“Oh,” I moaned softly as my head continued to rest against his shoulder.
His lips found the crook of my neck.
13
DOC
I prided myself in being a strong man. Stalwart in conviction, and right around ninety-nine percent of the time.
I wasn’tthatstrong, though.
The weight of her in my lap called to my cock. The weight of her body called to my protective instincts. I never felt like this before. Not on the field. Not on a date. Not in the middle of a theater of war. I never felt an adrenaline spike like this. I never felt so… seen.
I’d never shown anyone my tattoo before. It was a tattoo I started at the beginning of my career, just for me. I was a pompous asshat when I first became a medic. Thought I could save everyone and God didn’t have a hand in things so long as my hands were inside of someone’s body.
God had a way of humbling me quickly.
But it felt natural with Elizabeth. It felt right to let her see. She was beautiful, even with the bruises that dotted her body. She had a strength to her that was so clearly ingrained from the military, but she had a small layer of softness that covered everywhere on her. I felt it give when she sat on my lap. I felt it meld when my hands massaged over her thighs.
I felt it warm as I ran my lips up along the length of her neck.
“Fuck,” she whispered.
I didn’t want to hurt her, and if I fucked her the way I wanted to—if I let the monster out—it would hurt. I wasn’t going to be the man who put bruises on her body when she was already covered in them. She deserved more than that. Better than that.
She deserved romance and calm, and softness.
Allwomen did.
“Mmmm,” I hummed as I nipped at her neck.
I relished the goosebumps that skittered across her body for me to witness.
“Doc,” she said breathlessly.
“I’ve got you,” I muttered as my hand slipped in between her legs.
I wasn’t sure if she’d let me be there. I wasn’t sure if she’d let me push the envelope. But when she allowed me to wrap her legs behind mine just so I could part them, I felt courageous enough to try. She danced around in my mind every night since I first laid eyes on her. Since she was first rescued and her stubborn ass tossed into my care.
I wanted to do right by her.
The tips of my fingers traced the dollop of fat at the apex of her thighs. I wanted to dip underwater just so I could suck on it. Suck on all of the little plops of excess her body afforded her. I wrapped my other arm around her, securing her back to my chest. She sighed so prettily for me, so sweetly, and all it did was drive me forward.
Until my fingers slipped beneath her panties.
“Oh,” she moaned.
I sucked on her neck softly. “Such a good girl for me.”
“Jesus fuck,” she hissed.
She liked that. She enjoyed being praised. I tucked that away like it was something I’d need again as my fingertips foundher silky softness. She was warm, even with the hot tub water bubbling around us like a damn cauldron.
I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
I explored her folds for a while, allowing myself to adventure. She bucked against my hand, the impatient little thing.
I nipped at her neck. “So eager.”
