“Oh, I’m ready.” He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, dragging her closer.
Her dark eyes clouded, turning serious. “Xander, the last thing I want is for me and Tomás to impose or be a burden. This is your home, and if you’re feeling better, we can leave—”
“Stop. I want you here with me, and I know wherever you go, your little brother goes. Don’t forget, I had a little sister, too. I understand better than anyone you guys are a package deal. And I love that.” He shifted, lifting his hand and caressing his rough knuckles across her smooth cheek. “I was waiting for the right moment to say this, but…” Her eyes widened. “I love you.”
The words came out hoarse and far too emotional, but he’d finally said them. Sure, it might not have been in the grandest setting or with soft candlelight glowing, but fuckit. Since when did he ever get things exactly right? He was a man of the moment, a man of action. Not an artist or a poet. But he knew what he wanted, and he wanted her.
Tears shimmered in her dark eyes, and his gut clenched. “Why’re you crying?” He pulled her astride his lap and her hands covered his.
“Because—” She sniffled. “I told you on the plane, but you didn’t say it back, so I thought—”
“Fuck,” he growled. “I’m so sorry. If you haven’t noticed, I’m an idiot. The king of bad decisions. I should’ve told you right then and there. I just wanted it to be special. Perfect. Not in front of the guys.”
“I don’t need perfect, Xander. I just need you. Bad decisions and all.”
She leaned down, her long hair cascading forward and brushing against his chest, and their lips met. Gentle and slow at first but escalating fast. He was done with gentle, and he needed more. Needed her to know exactly how much he loved her. Maybe he wasn’t always great with words, but he could show her the true depth of his feelings.
Deepening the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth, he shifted his hips beneath her. Their desire grew, fast and furious, and when she rocked against his hard length, he groaned.
“Need you,” he growled, licking that tempting indent above her upper lip then nipping her bottom lip. “So damn much.”
“Are you sure you’re ready?” She pulled back, laying a hand near the bandage on his side, sounding worried.
He took that hand and guided it over to his aching cock trying to tear through his pajama bottoms. “What do you think?” he rasped.
From beneath heavy lids, he watched her scoot back and carefully lower his bottoms, allowing his cock to spring free. Hard as steel and eager as ever, his dick wanted inside her. Had wanted into her sweet heat for weeks. Desperately needed to sink home, right where he belonged.
She wrapped her delicate fingers around him, teasing and twisting up and down his rock-hard length until he couldn’t take it any longer. “Essie.” Absolutely guttural. His breath sawed in and out and his fingers dug into her hips, urging her forward. Encouraging her to take him inside.
He helped lift her, and she guided him to her entrance. Hovering at the gates to heaven, he locked gazes with her. Then she began to slowly sink down, taking him into her slick heat, inch by glorious inch. The feel of her stretching around him, pulling him deeper and gripping him so tightly, nearly sent him over the edge.
Once she was fully seated on his weeping cock, he took a moment to savor the connection. The way their bodies fit so perfectly. Then he helped lift her up, nearly withdrew, before she sank back down and he plunged back up. Again and again. Up and down, finding a rhythm that had them both moaning. She rode him, grinding down as he thrusted up. Harder and faster. His fingers found her clit, rubbing until it swelled, and her pussy began to quiver and spasm around him.
Essie’s mouth dropped open, ecstasy lighting up her beautiful face as her release struck. She cried out, dropped her head back, and the rest of Xander’s barely-there control snapped. He came hard, shuddering through his orgasm, and she fell forward onto his chest.
Surrounded by her sweet and spicy scent, he buried his face in her fragrant hair as aftershocks left them both trembling and clutching each other close.
“I love you, Essie. So goddamn much.”
He pressed a kiss to her neck, never wanting the moment to end.
After another round of mind-blowing orgasms, this time with Xander on top, they washed up and returned to the bed they’d decimated. Essie straightened the covers and stretched out beside Xander, happier than she’d ever been in her life.
She laid a hand against his stubbled cheek and smiled like a woman in love. Because that’s exactly what she was—head over heels, can’t-get-enough, stupid-in-love with the most amazing and frustrating and complex man she’d ever met. And there wasn’t a damn thing she’d change.
“There’s so much about you I want to learn,” she whispered, lost in his bright royal-blue eyes. “You’re still…” He arched a brow and nuzzled his cheek against her hand. “A little bit of a mystery.”
“I’ll tell you anything.” He wrapped his lips around her index finger, sucking it into his mouth and stroking it with his tongue.
Essie bit her lip, her stomach flip-flopping. He had the ability to make her thoughts scatter. Apparently, her good sense and logic, too, because the last few times they’d had sex, no condom had been involved.
“Xander!” she chastised, pulling her hand back. “If you keep doing that, we’re going to end up having sex. Again!”
“I live to give you orgasms,mi Estrella,” he murmured.
“You’re so bad.”
He smirked, then tangled his fingers with hers and heaved out a sigh. “But if you’re determined to learn all my dark, dirty secrets…” His face grew serious. “They’re not pretty,” he warned. “But I’ll tell you the truth. Always.”
