“Sean,” she whispered, and she leaned her forehead to his.
“Nothing happens that you don’t want. I promise. We can just lie here. All night. Let me hold you.”
His tone, so gentle, so honest, made her tears flow freely. Deep in her heart, she knew he meant every word. He’d be happy to lie with her, if that was what she wanted. But it wasn’t. It really wasn’t. Reset with new resolve, she leaned into him again.
She kissed him fiercely on the lips, hot open-mouthed kisses of gratitude, respect and awe for this man. It didn’t take long for the kisses to turn hungry. She devoured him, taking everything she could.
Ivy let the kisses drive her into a frenzy until she was so desperate she urged him back down onto the mattress. Palms flat against his chest, she held eye contact with him, looking deeply into the brown depths until she saw nothing, sensed nothing, but him.
And holding that gaze, she sank onto him. The feel of him stretching her, filling her, was so exquisite his name fell off her lips with brand-new purpose, and he responded by gripping her hips, holding her still while he caught his breath.
Maybe he was caught up in the same storm as she was, lost somewhere between the disbelief that this was happening and the satisfaction that came with finally experiencing something that had been a longtime coming. She wanted to savor every second.
“Look at you,” he whispered, using his fingers to thread the hair away from her face. “I wish you could see how beautiful you look while you’re taking me. You’re perfect.”
It was his praise that gave her confidence. His words, spoken so candidly they had to be true, urged her to take what she wanted. And she did want it, so, so badly.
Slowly, Ivy lifted and dropped her hips over him, tentative at first, adjusting to his size and presence inside her. At some point between exploration and need, her body took over, moving faster and harder as momentum grew around them. Sean was patient, only the pressure of his fingertips pressing into the flesh of her hips giving away a hint of his desperation. That and the glisten of sweat spreading out over his skin, showed Ivy how his control was costing him.
What would it be like if he completely let go? How wild could he be? How dominant? Part of her relished the idea of one day finding out. But this encounter now, with her on top, staying his power, controlling his climax, it gave her a thrill she’d never experienced.
Their eyes held, and she watched as his mouth opened, unintelligible words and her name falling out of it over and over as they moved in unison. His grip never left her hips as he held her closer, encouraging her to go faster as she chased the feeling that grew every time she bore down and he reared up, hitting the deepest part of her.
Their connection never faltered as they rode the moment together, until finally, everything around Ivy blurred into one. The pleasure of their joining hitting a pressure point so intense she broke eye contact only to throw her head back and cry out his name, loudly shouting it so the whole world could know who it was that had brought her back to herself. Who it was that had made her feel again.
Distantly, through the haze of her own pleasure, she heard her name tearing off his lips right before he tensed beneath her.
She had no idea how long it went on. It was an orgasm that probably deserved a place in theGuinness World Recordsfor length and intensity, but eventually, it did subside. And when it did, Ivy dropped over Sean’s chest heavily, spent and exhausted. Instantly, his arms came around her, caressing her back, uttering praise she didn’t realize she needed to hear.
“You’re amazing,” he murmured into her hair, his voice raspy. “Everything about you is amazing.”
Ivy nuzzled against him, letting his words wash over her, giving herself permission to, if only for this moment, believe them. After a minute, once their breathing regulated, their heartbeats settled back to normal, she turned in his arms.
“You can hold me now. If you want.”
Any insecurity she had left melted away when he smiled and turned her to her side so he could curl up behind her. He pulled her close, and wrapped an arm around her body, dropping his palm low on her belly.
“Just try to get rid of me.” Sean’s arms squeezed around her, and Ivy snuggled, fully content, as they lay there, in this moment they had created together, candlelight flickering around them.
* * *
Her eyes had been closed for no more than five minutes, and already there was a nudge against her backside. If this was sexual liberation, she’d have to rethink her strategy. Sleep was sacred, and since she wasn’t used to getting much of it at the best of times, she wasn’t sure she wanted to sacrifice any more. Not even for the treat that sex with Sean had turned out to be.
Another nudge. Well, she could always sleep when she was dead, she figured as she rolled over in the heated cocoon of her comforter to face Sean. Except he wasn’t there. At least not on the mattress beside here, where she could have sworn she’d seen him five minutes ago.
Instead, he stood by the side of her bed, wearing nothing but a pair of running shorts and his six-pack, grinning at her like a Cheshire Cat with a death wish. He leaned down and poked her again.
“Wake up, sleepy head. Run time.”
“Are you insane?” she croaked in her sleep-thickened voice. “It’s the middle of the night.”
Sean chuckled as he pulled on a long-sleeved athletic shirt. “It’s six in the morning, Ivy. And I know you like to run before sunrise. Run time.” He grabbed the comforter and, with one fierce tug, pulled it right off her.
Ivy screeched and scrambled to find something to cover her naked body. There was nothing. The sheet had gone with the comforter. So she gave up and grabbed her phone. Sure enough, it read 6:03. She blinked in confusion. Had she slept for six hours straight, without waking, dreaming, or even moving? When was the last time that happened?
And now she was even more pissed he woke her. How much longer could she have slept?
Sean had rounded the bed and was crouched in front of her. He kissed the tip of her nose. “You’ll be more pissed if I let you miss your run.”
