I pulled back a little more to get a better look at him so he could see the truth of my words. “I chose to keep our secret too. This is bigger than the both of us.”
“Still, I’m terribly sorry for what happened to you, how he violated you.” More tears streaked my face, and he reached over again to wipe them away. My body went rigid. “Please,” he whispered, his voice cracking in a plea.
I braced for the biting touch of frost as his hand moved closer, but was met with a warm, gentle caress. I tilted my head into his touch, happy for the comfort to replace the memory.
He pulled me in close and placed a kiss atop my head. Resting my cheek against his chest, I curled into him, finding solace in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
We stayed there for a long while, silent as he caressed my back in long, soothing motions; my frayed nerves soaking in the safety of his embrace.
He made to move as if adjusting our position, his hand brushing against my leg, and the unexpected contact of his callouses on my bare skin sent a ripple through me. We paused, and his heartbeat quickened beneath my ear. I looked down, not realizing until then that portions of my skirt had bunched mid-thigh when he’d swept me up.
His hand now hovered above my ankle, and we watched as his fingertips lowered to my skin before deliberately tracing upward. The gentleness of his exploration sent my skin quivering with gooseflesh, and my world narrowed to that singular touch until he paused just above my knee. I waited, but he didn’t move. Looking up at him, I found his eyes fixed on me—waiting for me to object, I realized. Taking my own fingers, I followed the bunched hem of my skirt and freed it, the fabric making a soft rustling sound as it slid off the side of my thigh and pooled on the ground. Holding my gaze, he ventured a little higher, then paused again.
I placed a hand on the side of his face and felt the day’s stubble greet me. My thumb traced the pouted lines of his sensual lips while his hand on my back slid upward, splaying wide before pulling me into him until his mouth met mine, sending a cascading wash of sparking jitters down to my toes.
The kiss was slow and filled with longing, like he’d waited an eternity for this moment. I let myself get lost in him, and wound my fingers through his hair, his soft curls wrapping around me as if wanting to experience me as much as I wanted to experience him.
Craving more, my tongue slid across his lips, and he let me in as his fingers continued up my thigh.
After tasting me thoroughly, he broke the kiss and nipped at the side of my neck. I tilted my head back for him, and he took his time licking up from the dip of my collarbone to my ear before dragging my lobe between his teeth. My back arched in response,and a low, guttural sound of approval came from deep in his throat.
His wandering fingers made their way to the apex of my thighs, pausing. He nipped at my lobe in silent question, and I arched further in response.
He shuddered in surprise when nothing stood between him and the slickness that gave away the full effect he had on me. His fingers reveled in its existence before sliding one of them into me, and my breath hitched as primal yearning gripped every part of me.
“Gods, Nyleeria,” he gritted, the warm air of his breath caressing my skin.
Biting the corner of my lip, I opened my eyes, and as I held his gaze, he slid his finger out, then added another one and sent them back in. I gasped at the extra width filling me, and he caught my mouth with his, sliding his tongue in, caressing, exploring, claiming.
The corded muscles of his body moved as his fingers began working in earnest. I braced myself, giving him better access, and he used it to our advantage.
My heart pounded and my breaths came heavy as my body responded to each glorious pass he took.
In a fluid motion, he slid me off him and laid me on my back, fingers still working their magic. He kissed my skin as he followed the chain of my necklace down to my sternum before lowering himself further.
I gasped as he sucked in the bundle of nerves at my apex, where his mouth continued to do the most delightful things, working in unison with his fingers.
“I want you in me,” I pled in a pant, toes flexing.
He ignored me and continued his ministrations. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the armrest, allowing him to do as he pleased—getting lost in the moment as the world melted away.
Pure ecstasy coiled and my mouth gaped open, soundless. The small of my back lifted, and my head pressed into the couch. I couldn’t breathe, it was…oh gods—all at once, an electric surge, sharpand welcome, bolted through my body, and I grabbed a pillow, muffling my moans of rapture.
When he’d released all the pleasure my body could offer, he slipped his fingers out and kissed the inside of my thigh before sliding up my body. Dropping the pillow to the ground, I grabbed for him with both hands, tasting myself on his lips.
Releasing him, I pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side, then paused. Stars, he was just as I remembered, even better in this light.
Shuddering, he watched as I pressed my lips along the shadowy curves of his torso before freeing him from his remaining garments.
The full, bulging length of him stood at attention as he knelt over me, and I swallowed, heart skipping a beat before racing with vengeance.
His mouth claimed mine as he swept me up and walked us to the bed. Gently, he released me, the smooth tile cool on my feet. From behind, he swept my hair to the side and placed a kiss on my shoulder. Breathing in, I tilted my head into the touch.
With a quick movement of his hands, my bodice gave way. A breath later, I moaned as his body pressed against mine; luxuriating in every inch of the silken ripples that rested against my skin.
Hands now firmly on my hips, he bit down on that tender part of exposed skin where my neck gives way to my collarbone, and a rumbling sound of approval reverberated through me as he glanced down to find my peaked breasts now fully on display, adorned only by the low-hanging diamond. Still pressed against me, I turned my head toward him. His lips met mine as his hands slid up my torso, claiming their mountainous bounty, and a deep, yearning throb pulsed through me.
Placing a kiss on the nape of my neck, he released them, running his callouses down my sides as he knelt. Unclasping my skirt, he slid the fabric over my hips, and it made a soft rufflingsound as it pooled at my feet.
