I force my eyes to meet his, and the intensity in his gaze nearly undoes me.
He reaches down, his thumb finding my clit, and starts to circle in time with his thrusts.
"That's it," he growls. "Come for me. I want to feel you."
The pressure builds and builds, coiling tighter in my belly, my thighs starting to shake.
Every nerve ending is on fire, every sensation magnified, and when his thumb presses just right at the same moment he drives deep, I shatter.
I come with a cry, my body clenching around him, waves of pleasure crashing over me so intense I see stars.
My back arches off the bed, my hands fisting in the sheets, and I hear myself making sounds I've never made before—broken moans and gasps and his name over and over.
"Fuck, Demi—I'm—"
He thrusts twice more, hard and deep, and then he's coming too, groaning my name as he spills inside me.
I feel the heat of him, the way he pulses, and it triggers another wave of pleasure that makes me cry out again.
We collapse together, breathing hard, our bodies still tangled. He pulls me close, wrapping his arms around me, and I bury my face in his chest, feeling the rapid thud of his heartbeat against my cheek, feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he tries to catch his breath.
His hand strokes my back in long, slow movements, and I feel boneless, sated, complete.
Finally, reality intrudes. I feel the cooling wetness between my thighs, feel the need building in my bladder.
"I have to pee," I whisper, and he laughs—a real, genuine laugh that rumbles through his chest and makes my heart swell.
"Go ahead."
I slip out of bed carefully, trying not to spill, feeling his release start to drip down my thighs. I grab a tissue from the nightstand,and when I look back, he's watching me with a soft smile, his eyes tracking my movements.
"You're staring," I say, unable to keep the smile off my face.
"Can you blame me?"
I shake my head and pad to the bathroom, feeling thoroughly claimed and absolutely satisfied.
When I come back, he's propped up on one elbow, the blanket pulled to his waist, and he holds it up in invitation. I slide back in beside him, and he pulls me close again, tucking me against his side.
"Demi," he says quietly, and there's something different in his voice now. Something open.
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you're here."
I smile against his chest, my heart full. "Me too."
And I know, with absolute certainty, that everything has changed.
Chapter 6 – Joseph
The storm has passed, I can tell by the quality of the silence outside, the way the wind has stopped its relentless howling.
Pale morning light filters through the window, softened by the thick layer of snow still clinging to the glass.
Demi's curled against me, her back pressed to my chest, one of my arms draped over her waist. Her hair is a mess of blonde tangles spread across my pillow, and I can smell the faint scent of her shampoo.
The warmth of her body against mine feels impossibly right, like this is how mornings are supposed to be.
