I kissed her mouth, her jaw, the spot just below her ear that made her gasp. Then I worked my way down, pressing kisses to her collarbone, the swell of her breast, the space between.
When I reached the first scar, I paused.
Emily had gone very still beneath me, tension oozing from her pores.
I pressed my lips to the raised line of tissue, gentle and reverent. Then moved to the next one. And the next.
I kissed every scar I could find. The ones on her chest, her ribs, her abdomen. Took my time with each one, trying to show her what words couldn’t. That they were just part of her story, and I wanted to know every chapter.
Her breathing had gone ragged, and when I glanced up, I saw that her eyes were bright with unshed tears.
“Emily.” I shifted back up to her face, brushing my thumb across her cheekbone and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
“I just—” Her voice broke. “No one’s ever?—”
She didn’t finish, instead pulling me down into a kiss that was heartbreakingly sweet.
I kissed her back, taking my time, letting the heat burn away the last of the sorrow. Her tongue swept against mine, and she made a sound in the back of her throat that let me know the mood shifted. It wasn’t just comfort anymore. It was need.
She shifted her hips, pressing herself against me. That was all the permission I needed.
I trailed my fingers down her stomach, and lower, between her legs. She was slick. So incredibly ready for me.
Circling her clit once, I watched her eyelids flutter shut through the haze of the candle light.
“Stay with me,” I whispered.
She forced her eyes open, her gaze locked on mine as I stroked her again, firmer this time. She arched into it with a broken gasp. I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I rubbed faster, chasing the flush that was rising on her chest, and the haze of pleasure in her eyes.
Then I stopped, waiting for her eyes to focus on me. Then I pushed a finger inside her.
The moan she let out pushed me to the brink.
“Cam, I can’t… please.”
I crooked my finger, finding the spot that made her hips buck, and added a second. She was so tight, clutching at me like she was drowning. I pressed my thumb down, trapping her clit between my thumb and the relentless rhythm of my fingers.
“That’s it,” I murmured against her mouth. “Let go for me.”
Her orgasm hit hard. Her back bowed off the bed, nails biting into my shoulders as she cried out. I didn’t let up, working her through every pulse and shudder, watching her face the entire time. The way her mouth fell open. The way my name sounded when she could barely get the word out.
When the tension finally bled out of her, leaving her breathing hard against the pillow, I kissed her once and reached for the nightstand. My hands were shaking as I grabbed a condom and ripped the packet open.
“You ready?” I asked, rolling it on.
“God yes.” Her voice was wrecked.
I moved between her thighs, then caught both her wrists and pressed them into the pillow above her head. Her eyes went wide for half a second, but then darkened even more.
I lined myself up and pushed inside, slow and steady. She was tight and hot and absolutely made for me. I had to stop and just breathe before I lost it completely.
“Jesus Christ, Emily.” I forced my eyes to stay open so I could see her. “You feel so fucking good.”
She made a noise somewhere between a whimper and a moan, her fingers curling into fists as I sank deeper. When I was all the way in, I held still, letting her adjust. Letting myself adjust, because holy hell.
“Cam.” Her legs hooked around my hips, urging me on. “Move. Please.”
I pulled back and drove in again, finding a rhythm that was slow and deep. Her eyes locked on mine, and I couldn’t have looked away if the house was on fire.
