Looking up at me, understanding flickered in her eyes. She knew, somehow, that the pain had been part of why I'd chosen such extensive work. Physical pain to drown out the emotional kind.
“They're not just beautiful,” she said, her hands moving to the button of my slacks. “They're you.” She popped the button free, then slowly lowered the zipper. “All the broken pieces that somehow fit together perfectly.”
As she eased my slacks down my legs, I stepped out of them and kicked them aside, leaving me in nothing but my boxer briefs. She hooked her fingers into the waistband, knuckles brushing against my hipbones as she slid the fabric down.
I hissed at the sensation of cool air on my overheated skin, and my cock jumped slightly as her warm breath ghosted across the tip. For a moment, I thought she might take me in her mouth—part of me desperately wanted her to—but she surprised me by straightening and pressing her body fully against mine instead.
“You're beautiful,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her face against my chest where she could surely feel the thundering of my heart. “So fucking beautiful, Rafe.”
Beautiful. Not handsome, not hot, not any of the empty compliments I'd heard from countless women over the years. Beautiful. And the way she said it—like she meant it, like she was seeing something in me beyond the carefully constructed facade I presented to the world—cracked something open inside my chest.
I'd brought her into my life as a solution to a problem. And now here she was, naked in my arms, calling me beautiful like she actually saw me.
Really saw me.
The realization that I was falling for her—had already fallen, if I was being honest with myself—stole my breath. This wasn't part of the plan. This wasn't supposed to happen.
And yet, as she tilted her face up to mine, lips parted in invitation, I couldn't bring myself to regret a single choice that had led us here.
I captured her mouth in a kiss that was equal parts hunger and gratitude while my hands slid down her back to cup her ass and pull her more firmly against me. Her soft breasts pressed against my chest, her nipples hard points of contact that made my cock twitch where it was trapped between our bodies.
“Turn around,” I commanded when we broke for air.
She complied immediately and I relished in the shiver that ran through her when I guided her back to the couch and placed herso she was on her knees with her arms braced against the back cushions. The position left her ass perfectly presented to me, her spine a graceful curve that led my eyes from the nape of her neck to where her thighs parted slightly.
“Fuck, look at you,” I breathed, my hands skimming up the backs of her thighs to cup her ass cheeks. “Perfect.” I squeezed the firm flesh, spreading her slightly to get a better view of her pussy.
Unable to resist, I leaned down and bit the soft curve of her right cheek, not hard enough to hurt, but with enough pressure to make her yelp in surprise.
“Rafe,” she gasped, looking at me over her shoulder with wide eyes.
I soothed the spot with my tongue, then straightened to run a finger through her wetness from behind. She was drenched, her body more than ready for what I had planned. I slipped one finger inside her then added a second when she pushed back against my hand with a needy sound.
“So tight,” I murmured. “So fucking wet for me.”
She moaned, her head dropping forward between her arms as I established a slow, steady rhythm with my fingers. Her inner walls clenched around me each time I hit that sweet spot, and I knew I could make her come again just like this if I wanted to.
But I wanted more. Needed more.
“I want to feel you,” I told her, my free hand running up her spine to tangle in her hair. “No barriers between us. Just you and me.”
She stilled for a moment, then turned her head to look at me again. “I'm not on birth control.” she admitted with a flush to her cheeks.
The thought should have given me pause. Should have been a splash of cold water on the heat building between us. Instead,a primitive part of me—a part I'd never known existed—surged forward with a possessiveness that shocked even me.
“I don't care,” I said, the words escaping before I could stop them. And I meant it. The thought of my child growing inside her sent a bolt of pure want straight to my cock. But that wasn't fair to her, wasn't something I had any right to decide for her. “I can get a condom if you need me to,” I added quickly.
She held my gaze for a long moment as her eyes searched mine. Then she shook her head. “We don’t need one.”
Those words, combined with the trust in her eyes, nearly brought me to my knees. Instead, I removed my fingers from her body and after using her wetness to coat my cock, I positioned myself at her entrance.
With one hand on her hip, I pushed forward in a single, smooth thrust that had both of us groaning. The sensation was unlike anything I'd ever felt before—hot, tight, wet perfection. I stilled once I was fully seated inside her, my forehead pressing against her shoulder blade as I fought for control.
“Fuck, Cecelia,” I ground out, fingers digging into the soft flesh of her hip. “You feel incredible.”
She whimpered as her body trembled slightly beneath mine. “Move,” she begged, pressing back against me. “Please, Rafe. Move.”
I began with shallow thrusts, withdrawing just an inch or two before sliding back in. The teasing rhythm had her squirming beneath me as she tried to take me deeper with each stroke. I deliberately kept my pace torturously slow, savoring each small sound she made.
