“God, you’re beautiful like this,” I groaned against her skin, pumping harder, faster. “So close. I can feel it.”
Her breathing fractured into sharp little cries, her body coiling tighter with every thrust, every stroke of her own fingers. The pressure building between us was electric, inevitable.
“That’s it,” I encouraged, my lips at her ear. “Come for me again, Faith.”
This time, her release seemed to go on forever, her whole body shaking as she cried out. The way she said my name, broken and breathless, made something fierce surge through me. I had to grip her hips tight to keep from following her over, wanting to make this last, to give her everything I’d promised.
“Two,” I ground out, my voice barely recognizable as I slowly pulled out of her.
She sagged forward, catching herself on the wall as I ran my hands up her sides, soothing, steadying, giving her just a moment to float back down.
I turned her gently, and her eyes met mine as I pulled her to the chaise, and onto my lap, facing me. She came willingly, her thighs bracketing mine, her hands finding my shoulders for balance. She sank down onto me slowly, inch by inch, and we both groaned.
For a moment, neither of us moved. Just breathed. Adjusting to the fullness, the closeness, the way this position put us chest to chest, heartbeat to heartbeat.
Her forehead dropped to mine. “God, you feel amazing,” she breathed, starting to move.
She rolled her hips slowly at first, finding her rhythm, and I let her set the pace. Let her take what she needed. My hands stayed anchored on her waist, but I didn’t rush her.
“That’s it,” I murmured, watching her face. “Just like that.”
Her movements grew bolder, more confident, and I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t speak. Could only watch her ride me, her breasts bouncing, her head thrown back in pleasure. She was magnificent. Wild. Free. Everything I’d imagined and more.
And she was mine. At least for tonight, she was mine.
I thrust up to meet her on the next downstroke, and her gasp told me I’d hit exactly the right spot. I did it again. And again. Until we’d found a rhythm together with her grinding down, me surging up, both of us chasing something just out of reach.
My thumb found her bundle of nerves, circling in time with her movements. “One more,” I said roughly. “Give me one more.”
“I can’t … it’s too much …”
She whimpered, her hips stuttering, and I could feel how close she was. How close we both were. The pressure at the base of my spine was almost unbearable, but I refused to let go until she did.
“Yes, you can.” I leaned forward, taking her nipple in my mouth, sucking gently, then harder when she cried out. “That’s it, baby. Let go.”
Her nails dug into my shoulders. Her thighs clamped tight around me. I felt her body start to shake, felt the first flutter of her release around me, and I knew I couldn’t hold on much longer.
“Now, Faith,” I growled against her breast. “Come with me.”
She surrendered completely, her body arching as she came apart for the third time. And this time, I let myself fall with her. The sight of her, the feel of her pulsing around me, sent me over the edge. My release crashed through me in waves as I buried myself deep and let go of every ounce of control I’d been clinging to.
When we finally caught our breath, she lifted her head from my shoulder. “That was …”
“Yeah,” I agreed, still struggling to think clearly.
She didn’t move right away. Just stayed there, leaning forward, pressing her cheek against my chest, her fingers tracing absent patterns on my shoulder. I could feel her heartbeat slowlyreturning to normal, syncing with mine in a way that felt too intimate for what she’d claimed this was.
I pressed a kiss to her hair, and she let out a shaky breath.
“Ryker …” She pulled back just enough to look at me, and what I saw in her eyes made my chest ache. Wonder. Fear. Want. Like she’d just realized this had been more than scratching an itch, and that terrified her.
For one suspended moment, I thought she might say something real. Something that matched what I’d felt.
But then I watched her expression shutter, piece by piece, like she was physically reconstructing the armor I’d just stripped away.
She climbed off my lap, already reaching for her dress. “We should get back.”
The sudden distance, the way she wouldn’t meet my eyes, sent a chill through me. “Faith?—”
