Before she could swallow it, he whispered, “Don’t take my dessert. Give it back.”
Her stomach dropped away, and she kissed him, feeling his mouth open. Her tongue tangled with his. She tilted her head, and their lips slotted together like a puzzle piece. Their surroundings slipped sideways as their mouths moved in perfect synchronicity, slow and relentless.
Her fingers uncurled, and the fork clattered against the plate. She sucked in a breath and backed off, grabbing the dish and the fork.
“Is there anything left on the plate?” he asked without opening his eyes. It felt like he was giving her permission to do anything she liked.
She put the fork on the nightstand before dragging her finger through the smears of chocolate and crumbs left on the plate. Her heart quickened, not knowing how far she planned to take this. Not wanting to be impeded by reason or reality.
His lips were only slightly parted, and she grazed them with the tip of her finger. He opened, and she pushed her finger deeper into his mouth. His lips closed over her digit, and he sucked, swirling the tip with his tongue. His groan sounded tortured.
She felt her heartbeat deep in her core, pounding. Her finger was wet when it slid out, like she was between her thighs. She replaced her finger with her mouth as her hand touched down on that fabulous expanse of muscle on his chest. Then down, she couldn’t stop herself if she tried. She ached for him. Couldn’t stand not touching him.
His mouth consumed hers, greedy and insistent. Her palm flattened against his lower stomach, and his muscles contracted, and his breathing sped up. Lower still, needing to feel him. Her searching fingers slid under the sheet where she found his hard length.
The breath whooshed out of him as she stroked down to the base, feeling that smooth skin. Then back up, holding firmly. Her thumb ran over the tip, and she knew it wouldn’t be good enough.
She pulled back from his lips, and he followed her, rising from the pillow so as not to break the connection. He winced though and had to stop, lowering back down. Yes, she was in control. This big, strong gargoyle was at her mercy.
It would take too long to kiss down that chest. She’d have to do that another time, licking between the muscles and teasing his nipples. She was certain he’d let her, assuming she didn’t come to her senses and run away from this vicious monster like she probably should. Instead, she shifted her position and ripped away the sheet covering him. His breath hitched when she once again took hold of him, but this time it was her tongue running along his tip.
She licked across and around before sucking him in deep. He was large—larger than she’d experienced before—and she struggled to get him as deep as she wanted. To compensate, she worked her hand up and down in time with her mouth. She pushed her other hand under the waist of her pants and down between her thighs. Her finger circled as her mouth took him in, feeling the pleasure with him.
His groan matched her own and she took him a little deeper. Pushed past gagging to go deeper still. Ran circles with her finger faster and gyrated her hips, shaking the bed. If it was hurting him, he didn’t say.
His breathing sped up, his hips jerking in time with her efforts. Her body tightened and she felt his doing the same. She was right there now, chasing her climax. On the edge.
He grunted in pleasure, and she exploded, moaning. He filled her mouth, shaking with his release. She took it all down and then slowed, backing off to give a last couple licks, smirking when he shivered with sensitivity.
When she moved to get up, he reached out, finding her wrist and then sliding his hand down to hers.
“Stay,” he whispered. “Stay with me.”
“Why won’t you open your eyes? Did something happen to them?”
He took a long moment to answer. “No. I desperately hoped you would visit while figuring you probably wouldn’t think of it. When you did, I didn’t want you to see how grateful I was. You tend to run when things get emotionally charged or mushy. And then I didn’t want your visit to end…for many reasons. I still don’t. Stay with me.”
Her heart melted. “I’m just going to get a warm washcloth to clean up. I’ll be right back, I promise.”
He let go of her hand, letting his own hand drop onto the bed. She came back and did as she said before tossing the washcloth into the hamper in the corner. Sitting on the bed again, she gently traced the stubble on his jaw.
“Lay with me.” He put out his good arm, creating room between that and his body.
When she’d needed him, he’d stayed with her, protecting her against her nightmares. Even though he probably didn’t need her in the same way right now, she’d return the favor.
She slid off her shoes and then her pants, because they weren’t comfortable to sleep in, before slipping in next to his big, warm body. She tucked his wing between them before stroking the soft texture. He shivered again.
With a smile, she pulled the sheet up and settled her head into the hollow between his shoulder and neck. His arm curled around her protectively, pulling her in tightly.
What she’d just done would probably make things complicated. It would certainly blur the lines between friend and foe and lover.
Then again, he’d kissed her in front of Austin and Jessie and Sebastian, and no one had said a word. He certainly hadn’t or even acknowledged that it had happened. Neither had she, come to think of it.
They were two people good at “no strings attached”. It was basically part of their life plan. This was just another example, she was sure. Soon they’d be thrown into yet another tense situation. Par for the course with her life and now Jessie’s, and life would trundle on as it always did.
She was having a hard time deciding if that was welcomed.
22
