He moves closer, stopping a few feet away. “I meant every word,” he says. “Every single one.”
I turn to face him. “I know you did,” I whisper. “That’s what’s terrifying.”
He takes a step closer. “Why?”
“Because…” I wrap my arms around myself. “Because letting you in again… trusting you again… it feels like jumping off a cliff.”
He closes the distance between us in two strides. His hands come up to frame my face, his touch warm and sure. “Then jump with me,” he says, his voice rough with emotion. His thumbs brush my cheekbones, wiping away fresh tears. “I’ll catch you this time, Holly. I swear it.”
His eyes search mine, holding all the hope and fear and desperate love between us. His gaze drops to my lips, then back up, a question blazing in his eyes.
The last remnants of my resistance melt. The fear is still there, but it’s drowned out by the overwhelming rightness of his touch, the undeniable truth in his eyes, the love he’d shouted to the world. I rise onto my toes, meeting him halfway.
The kiss starts soft, a gentle exploration, a relearning. His lips are warm, moving over mine with a tenderness that makes my chest ache. His hands slide from my face into my hair, holding me close as if I might disappear.
A low sound escapes him, a vibration against my mouth that feels like pure need. It ignites something deep within me. My arms wind around his neck, pulling him closer, my fingers tangling in his soft hair.
The kiss deepens, turning hungry and urgent. His tongue sweeps against mine and I respond in kind, pouring every ounce of my own need, my fragile, soaring hope into the kiss.
He breaks the kiss only to trail his lips down my jaw, along my neck, his breath hot against my skin. “God, Holly,” he murmurs, the words muffled against my collarbone. “I missed you. So damn much.”
His hands slide down my back, finding the zipper of my dress. As he unzips me the cool air hits my bare back, making me shiver. But his hands are warm, pushing the heavy velvet off my shoulders and down my body.
He steps back, just for a moment, his gaze sweeping over me in my lace bra and panties, his eyes dark with desire. “You’re so beautiful,” he breathes, the words.
My hands find the buttons of his crisp white shirt, my fingers trembling slightly. I fumble with the first one, then the next, revealing the smooth planes of his chest. He helps me, shrugging out of the shirt, letting it fall beside my dress.
He pulls me against him, skin to skin now, the heat between us burning bright. His mouth finds mine again, harder this time, more demanding.
His hands roam my back, down to cup my ass, pulling me flush against his arousal. A moan escapes me, lost in his kiss.
He leads me to the bedroom and when we get there, we quickly shed the rest of our clothes. He lowers me onto the bed, his body covering mine.
There’s so much heat and need between us. His touch is familiar yet new, rediscovering every curve, every sensitive spot that makes me gasp and arch against him.
He takes his time, worshipping me with his hands, his mouth, trailing kisses down my body, lingering, learning me all over again.
His lips trail down between my breasts, his warm breath teasing my skin. When his tongue flicks across my nipple, I gasp, arching into him. He circles the sensitive peak with exquisite slowness, making my entire body tingle with anticipation. The wet heat of his mouth sends electric currents straight to my core.
"Denton," I whisper, threading my fingers through his hair.
He looks up at me through hooded eyes, then takes my nipple fully into his mouth. The gentle suction combined with the light graze of his teeth has me writhing beneath him. When he nibbles softly, I can't hold back the loud moan that escapes me.
"God, yes," I breathe, my body on fire.
His hand finds my other breast, thumb grazing across the nipple as he continues his sweet torture. I'm dizzy with wanting him, my hips instinctively rocking upward, seeking friction.
He switches to my other breast, giving it the same attention, and I feel myself growing wetter by the second. My hands roam his broad shoulders, nails digging in slightly when he sucks particularly hard.
"I need you," I pant, tugging him back up to me. "Please."
His eyes meet mine, dark with desire but also something deeper—reverence, love, a promise. He kisses me deeply, his body settling between my thighs, the hard length of him pressing against me.
"I'm yours but first there’s something else I need to take care of.”
He trails kisses down my stomach, his breath hot against my skin as he moves lower. I feel his hands gently spreading my thighs, his shoulders positioning between them. My breath catches as he looks up at me, eyes dark with desire.
"I need to taste you," he murmurs against my inner thigh, his stubble creating delicious friction against my sensitive skin.
