And she supposed it was the same for him when he looked at her scar. He sure as hell hadn’t been bothered by it a few hours ago. Letting the covers drop, she stretched her shoulders back and mashed her boobs to her chest so she could see the mark left by her attacker’s long blade.
Scott had called it her “badge of bravery.” Hesitantly, she ran her fingers along the raised ridge of skin from end to end, forcing herself to see and feel andownthis dreaded part of her.You survived. You did your best.The fourteen-year-old girl she had been deserved to be praised for her efforts, didn’t she? She deserved the sympathy and love that no one had been able to give her since she lost her dads. She wasn’t naive enough to think she’d magically learn to love her scar overnight, but she didn’t have to let it rule her either. Why couldn’t she rewrite the story she’d been telling herself for years?
Maybe eventually, if she worked at it, she’d start to believe the new story deep in her soul.
My badge of bravery.
The man who’d given her that gift stirred and opened his eyes, caught her staring. “Morning.” He gave her a smile that made her heart skip. “See anything you like?”
She let her gaze roam slowly over his body. “Well, I’m rather fond of your freckles. They’re cute.”
“Cute?” He scowled and sat up. “Fuck that.” Pushing to his feet and snagging his boxers off the floor, he said, “There is nothing ‘cute’ about me.” His voice was playful, but with an undercurrent that hinted she’d accidentally hit a nerve.
“Hey,” she rose to her knees and grabbed his arm.
His gaze strayed to her breasts and lower, and his expression softened as she tugged him close. “What?” he asked, focused on her mouth now.
“Youarecute.”
His expression retreated behind a blank mask.
“And gorgeous.” She combed both hands into the hair at his temples. “Handsome. Totally ripped. Smart. Fun.” Their gazes locked as she dragged her nails down his back and a shiver ran through him. “And so freakin’ sexy it almost hurts to look at you.”
He shook his head and chuckled. “You’re good. But you don’t need to stroke my ego,Spiderchica. Save your energy for more important parts.” He rocked his hips against her and captured her mouth with a hard, demanding kiss, nothing like his patient exploration from the early morning, but equally thrilling.
Heat spiraled through her veins.
Lifting her, he backed away from the bed and set her onto her feet. His hands cupped her face and he kissed her deeply while guiding her toward the wall, the heat building between them like an inferno. “Turn around?” he asked, breathless, blue eyes blazing.
Excitement jolted through her.Yes. She pivoted and pressed her hands to the cool, rough wall, spreading her legs as she looked over her shoulder at him. “You going to give me a thorough pat-down this time?”
Rather than answer, he made a strangled noise and stepped into her, wrapping one arm over her shoulder so he could knead her breast while the other banded across her hips. His hand skimmed down her belly and between her legs, and she moaned at the feel of his hot mouth on the side of her neck as his fingers slid inside her.
“Hang tight,” he said in a gravelly voice that scraped over her like the rough palm cupping her breast. His body retreated for a second as he reached for a condom from the small pile strewn across the nightstand.
He rolled it on and molded his body to hers, his mouth picking up where he’d left off as his hands roamed freely. She jolted when he found the spot that drove her wild, and arched back, rising onto her toes, seeking relief from the ache within.
“Scott, now,” she whispered, biting her lip to keep from begging.
His mouth sought hers, licking, exploring, biting. And then he slid inside her in a powerful thrust that made her knees buckle. The delicious onslaught continued as he pumped his hips and kept up the full-body assault with his warm hands. Delirious with pleasure, she was hot enough to melt into the floor. She could hardly keep up with her breath, and little sounds of ecstasy mingled with Scott’s in an erotic chorus.
Breaking the kiss, he said, “God, baby, you’re fucking amazing.”
Shefeltamazing.
He hooked an arm around her hips and planted his other hand next to hers on the wall, his thrusts increasing to a frenzied pace. “Come on,” he said, sounding almost in pain. “Come for me, V.” He gently scraped his teeth along the soft skin above her shoulder, and she gasped.
Gossamer threads held her in suspension, in thrall to the blissful sensations that hit her so fast and hard she wanted to cry for mercy and implore him to never stop. She focused on the rough glide of his erection as he drove deep, ratcheting up the heat with every stroke. Pressing her fingers into the wall, she rode the crest of pleasure until the feverish tension snapped and she went limp as her body dissolved into pure light, every nerve humming like an electrical wire.
Scott came soon after and kissed her jaw softly as he pumped a few more times and pulled out. He tumbled them both to the bed and spooned with her, their heavy breaths mingling, bodies damp with sweat.
“God damn,” he said when he’d caught his breath. “That was…”
“Yeah.” She rolled to face him, her stomach dancing with happiness and nerves. “It was…”Amazing. Earth-shattering. Life-changing.
He glanced behind her at the alarm clock. “Fifteen hundred,” he said with a sigh before planting a quick kiss on her lips. “I guess we should try to get some actual work done.” Caressing her cheek, he said, “But you’re making that really difficult.”
Her heart tap-danced. “Ditto.”
