I took a shaky breath, ready to list all the reasons she deserved someone to treasure her—someone who would build her up, not drag her down. Someone so much better than any of those douches online. I could throw together a PowerPoint presentation complete with cited sources if that was what it took to get her to see how fucking amazing every part of her was. But Emma didn’t wait for me to respond, already turning on her heel and padding toward her bedroom with her arms wrapped securely around herself.
As I ran my hands through my hair, my mind was at war with itself. A part of me wanted to hightail it out of here and speed back to the party, praying that ass-wipe felt the business end of my fist. I wasn’t a violent man, mostly relying on jokes and sarcastic comments to get through each day, but seeing the wetness glistening in her eyes, knowingshethought the fault was with her, had me seeing red.
No one deserved to feel this way—especially her. She was everything that was good and kind, deserving of someone who stood by her side, lifting her up when she needed it. Someone who would drop everything to spend time with her, and someone who didn’t mind a midnight trip for mint chocolatechip Italian ice, knowing it was a surefire way to brighten her day.
The bedroom door wasn’t closed completely, allowing a sliver of light to escape from the space. I followed her, making my way down the hallway without a conscious thought other than knowing I couldn’t leave her like this—no matter how much I wanted to punch that chuckle-fuck in the jaw. A sad smile teased her lips as I pushed the door open and took her in, standing in front of her full-length mirror.
She turned to face me, pulling the halo of curls surrounding her head into a loose bun and securing it with a hair tie.
“There is nothing wrong with you, Emma. It’s those idiots you’re seeing—they’re not worth your time.”
“You say that because you have to. As my friend, you have a moral obligation to boost me up.”
I smiled, watching as she matched my expression. The smile didn’t meet her eyes, and it broke something inside of me to see her like this.
“Well, I don’t exactly consider being here an obligation.”
“I thought you’d leave.”
“Did you want me to?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Her lips barely twitched, but I caught the coy smile and how her chest flushed with heat as she shook her head. I pushed off the frame and stalked to her, grabbing the knot of her short robe and tugging her flush against me. She sucked in a breath as I palmed her breast through the silk fabric, weighing the sensitive flesh in my hand before squeezing.
I watched as her nipple pebbled before brushing my thumb over the hardened nub. Her eyes closed, but her mouth remained parted, and her breathing turned rapid as I tugged one nipple, then the other, between my thumb and forefinger. Leaning forward, I brushed my lips against her jaw, then turned her so her back pressed into my front.
My tongue traced a path across her neck before I pulled one delicate earlobe between my teeth, sucking hard.
“What do you need?” I anchored one hand on the belt of her robe. I toyed with the knot, letting my fingers dance along the silk. Her reflection in the mirror showed blown pupils and blushed skin, and I held myself back from ripping the fabric from her shoulders to claim her like my body craved.
This isn’t about me.
This was about her—building back every brick that fuck-stick dared to knock from her psyche. Her eyes closed, and I pulled her firmer against me before latching on to her neck and lavishing the spot with my tongue and teeth. My lips weren’t gentle as I sucked, and a possessive need shot through my nerves, knowing Ineededto see my marks on her skin.
Sheneeded to see my marks on her. She needed to know, beyond anything we’d ever shared, that she deserved someone better than all her shitty dates combined. She’d find him eventually, but tonight, that someone could be me.
“What do you need?” I prompted again, releasing the skin with a pop and feeling a zing of pride zip down my spine as I stared at the raised, marred flesh.
“You.”
I chuckled into her neck, tasting her skin and running my nose along her cheek. “You have me. Tell me what to do, Emma.”
She sank farther into me, and I knew there wasn’t a chance she couldn’t feel the hard length of my cock against her back. “What do you need?” she answered, flipping the narrative and meeting my eyes in the mirror. I considered the question as I watched her. The fact that she even thought of my needs after her night had a surge of love coursing through my veins.
The sensation was better than any drink, better than any drug. Knowing Emma Freaking James had my pleasure in the forefront of her mind was enough for me to latch on to her neckagain, sucking the skin between my teeth. I felt her nails scratch my scalp before she tugged—hard. I broke away, staring at her wide eyes and blown pupils.
You,I wanted to say, locking eyes with her. I wanted to scream the word, shout it from the rooftops. I wanted to bury my face between her legs and lap her pussy until it quenched my thirst, and she was pliant under my touch and tongue. I wanted her writhing, so consumed with pleasure that I’d become the center of her world, and everything else was pushed out of her mind.
I pinched her nipple, tugging hard until a moan slipped from her lips, and she rested her head on my chest. My hands drifted down her stomach, back to the robe, and I pulled until the knot slipped free and it fell open, exposing her bare breasts to the cool air. Her purple silk panties made my mouth water, and I groaned against her neck, pinching and twisting both nipples in time with her shallow breaths.
“Are those for me?” I asked, as the desire I felt for her threatened to burst through my skin, demanding I pick her up so she’d wrap her legs around my waist, and I could press her back against the wall and slide into her tight heat. She held my gaze in the mirror as my touches went from aggressive to tender, barely dragging my fingertips across her pert nipples.
“No. These were for me.” I furrowed my brow at her words, admiring how the silk threads looked against her sun-toned skin. “But I left them on for you. Make me forget, Miller. Forget everything but you.”
I sucked in a breath, catching her hand and placing it on her stomach. Together, our hands slid down toward her panties, and I knew there’d be a wet spot when she widened her stance. A flicker—a silent question—passed over her features as I helped her trace her slit with her fingers.
“I want the only thing on your lips to be my name. I want my mark on your skin, and my come running down your thighs.”
I’d never spoken to her like that before. Sure, we were both vocal, and I loved dirty talk, but this was something else. This was a primal, desperate urge to keep her for myself—forever.
