“I need you, River,” he whispers, his voice raw, laced with a desperate vulnerability that strips away his usual control. “More than air. More than anything.”
And in that moment, I know he means it. He needs me just as much as I need him. The thought is both terrifying and exhilarating.
He lowers his head, his lips finding mine in a desperate plea for connection. He rips my shirt over my head and throws it to the ground.
“What do you need from me?” I manage, the words a breathless prayer against his skin.
“Everything,” he growls, his hands tightening on my hips, pulling me flush against the hard evidence of his desire. “Everything.”
He lifts me, my legs wrapping around his waist, and carries me into the master bedroom. He lays me down on the bed, a vast expanse of dark silk sheets, and follows me down, covering my body with his.
“You are my obsession, River,” he murmurs against my skin, his hands exploring, learning, claiming every inch of me. “My masterpiece. My ruin.”
His words are a brand, and I welcome the burn. I am no longer just a student, a conquest. I am the center of his universe. The thought is a terrifying, exhilarating truth.
“Show me,” I whisper, my hands fisting in his hair, pulling him closer. “Show me everything.”
And he does.
He kisses a path down my body, his hands stroking, soothing, and stoking the flames of my desire. He takes his time, a master craftsman perfecting his creation. His mouth on my breast is a brand of possession, his teeth grazing my nipple, sending a jolt of pure pleasure straight to my core.
He is methodical. He is precise. And I am putty in his hands, a canvas waiting to be rewritten.
He continues his exploration, moving lower, his lips skimming the sensitive skin of my abdomen, his tongue tracing the dip of my hip bone.
Then he's unbuttoning my pants, and I'm lifting my hips, my body responding to his commands as if we're dancing a waltz, a seamless give and take. He peels the denim from my hips, exposing the simple black cotton panties beneath.
"These are next," he growls, his voice rough.
He runs his hands down my thighs in a long, measured stroke. Then his fingers hook under the waistband, and he begins to slide them down. A torturous, delicious exposure.
"Wait," I breathe, the word a panicked plea.
His movements stop. His head comes up, his eyes dark with barely leashed lust. "Tell me, River. I will give you everything you ask for, but only if you ask."
The words are a test. A challenge. An offer of both pain and pleasure.
"I... I want you naked, too," I whisper, my cheeks flushing with the admission.
His smile is a flash of white teeth in the shadowed room. "Good. That was exactly the right answer."
He steps back, his gaze lingering on my flushed, exposed skin. "Undress me, River."
This isn't like a movie. It's not a graceful, fluid gesture. I fumble with his belt, my hands trembling. He stands still, his chest rising and falling with steady, measured breaths.
"Don't think," he says, his voice gentle. "Just feel. Your hands were made for this."
The encouragement breaks through my nerves as my hands grow steadier. I undo his pants and push them down over his hips. I can see the outline of him, hard and straining against his briefs. I can't help it; I reach out, a tentative caress, tracing the rigid length of him through the soft fabric.
He sucks in a sharp breath, his jaw tight. "River," he murmurs, the word a warning and a promise.
"Sorry," I murmur, dropping my hand, the apology reflexive.
"Don't apologize. Just continue."
I pull his briefs down, and his cock springs free. Long, hard, and thick. I'm struck again by the sheer size of him. He is all lean, toned muscle, and I wonder, not for the first time, how this will possibly work. He hurriedly removes the rest of his clothing and throws it behind him. This isn't the same man who folded his clothes before. This is a man on the edge of losing control.
He moves to lie beside me, and I'm suddenly, acutely aware of how exposed I am. He seems to sense my discomfort, because he runs a finger down the line of my jaw, the touch soft, reassuring.
