My walls weren't exactly thick, and I didn't want Mrs Cavanagh to make a comment in the hall tomorrow. Heat surged to my face as I slapped a hand over my mouth to stifle the next sound before it could slip out.
Eli didn't miss that, either.
He kept his pace steady, but his hand reached for mine and gently pulled it away from my mouth. Before I could think, he tipped my face toward his and kissed me deeply, swallowing the sounds I couldn't hold back. My heart raced at the way he just took control so effortlessly.
I let him. I let him have it, let him take everything.
My muffled noises only seemed to spur him on. His grip never faltered, his touch steady even as everything in me came apart. I didn't know if he was keeping me quiet for me or to hide his own unravelling, but it didn't matter. When he kissed me like this, I didn'twantto be quiet.
The kiss blurred into sensation, stealing the last of mybreath. My lungs burned, my head spun – and then I realised I was getting lightheaded.
Eli didn't ease up, and I didn't want him to. The way he moved, the way he kissed me, the way he held me fed the fire burning deep inside me. The dizziness began to creep in, but I didn't fight it. I let it take me. Let myself belong to him in every way he asked for.
I wanted to. Ineededto.
He finally broke the kiss, and air rushed back into my lungs. His skin felt warm and damp as he pressed his face into my shoulder, and his arms stayed locked around me. I felt his grip tighten just a little as he began to move faster. More focused. More intent. Each thrust stole whatever breath I'd just managed to get back.
My thoughts slipped out of reach again. I couldn't focus on anything except the quiet, unguarded sounds slipping past his lips, the steady push driving me back to the edge. Tension curled tight in my gut again, even as the rest of me melted beneath him.
Another wave threatened to crash through me, and the sound that came from me was too loud to ignore. I bit down on the pillow to try to muffle it, but I couldn't stop the heat that flooded my face.
Eli noticed that, too.
The next thing I knew, he was guiding me upright. The new angle made me gasp, and my hands scrambled for something to hold onto. They caught the headboard, and I gripped it hard to brace myself.
His arms wrapped tight around me, and his lips grazed my ear, his breath ragged now. "There you go. Just like that."
He started moving again, and Ifeltit. More than I thought was possible. Every nerve fired at once, and there wasn't a chance in hell that I could stay quiet. My body arched into him, chasing the heat, the friction, the feeling of himmoving inside me. He cursed under his breath as he picked up the pace, and then everything blurred into movement. Relentless. All-consuming. Perfect.
It hit me before I could process it. My muscles locked, and everything in me seized and broke apart all at once. The first time had sneaked up on me, but this one tore through me with no warning.
I was still shaking when I felt Eli tense and shudder behind me. A low groan slipped from him as his arms tightened around my hips. He pressed in one last time, and then he followed me under, holding me so close that there wasn't a sliver of space left between us.
I suddenly didn't have the strength to hold myself up. Every muscle gave out at once, and I slumped down onto the mattress, dragging Eli with me. He made a quiet sound of surprise, his arms still holding me against him as we sank into the sheets.
I buried my face into the pillow and tried to breathe, but my lungs barely cooperated. Everything in me felt wrung out. My limbs were heavy and still trembling, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the high or the way he was still wrapped around me. I gritted my teeth, trying to pull myself back together, but even that felt out of reach.
After a little while, his fingers started to drift lazily along my skin again. “Thought I killed you for a second.” His voice was rough with exhaustion but still edged with amusement.
I let out a breathless laugh. "Give me a minute. I'll resurrect."
He chuckled and pressed a kiss to my shoulder. His arms held me more gently now, but he didn't let go. I didn't want him to.
We stayed like that for a bit, tangled up in each other while our breathing evened out. I'd never felt anything like thatbefore. Not just the intensity of it, but the way it pulled me under so completely. Like every nerve in my body had been rewired to respond to him and only him.
He finally eased out and backed up to give me space to roll onto my back. He propped himself up beside me, his fingers trailing idly through my hair. His gaze flickered over my face before settling on my eyes. "You okay?"
My lips tugged into a lazy grin. "Better than okay."
He smiled, too, and then he leaned down to catch my lips in another kiss. Slower this time. Deep but not rushed. Just the kind of kiss you give someone when there's no question left about wanting them.
I melted into it, one hand sliding along his chest, the other curling behind his neck to pull him in. His arm slid under my back to hold me against him with the kind of care that made my pulse stir.
I hadn't expected tonight to go this far. I figured it would've ended watching a cheesy holiday movie and maybe falling asleep on the sofa. But now, lying here with him, skin to skin, his mouth still soft against mine... I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
Eli
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