“I’m close, Ivy. Fuck, I’m so close?—”
“Me too,” I gasp. “Come for me.”
His head tips back, another groan tearing from his throat as he comes, following my command. The wrecked sound sends me spiraling right after. I clench around him with a loud cry as pleasure crashes through me, leaving me shaking above him. My nails bite into his chest, leaving crescent marks as I shatter.
His lips find my shoulder, murmuring endearments against my damp skin. Entwined in our post-orgasm bliss, we’re breathless and whole, as though letting go would undo both of us. With one arm tucked behind my back, the other smoothing damp hair from my face, he holds me close. I curl into him, one leg hooked around his hip.
I press a kiss to his bare, tattooed shoulder. “I’m glad you decided to come to Lake Placid.”
“So am I. I feel like I can breathe again.”
Tears prick my eyes at the honesty in his words. “You’re everything to me, Teddy,” I say fiercely, my hand splaying over his heart as if to keep it safe inside my palm.
His lips brush my temple. “And you’re my light, guiding me forward.”
The words unravel me, because he truly means them. I cup his face, kissing him deeply. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he murmurs against my lips.
After a few more kisses, I peel myself off him, laughing softly. “We’re a mess.”
I slip into the bathroom, wet a washcloth, and return to clean him. He lets me, his chest rising and falling steadily as I dragthe cloth over his skin. There’s something intimate in the way he leans into it, as if this small act matters as much as everything that came before.
When I’m finished, he catches my wrist, pressing a lingering kiss to it before taking the cloth from me. “I’ve got you,” he says quietly.
I sink back against the pillows, watching him, my heart bursting with admiration. His palm holding the towel trails down my chest to the slope of my waist, followed by the curve of my thighs. The path he takes is unhurried, worshipful; every pause reminds me how much he relies on touch.
My chest tightens at the reverence in his movements and the way he makes me feel wholly safe in his hands. No one has ever cared for me intimately like this, and I have never loved him more than I do right now.
The last stroke of the cloth gives way to his hand, resting on my thigh before he bends toward me. His mouth follows a slow path, leaving kisses along my lower stomach. My breath catches as I thread my fingers through his hair, needing that tether to him.
He moves slowly up my body, trailing soft brushes of his lips over my sensitive skin. The last kiss finds my lips, lingering there, sealing everything we’ve just shared. He gathers me close and I curl into him, safe and warm in his arms.
The snow is falling thick past the large window of the hotel room when I wake the following morning. It’s the kind of day that makes you want to stay in bed, limbs tangled, responsibilities forgotten. Teddy is asleep beside me, chestrising in slow, even breaths. His arm is slung across my waist, his fingers resting under the hem of the sleep shirt I put on after the second round of sex. His face is relaxed and unguarded, peaceful in a way I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.
I slip out of bed carefully, trying not to wake him. His fingers twitch at the loss of contact, but he doesn’t move. I pad over to the desk phone and order us breakfast—plain pancakes with maple syrup and butter. I tack on some coffee, orange juice, and a side of fruit for myself. The woman on the other end is too chipper and loud for my liking at this hour, but I still thank her and hang up after the confirmation of my order.
Sliding under the covers, I curl into the warmth of Teddy’s strong body. His cologne lingers on his skin and I inhale deeply to breathe it in. He stirs when I stop.
“Mmm,” he murmurs into the pillow. “What time is it?”
“Too early.”
“At least you’re warm.”
“So are you.” I press a kiss to his shoulder, then to the line of his jaw. “I ordered breakfast.”
“What kind?”
“The best kind.”
He turns and opens one eye slowly. “Pancakes?”
“With maple syrup and butter.”
“God, I love you,” he sighs with contentment.
“You better because I love you, too.” I nuzzle into his neck, as my chest swells with gratitude. Every time he saysI love you, it feels like a promise he’s carving into my skin.
