“You clearly like me,” she says.
“Yes.”
“And I clearly like you,” Rae continues.
“Yes,” I reply.
“So why,” she demands, waving one hand between us, “are you saying no?”
I catch her wrist before she can start gesturing again. Then I shift, lifting her off my lap and turning her sideways so her back rests against my chest instead. She huffs once in protest, but I wrap one arm around her waist and hold her there while she squirms for about two seconds.
“Hey,” Rae says.
“Relax,” I tell her.
“I was doing something,” she complains.
“Yeah,” I say calmly. “You were.”
She starts to argue again, her voice soft and stubborn in the quiet room, but I lean down before she can finish and press a slow kiss against the side of her head, right above her ear.We’re stretched out on the bed now, the lamp throwing a low glow across the room while she lies half tucked against my side beneath the blankets. The moment my lips touch her hair, her whole body stills.
“Rae,” I murmur quietly. She goes silent. “The first time I fuck you,” I say in a low voice against her hair, “I want you completely aware of everything I’m doing to your body.”
Her breath catches just slightly.
“I want you sober,” I continue. “Clear-headed. I want you to remember every second.”
She doesn’t move for a moment. Then I feel her shoulders slowly relax against my chest. “…oh,” Rae murmurs softly.
My hand slides slowly up her arm where it rests across my stomach, my fingers brushing gently along her skin. “You’re going to feel every inch of it,” I tell her quietly. “Every touch.”
She exhales slowly, and the fight that had been in her a minute ago just drains right out of her. After a moment she settles more comfortably against me, her head resting on my shoulder. “…okay,” Rae whispers.
Her hand drifts down to my forearm, her fingers curling there like she’s anchoring herself in place. Within a minute her breathing starts to slow, the steady rhythm of sleep pulling her under. Within three she’s completely out again.
I stay where I am for a while, lying there beside her and listening to the quiet house and the soft sound of her breathing next to me. When I finally shift, I do it carefully, easing her down so she’s fully on the mattress before pulling the blanket higher over her.
She doesn’t wake up. She just curls onto her side, one hand resting on the bed where I’d been holding her.
TWENTY-TWO
RAE
I stirawake to the soft light filtering through the curtains, my body heavy with that delicious post-sleep haze. My eyes flutter open, and there he is, Cole, sprawled out on his back beside me, taking up most of the bed like he owns it. God, he's so hot.
I roll over quietly, propping myself up on one elbow to drink him in. All tall, muscular inch of him, from those broad shoulders that taper down to a chiseled chest, abs that look carved from stone, and legs that go on forever. He's only wearing black boxer briefs, the fabric stretched tight over his hips, and damn, his cock is straining against the cotton, thick and hard, begging to be released. It's like a promise waiting to be unwrapped, and heat pools low in my belly just looking at it.
I bite my lip, savoring the view for a moment longer. He's still asleep, his breathing steady, one arm thrown over his head in that careless way that makes him look even more irresistible. I can't resist. Quietly, I roll away from him, slipping out from under the sheets without making a sound. Then, with a wicked grin I can't suppress, I crawl back up between his thighs, settling myself there like it's the most natural place in the world.
My hand reaches out first, fingers brushing lightly over the bulge in his briefs. He twitches under my touch, but his eyes stay closed. Emboldened, I hook my fingers into the waistband and tug them down just enough to free him. His cock springs out, hard and heavy, the skin smooth and warm as I wrap my hand around the base.
I lean in, my breath ghosting over the tip before I take him into my mouth. Nice and slow, just like I want it. I savor the glide of his thick, hard cock against my tongue, the way it fills me up as I slide down inch by inch. My hand strokes what my mouth can't reach, twisting gently at the base while I hollow my cheeks and suck.
A low groan rumbles from his chest, and his hips shift slightly. His eyes crack open, hazy with sleep and surprise, locking onto mine as I look up at him through my lashes. "Rae..." he murmurs, his voice rough and gravelly, one hand coming down to tangle in my hair. But he doesn't stop me, he just watches, his breath hitching as I take my time, drawing it out, letting the heat build between us.
The taste of him, salty and masculine, floods my senses. I hum around him, the vibration making him curse under his breath. My free hand trails up his thigh, nails scraping lightly over his skin, and I feel him throb in my mouth. God, this is perfect, waking him up like this, claiming him in the quiet morning light. No rush, just the slow, deliberate rhythm of my lips and tongue working him over, building him up until he's gripping the sheets, his muscles tensing under me.
I pull back for a second, just to tease, swirling my tongue around the head before diving back down. His hand tightens in my hair, guiding but not forcing, and I love the way he lets me set the pace. Slow, savoring every glide, every inch of him sliding deep.This man, this ghost who's haunted my thoughts since that night at the bar, is mine right now, and I'm going to make sure he remembers it.
