“Fuck me like you mean it, Trips,” she says, a challenge in her gaze that I can’t turn down.
I never can with her.
Pinning her arms in one hand, her struggle against me real instead of feigned, but for us instead of anybody else, I latch around her nipple, sucking on it hard enough to make it bruise. And she whines, pressing her chest against my lips, begging for more.
This fucking girl.
She fights me, like she does with every damn thing, but this time, it’s a game we can both win. Switching to the other nipple has her groaning, and every hair on my body stands on end.
“Shit,” I mutter against her skin, already so on edge that I might come from my dick bumping against her thigh.
“Do it,” she says, legs banding around me, heels digging into my ass.
“Clara—” I say, not sure how to say that this might not be the fuck-fest she wants. Not with the way my body’s acting.
She stops her struggle, her face falling, and my fucking busted heart aches. Twisting her head to the side, her legs drop to the mattress, and I know I’ve fucked all the way up.
“No, I—shit. I’m just, I want this to be good for you, and I’m so fucking on edge right now,” I stammer, like it’s my first time or some shit, but it works, because her dark eyes lock on mine.
But she doesn’t reply, just gazes at me, waiting. And I hardly know what to do, my dick twitching with every pulse of my heart.
“Fuck.” I drop my forehead to hers, closing my eyes for a second. “Are you sure? About me? I’m such a goddamn fuck-up.”
Her breath washes over my face. “And I’m not? Maybe I haven’t been clear, Trips, but I want you.”
“Do you trust me?” I ask, needing to know where we stand.
She shifts, her knees bracketing my hips. “Almost.”
Honest. Something that I need, even if I hate how much that answer hurts. “Is that enough?”
“For now? Definitely.”
“And later?”
“Trust takes time. So, that’s what we’ve got to do. Give it time.”
I look down at her, swallowing the urge to tell her all the ways I’m better than I was. But she’s right. She doesn’t need words. It’s the actions that will get us there. So instead, I nod.
Our lips meet, gentle, coaxing, my body making a promise that I’m still not sure my fucked-up brain can keep. A promise to keep building that trust, even when the shit gets hard and makes me want to shut down, hide in the safe spot in my mind. But if it comes to her safety, I’ve got to try.
For now, though, I have a beautiful woman I’ve wanted for what seems like forever laid out before me, asking me forsomething Icangive. Without reservation. “This, right now, it’s for you and me, you understand?” I ask.
“Understood. So?” She tugs at her wrists, reminding me I still have her under my control, her lips daring me to make a move.
It’s a dare I’m happy to take.
Chapter 70
Clara
Trips’ gaze darkens as I taunt him, and then he’s devouring me whole. Every inch of me lights up under him, and the only thing keeping me from ramping up the fight is the muttered pain in my abdomen reminding me not to be stupid.
I want to be stupid with this man, though.
The relief of getting the birth control shot, especially after I had some cramps and spotting yesterday morning, cuing me into the realization that it’s the exact right time to take it, unleashes the last of my reservations. At least with this.
Broad shoulders surround me, swirling tattoos over a scarred chest looking as lickable as ever. Add the weight of his dick against my leg and I’m practically rabid for him. Every time I tug against his restraint, my body buzzes in anticipation.
