ALEX SUBMITTED TO METHE way she did everything—with her whole self.Once she’d made the decision to give herself to me, she hadn’t held anything back.Her vulnerability ripped through my heart and demanded I meet her with the same level of honesty.Which scared the shit out of me.Never mind that I’d been the one to push us down this path to begin with.
“You were so brave, sweetheart.”I folded her in the soft blanket and hoisted her into my arms.I needed to hold her—to catch my breath while I took care of her and scrambled to make sure I maintained some semblance of control.She’d done her part.The last thing I wanted to do was to let her down because my emotions suddenly decided to get in the way.“So open, so beautiful.Thank you for your trust.”
I murmured the words against the top of her head as I carried her out of the playroom to the sofa in the sitting room.I wanted a chance to hold her for as long as she’d let me and the sofa would give us enough room for me to wrap myself around her.It’s the place I’d intended to bring her before she derailed my plans for the second time that day.None of that mattered now.I wouldn’t change a moment of what happened between us.Her arms wrapped around my neck as she curled against me, using my body as her shelter, was the sweetest gift she could have given.This gorgeous, powerful creature trusted me enough to give up control, to let me take us where we both needed to go.Understanding that kind of exchange was heady business, but there was an extra layer with Alex.One I’d never felt before, not even with Julie.Maybe especially not with Julie.I was afraid now that I’d felt it, I would never be satisfied with less again.
I didn’t even feel the strain as I carried her down the stairs to the sitting room.I could have walked for miles with her in my arms if I’d needed to and never felt the fatigue.I paused to snag a bottle of water to go with the chocolate I grabbed before we left the playroom.She shifted and I squeezed tighter, needing her to know that I had her.
“I don’t need you to carry me.I can walk.”She squirmed against me, and I pressed my lips to the top of her head.
“I need it, beautiful.Humor me for a few moments longer.”
Still holding her in my arms, I relaxed against the leather, moving until I could settle her between my legs and pull her back to rest her head against my chest.
“Sip.”I held the bottle of water to her lips and waited for her to drink.“Now this.”I held up a square of dark chocolate and waited for her to open her mouth so I could place it on her tongue.She let out a groan of pleasure and my already hard cock twitched in response, as if she had some kind of remote control for my body.It was the opposite of the way it was supposed to work.I was the one who was supposed to control her responses.Nothing about this woman fit my preconceived ideas.
“Mind-blowing orgasms and chocolate.What’s not to love?”The smart-ass was back in her tone, but her voice held enough of a tremor to let me know she hadn’t fully recovered.
Good.I sure as hell hadn’t recovered yet.
The constant state of arousal—scratch that, the fucking ache in my perpetually hard cock—was nothing compared to the number she’d done on my heart.No way in hell would I name what I felt but I couldn’t deny it either.
“Again.”I held the water bottle to her lips and waited for her to take a swallow.
“You’re doing the baby bird thing again.”
“Your point?”
I could practically see the gears turning behind her eyes.The woman was wide open, and her thoughts and emotions played like a movie across her beautiful face.
“No point.Just an observation.”
I broke off another bite of chocolate and held it out for her, nestling her tighter in my arms when she took it from my fingers.
“How are you feeling?”I was pretty sure she’d want to dissect every single thing we’d done, but that could wait until later.Much later.Right now I just wanted to hold her and make sure she was okay.Hell, better than okay.I wanted her to feel fucking amazing.
“Spectacular.Really, truly spectacular.”
She squirmed around a bit on my lap and I fought to hide my grimace as she wriggled against my aching cock.We’d gotten so much farther than I’d expected.Far enough that I’d considered loosening the cable so I could bend her over and sink balls-deep into her hot pussy.I’d crossed every other boundary I’d set for myself or moved it out of the way.What was one more?
In the end, I’m not sure what stopped me.There really wasn’t anything that scared me.I met challenges head on and worked my way through them.But taking that final step, claiming her like that, felt like walking off the side of a cliff into thin air.I wasn’t sure what I’d do if she slipped back into old sex-for-power habits.It seemed safer not to take the chance, which was all kinds of fucked up.Taking chances was what I did.
