His eyes locked with mine, searching for any hesitation. Finding none, he captured my mouth in another searing kiss as his hand worked its wayunder my shirt again, this time pushing it up and over my head in one smooth motion.
He drew back to look at me, his gaze heating as it traveled over my exposed skin. “Beautiful,” he whispered. “So damn beautiful.”
Then his mouth was on my breast, tongue circling the sensitive peak before drawing it between his lips. I arched into the sensation, one hand tangled in his hair, holding him to me. His other hand was sliding down my stomach to the waistband of my pajama bottoms, fingers dipping just below the elastic in silent question.
“Yes,” I breathed, lifting my hips in invitation.
He hooked his fingers in the waistband, drawing the pants and my underwear down in one motion. I kicked them away, suddenly completely bare beneath him while he still wore his sweatpants. My lack of clothes felt thrilling somehow, his clothed body partially covering mine. The soft fabric of his sweatpants brushed against my inner thighs as he settled between them again.
His mouth traveled down my body, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. When he reached my navel, he glanced up, eyes dark with desire. “I want to taste you,” he said, his voice rough with need. “Can I?”
I nodded, unable to form words as he moved lower, his broad shoulders pushing my thighs farther apart. The first touch of his tongue against my clit had me gasping, my back arching off thebed. He groaned against me, the vibration adding to the sensation as he explored with deliberate, maddening precision.
I bit my lip to keep from crying out, mindful of Nora in the next room, of the others downstairs. But it was nearly impossible to stay silent as Jake’s talented mouth brought me closer and closer to the edge. When he slid a finger inside me, curling it to hit that perfect spot while his tongue circled my most sensitive bundle of nerves, I shattered, waves of pleasure washing over me as I pulsed around his finger.
He worked me through it gently, only pulling away when the aftershocks subsided. As he moved back up my body, I tugged at his sweatpants.
“Off,” I demanded breathlessly. “Now.”
A smile tugged at his lips as he complied, pushing the fabric down his hips and kicking it off. I took in the sight of him, fully naked and gloriously aroused. My mouth went dry at the thought of having all of him.
I reached for him, wrapping my fingers around his length. His breath hissed between his teeth as I stroked him once, twice.
“Condom?” I asked, suddenly practical despite the haze of desire.
“Nightstand,” he managed, reaching over to fumble in the drawer.
I took the packet from him, tearing it open with my teeth. His eyes darkened as I rolled it onto him, my touch deliberate and teasing.
Then he was over me again, his weight supported on his forearms as he positioned himself. “Are you sure?” he asked one last time.
“If you ask that again, I swear to God I’m going to jump your bones,” I laughed as I wrapped my legs around his waist. I couldn’t wait, I pulled him forward, gasping as he filled me in one slow, delicious thrust. We both stilled, adjusting to the sensation of being joined so intimately.
“Okay?” he whispered against my temple.
“Perfect,” I breathed, lifting my hips to take him deeper.
He began to move then, setting a rhythm that had me clinging to his shoulders, my nails digging into his skin. Each thrust built the pressure inside me again, higher and higher. His pace quickened, his control slipping as his movements became more urgent.
“Ella,” he groaned, his voice strained. “I can’t—”
“Let go,” I urged, feeling my own release building. “I’m right there with you.”
His hand slipped between us, thumb finding my center, and that was all it took. I came apart around him, biting his shoulder to muffle my cry. He followed a moment later, his body tensing abovemine as he pulsed inside me.
For several long moments, we stayed like that, connected, our breathing gradually slowing. Finally, he eased away, disposing of the condom before pulling me against his chest.
“That was...” he trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words.
“Yeah,” I agreed, nestling into the crook of his arm. “It really was.”
His fingers traced lazy patterns on my bare shoulder. “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you?”
I smiled against his chest. “I’m more than okay. However, I might have left marks on your shoulder. Sorry about that.”
He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest beneath my ear. “They’re worth it.”
We lay in comfortable silence, our bodies cooling in the night air. I felt more at peace than I had in days—maybe years. Whatever tomorrow brought, whatever complications awaited us, we had this moment—this connection.
