His face slackened. The creases on his forehead appeared as he stared straight into me. Ice-cold hands travelled down my neck, resting on top of my shoulders. “I know.”
I raised an eyebrow at him, still unsure that he did.
“I know, but I can’t hold on anymore, Price.” I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, thick and heavy. “It’s so fucking hard when I’m around you. I’m losing my grip, and I’m justsofucking tired.”
I wished I understood what he was talking about. Whatever he was referring to, it pained him. I could see that much. “What do you need?”
“Break me.” His voice was the strongest I’d heard in the last thirty minutes. “Break me in the gentlest fucking way possible.Please.”
There was so much anguish I could feel it crackling in the air between us, yet he looked almost… relieved as he said it.
This would surely be a stupid thing to agree to. I knew that. If I gave in and had sex with Crew, it wouldn’t just be sex. The tightness I felt in my chest made that obvious. I wanted more—needed more—from him. This would be different from any friends with benefits I’d ever had. Different from any one-night stand I’d used to drown my demons. Different from any time I’d paid for someone’s body.
As stupid as I knew it would be, I nodded. Tingling began in my fingertips, making its way to my wrists and up along my arms. I had to feel him.
There was no other option.
“Take me to your room, Pretty Boy.”
I watched as light bloomed in his gaze at my request. Crew nodded, simple and curt, before standing. I followed him down a short hallway with three doors.
One was wide open, a small bathroom behind it. We passed decorations and picture frames along the wall. Two doors faced opposite each other at the end of the hallway. Crew stopped at the one on the left, pausing with his hand on the knob.
He looked at me over his shoulder. “Don’t judge the mess, okay? Nobody else comes in here but Willow.”
Wouldn’t dream of it, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit of warmth in my chest that I was the only other person to enter his space.
Slowly, Crew opened the door before stepping in. I followed behind, raking my eyes over the room. The shades by the windows were pulled to the side, letting the nighttime city life become the only source of light. Headlights fought with streetlamps and tall buildings to outshine one another.
My foot met a pile of clothes that were strewn haphazardly on the ground. A smile tugged at my lips when I took in the messy room as best I could. The minuscule light didn’t help much, but I could see enough.
The bed in the center of the room was unmade, the blankets thrown, and the sheets were beginning to hike up on the edge. There was a desk to my right, just as unorganized as the rest of the room.
It looked lived in. I liked it.
What I liked most was the person standing off to the side, awkwardly watching me. I slowly closed the door behind me before turning around and locking my gaze with Crew.
The silhouette of Crew’s chest rose and fell faster with each step I took. He looked nervous. Afraid, maybe. I had more questions than answers when it came to him. I wanted to know why he was so against my preferences. In my eyes, he was someone worthy of being worshipped—worshipping that was not done harshly or quickly.
Someday, I’d ask my questions, and he’d give me answers. Not today, though, and that was okay.
I liked to think I could be a patient man.
I stopped with barely a couple of inches between us. Crew craned his neck up to look at me; his lips parted as he panted uneven breaths. His eyes took on a mesmerizing glint that put the moon to shame.
Even mostly concealed under the shadows of night, Crew was breathtakingly handsome. I let myself search every inch of his face I could, basking in the acceptance he gave me to do so. Carefully, I closed our gap.
I traced his cheek with the tip of my fingers, gliding them over the skin there. I listened to the slight gasp he gave me and watched as his lashes fluttered while his eyes threatened to close.
Keeping my movements slow and as predictable as possible, I leanedmy forehead down onto his. I urged his body closer with my other hand, pushing him by the waist.
Our breaths became one. Crew’s slowed as he began to inhale and exhale at the same time I did. The warmth of his body enveloped me until I, too, could see nothing else but him.
I cradled the back of his head, leading his lips to mine in a slow, sensual kiss that stole reality. With each shared touch, Crew relaxed further until his hands were gripping me, his body was pressing into mine, and our tongues were meeting again. It had only been minutes since I’d tasted him, yet the groan of relief that left me was as greedy as I felt. His flavor was nothing like I’d ever had before. I could taste his pleasure. I could feel the refreshing chill inside of him, wrapping around the flame in me to calm it.
We rocked against each other, savoring the moans we shared through our mouths. I trailed my hand from his neck down his chest, circling his waist, feeling every inch of his body I could. The muscles in his stomach twitched with my touch as his hips arched into me further.
I halted our kiss, intent on tasting more of him as I brushed my lips along his clean-shaven jaw. When I reached just under his ear, I savored the taste of his skin with a flick of my tongue.
