He closed the distance, again, breathed her in, noting the hints of citrus in her hair, the subtle floral aroma on her skin mixed with a sweet essence that was pure Neve. “I need…”
He kissed her, tongues dancing across each other, her taste like a physical jolt to his heart. He didn’t care about his ribs, if Darwin had to put him in traction later. Not as long as he got to touch her.
Love her.
Her increased breath sounded loud in the still room, her pulse fluttering wildly beneath her skin at the base of her neck. The spot that already had a slight blemish he planned on turning into a full-blown hickey. She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth like she had to shove down her own pain before she stared up at him, one hand toying with the waistband of his sweats. “How much does just standing here hurt?”
“It doesn’t, and I promise you, I won’t feel anything but what you’re doing to me once I’ve got you pinned beneath me.” He circled one taut nipple through her shirt. “God, the things I’m gonna do to you.”
Her eyelids fluttered, a soft moan escaping as she pushed out a harsh breath. “While I want all of that and more, how about you let me take care of you tonight?”
He stilled, the fire in her eyes more than telling. “Neve. Sweetheart, this is supposed to be about you. Showing you I know how foolish I’ve been. That I won’t take what we have for granted, again.”
“And, once you’ve had another day or two to heal, you can spend an hour with your head wedged between my thighs. But tonight…” She smiled as her fingers loosened the ties at his waist. “Tonight, I get to bring you to your knees.”
She held his gaze as she grabbed his pants and boxers, easing them over his hips as she went to her knees, tossing them behind her once she’d helped him step out of them. Her hands landed on his thighs, slowly smoothing up his legs as she snagged her lip, releasing a tight breath. “Damn, I knew you were impressive, but…”
Coulter clenched his jaw as she traced the bands along his stomach, humming to herself in seeming satisfaction. He cupped her jaw, brushing his thumb across her mouth. “You don’t have to…”
“Have to? Do you know how many times I’ve dreamt of this? Pictured myself in this exact position.” She blew out a warm breath, the feathery soft caress making him jerk. “Trust me. This is for purely selfish reasons, so… Relax and enjoy the ride. You can get your revenge later.”
“Neve… Christ…”
His protest died as she wrapped one hand around his length, then eased him into her mouth, teasing the first few inches before sliding all the way down, nearly unhinging him with that singular motion. She paused with him lodged deep, increasing the pressure as she slowly withdrew, lingered at the top, then dipped down again.
He speared one hand through her hair, held the mass of silky strands back from her face as she made another pass, his eyes rolling a bit when she swallowed with him damn near banging the back of her throat. He clenched his muscles, thinking about some old hockey stats. Anything to prolong the fire quickly burning down the base of his spine, threatening to end this before it had truly begun.
Neve didn’t look wrecked. As if she might fly apart at any given moment, her rhythm steady, her body still hidden behind that damn tee. He made a mental note to tear it off, tease her for the next hour when she faltered, her eyelids fluttering a few times before she moaned, picked up her pace.
He inhaled, a hint of warm, sweet arousal mixing with the heavy air, making it hard to breathe without drinking her in. He tightened his grip on her hair, hands shaking, his abs starting to cramp.
Neve paused, looking up at him through dark lashes, a suggestion of a smile lifting the corners of her mouth before she double downed — started up a rhythm designed to push him over the edge.
He grunted, his hand flexing in her hair, his control quickly fraying until he started thrusting his hips. Shallow at first, then deeper, meeting each pass until she froze, allowed him to set the pace. He tried to meter each stroke, maintain some semblance of composure, but it was useless.
Her scent, her touch, the way she hummed as if she couldn’t get enough of him.
Coulter bowed his head. All that heat and love he’d been holding back for far too long surged forward. He muttered a warning, gave her time to ease back.
Neve inched closer, daring him to pull away as the coil inside him snapped, his release shooting down her throat in long steady pulses.
He called out her name as he closed his eyes, his head tilting back, an explosion of white dots splintering behind his eyelids as everything froze, Neve’s presence the only tangible link keeping him from floating away.
Time drifted, his chest barely moving as he held his breath, the scenery still a wash of white light.
Neve eased him free, dropped a kiss on his hip, then stood, his hand still locked in her hair, every nerve on overload. He managed to pry open his eyes, relish the sheer beauty of her as she leaned into him, her breath feathering across his skin, her palms resting lightly on his pecs.
He wrapped his free arm around her, tugged her tightly against him, ignoring her protest about how she’d hurt his chest. Neve melted against him, her heart hammering in sync with his, her fingers tracing abstract patterns across his skin.
He really had been a fool.
All that time he’d wasted when he could have been loving her. Waking up with her every morning after holding her all night.
He swallowed, nearly blurted out the words he’d thought had been forever lost. “God, you… That…”
Neve smiled against his skin, dropping a quick kiss on his pec. “I’ll go out on a limb and say I definitely won the first battle.”
He laughed, cursing when it aggravated his ribs. “You did that on purpose. And I wasn’t aware we were at war.”
