"Are you too tired to?—"
She placed her finger on my lips, silencing me. "I'm as hungry for you as you are for me. You were all I thought about when I was trapped in the Elder Dimension—your scent, your kiss, your touch. I want you now."
Heat flooded through me at her words, at the need in her voice that matched my own. "Joy?—"
"No more talking, Enzo. Just you and me. Finally."
I lowered her to the hardwood floor, her weight shifting from my arms to the polished oak with a soft creak. She immediately kicked off her worn leather boots, sending them tumbling across the floor. Standing there, backlit by the amber glow of my bedside lamp, she slid her fingers beneath the hem of her black T-shirt, the fabric stretching as she lifted it over her head, her dark hair cascading back down around her shoulders.
Black lace traced shadows across her skin, disappearing into valleys I wanted to follow with my fingertips. I shifted my weight, the seam of my jeans suddenly too tight. She held my gaze as her fingers worked each button, one by one, until she gripped the denim at her hips and tugged downward. The fabric surrendered, revealing a matching edge of black that cut a sharp line across the pale curve where her legs met her body.
"You're so beautiful," I whispered.
I pulled her into my arms and kissed her hard, my tongue tracing the soft curve of her lower lip before delving deeper. She tasted of mint and honey, familiar yet intoxicating. The weight of her body against mine ignited every nerve ending, a stark reminder of how hollow these past couple of days had been without her. The days feeling like months. I never wanted to lose her again.
My flesh ached with need, my hardness straining painfully against my jeans as her fingers tangled in my hair, but I forced myself to move with deliberate slowness, savoring each shiver that passed through her body when my hands traced the delicate line of her spine.
She threaded her slender fingers through my hair, her nails lightly grazing my scalp as she returned my passion with equal fervor. Mine. She was mine again. After believing I’d lost her forever, she was here—real, warm, alive in my arms. Her soft lips planted warm kisses across my flushed face, from my temples to my jawline, before she playfully wiggled away from me, her eyes never leaving mine.
With deliberate slowness, she arched her back and reached behind herself, the movement causing her collarbone to catch the dim light as her fingers found the clasp of her lace bra. It fell with a whisper onto the hardwood floor, freeing her large, perfect breasts, their pale skin pebbling in the cool air. "I want you.”
She didn’t have tell me twice. I tore off my tie then ripped off my shirt, buttons scattering into the air and across the floor. Desire flooded through me. I wanted her hard and fast.
Joy backed against the door, hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties, and inched them down over the curve of her thighs. She flicked one foot, sending them sailing across the room to dangle from the lampshade like a tiny flag of surrender. Her laugh was low, throaty. Where purple-black shadows and ugly slashes had bloomed across her skin, now there was only golden smoothness.
"Did Serenity heal you?" I managed to ask.
"She did." Joy's pupils dilated as she held my gaze. "I can feel everything now. Every. Single. Thing."
I tilted my head, watching her silhouette against the amber glow of the bedside lamp. "Don't you want to get into bed?"
She leaned back against the door, spreading her thighs in a deliberate invitation, her skin gleaming with a thin sheen of perspiration. The shadows accentuated the curve of her hips, the soft rise and fall of her chest with each breath.
Her eyes, dark and heavy-lidded, held mine as she bit her lower lip. "No. Not now. I want you to take me here against the door."
My throat ran dry at her words, like desert sand beneath a merciless sun. I edged out of my Italian leather loafers, fumbling with my belt buckle before sliding my tailored slacks down trembling legs, never taking my eyes off the goddess before me—her skin glowing amber in the half-light, dark hair cascading across bare shoulders.
I yanked off my silk boxers, the cool air of the room caressing my exposed skin. My cock stood at attention, throbbing with each rapid heartbeat.
"Take me, Enzo. Please," she whispered, her voice honey-thick with desire.
"Oh, I will," I promised, "but I want to taste you first."
