My lower back tenses with each forward thrust. I’m fiercely aware of every sigh and whimper I coax out of her. Her tight heat draws me deeper with each slide. She’s so responsive, I’m in awe of every reaction she has. I could spend the rest of my life figuring out all the different sounds she makes.
My movements get more desperate, more urgent. She starts to clench around me, moaning low. And I falter. My balls tighten. I’m close, so fucking close. But I’m not going over until she does. I shift slightly, angling my hips to hit a spot inside her that makes her throw her head back.
She finds her release with a cry. Her back arches off the bed and her legs tighten around my hips. Her core milks my shaft and my own release hits as she clamps down around me. My hips stutter and I spill into the condom, my forehead dropping to her shoulder. Grinding gently as I work to catch my breath.
“Fuck.” I plant a kiss on her collarbone, my fingers tangled with hers.
Reluctantly, I pull out, rolling off the bed to dispose of the condom and clean up. I come back and collapse beside her on the mattress. I drag her into my arms, pressing a kiss to her temple. She’s still coming down and she melts against my chest. Her cheek pressed against my shoulder. She starts tracing lazy circles over my abs causing my muscles to jump. I thread my fingers gently through her hair while we bask in the afterglow of what we just shared.
“Didn’t know it could feel like that,” I admit quietly.
My thumb brushes over her shoulder where one of the scrapes from the brick wall lingers. My touch is careful over the marks, silently vowing they’ll be the last ones she’ll ever bearbecause of someone else. I roll slightly, to tug the blanket up and over the both of us. I press a kiss to her forehead before relaxing completely into the pillows.
“Me either,” she mumbles against my skin, yawning.
I chuckle softly, my arms tightening around her reflexively. I can’t pull her close enough despite the fact she’s already tucked to my side with her head resting under my chin. Her yawn is infectious and I can’t help but do it too. Exhaustion creeps up on me.
“Get some sleep,” I murmur into her hair. Closing my eyes and inhaling the sweet scent of her vanilla honey shampoo.
“Does this mean you aren’t sleeping on the couch anymore?” She stops making circles on my stomach and rests her chin on my chest to look up at me. I open my eyes and look down at her, my lips quirk.
“Depends,” I rumble. “You gonna hog all the blankets?” She frowns and I chuckle. “Nah, not goin’ anywhere, Sunshine.” I close my eyes again, letting myself revel in the feel of her bare skin against mine.
She places her palm flat over my heart, where she can feel the steady beat of it before laying back down. “Okay.”
She’s quiet for a while before her fingers run over the ink on my chest. She traces the large tribal panther that stretches down over one of my pecs. “Do your tattoos have stories?”
My hand stills in her hair. “Do yours?”
“I got my owl for my grandma. She loved owls.”
My fingers caress her shoulder, brushing the length of the design. “Your wings?”
“A reminder.” She props her chin on her fist and looks up at me again. “Your turn.”
“No stories. Just wanted ‘em.” I evade answering. I’m not ready to share that much with her yet. I don’t tell those stories to anyone. Her answer about her wings is vague but I don’t push.
She studies me for a moment before kissing the rose and barbed wire design on my shoulder. Then she rolls out of bed, heading to the bathroom. She doesn’t bother with putting clothes on when she gets back. She crawls to me and burrows into my side.
She falls asleep in my arms. I’ve never seen her look this content and peaceful before. I take in the subtle features of her face, memorizing every line and curve and freckle. When I’m sure she’s well and truly asleep, I pull her more firmly to me. I’m used to sleeping alone, having the bed to myself, her warmth is foreign to me. And yet it feels right. I give in and close my eyes, my thoughts quieter than they’ve ever been.
~ Seriphina Joseph ~
I WAKE UP, FLAT ONmy stomach with a toned arm thrown over my back. I roll over, stretching. For the first time since the alley, I didn’t wake up with nightmares. It takes me a minute to remember what happened. I thought it would freak me out. But I’m oddly content. I didn’t expect the idea of a relationship to make me feel that way. Before I can think about it too much, Griffin’s eyes flutter open.
“Mornin’,” he grumbles with a deep sexy hum. His arm tightens around me, peeking at me through long lashes. The faintest trace of a smirk curls the corner of his mouth. He definitely remembers last night.
“Morning,” I reply. I deepen my stretch and groan. Throwing his arm off of me, I roll out of bed.
Griffin sits up, propping himself on his elbows as I traipse naked to the bathroom. “You okay?”
“Need to pee,” I call over my shoulder.
I shut the door to the bathroom. I do my business, wash my hands, my face, brush my teeth, and stare into the mirror fighting an existential crisis. My brain does awful things to me in the short time between opening my eyes and seeing myreflection. Is he going to regret it? Did we make a mistake? Do I really want to give feelings a chance? Will he still be attracted to my naked body in the daylight? Did he enjoy it as much as I did? The thoughts swirl viciously through my head as I grab my silk robe and pull it on. I tie the belt and re-enter the bedroom only to find him gone.
My heart slams in my chest and I look around the room. He walks in wearing those damnable gray sweatpants. My throat goes dry and my eyes drift down to his v-line.
He braces a shoulder on the doorframe and crosses his arms over his chest. His jaw is tight and he frowns at me. He shifts, seemingly as unsure of our situation as I am. But that makes no sense to me, because what does he have to feel self-conscious about? He was blessed by the gods with a body like that.
