs.She kicks them the rest of the way off, and I reach for her panties, pulling them off next.
