She nods, and I take my time. I slide one strap down her shoulder, then the other, letting the dress fall to her waist. Her breasts are bare underneath, and the sight of them in the soft light from the bedside lamp makes my mouth go dry. I cup them in my palms, thumbs brushing over her nipples, and she arches into my touch with a throaty moan.
"You’re so fucking pretty," I tell her, because it’s true and because I want her to hear it. "Every inch of you. I’ve been thinking about this since this afternoon. Since I had you coming on my tongue."
I lean down and take one nipple into my mouth, sucking gently while my hand teases the other. Her fingers thread through my hair, holding me there. The sound of her breathing fills the room. I switch sides, lavishing attention on her other breast until she’s squirming on the bed.
"Jace," she says, voice breathless. "Please."
I smile against her skin and push the dress the rest of the way down her legs, tossing it aside. She’s completely bare now, and I take a moment to study her. The way the light plays across her skin. The curve of her waist. The long line of her legs. The way she’s already wet for me, glistening in the dim light.
I drop to my knees between her thighs and look up at her. "I want to taste you again. Can I?"
She nods, biting her lip, and I don’t wait. I lean in and drag my tongue through her wetness, slow and deliberate. She tastes incredible, and I give her one lick through her wetness. Fuck me. She moves her hips, and I smile against her soft skin. I keep sucking and licking and then stare up at her.
"You’re so wet for me," I say. "So ready. I love how responsive you are. Every sound you make, every time you move your hips like that. It’s driving me crazy."
I crawl back up her body and kiss her. She reaches between us and palms me through my jeans, and I groan at the contact.
"Off," she says, tugging at my belt. "I want to feel you."
I strip the rest of the way in record time, grabbing a condom from my wallet and settle between her thighs again. The feel of her bare skin against mine is almost overwhelming. She watches as I slide the condom over my thick cock. I kiss her deeply while my hand slides between us, lining myself up. I pause at her entrance, looking into her eyes.
"Tell me again," I say. "Tell me you want this."
"I want you," she whispers, her hands sliding up my back. "Inside me. Now."
I push in slowly, inch by inch, giving her time to adjust. The feel of her tight heat around me is incredible. I have to grit my teeth to keep from losing it right then. She feels as if she was made for me. When I’m fully seated I pause, forehead against hers, both of us breathing hard.
"You feel so good," I tell her, voice rough. "So tight. So perfect. I could stay this way forever."
She moves her hips experimentally and I groan. I start to move then, slow deep thrusts that make her moan with every stroke. I keep my weight on my forearms so I can watch her face.
I pick up the pace gradually, one hand sliding down to grip her hip. "Look at you," I murmur. "Taking me so well. You’re so beautiful. I want to make you come again. I want to feel you clench around me."
I angle my hips to hit that spot inside her that makes her cry out, and she comes again with my name on her lips. The feel of her pulsing around me pushes me right to the edge. I drive deeper, chasing the edge I’ve been fighting to hold back. When it finally breaks, it crashes through me in a rush of sensation that leaves me breathless. I bury my face against her neck, holding on as it passes, her name a rugged confession against her skin.
We stay this way for a long moment, bodies still joined, hearts pounding. I can feel the ocean breeze coming through the window, cool against our sweat-damp skin. The sound of the waves is louder now, or maybe it seems that way because everything else has gone quiet except for our breathing.
I pull out carefully, discarding the condom. I roll to the side, pulling her with me so she’s tucked against my chest. She fits perfectly there. Her head on my shoulder, one leg thrown overmine, her hand resting over my heart. I stroke her hair absently, the strands soft between my fingers.
"That was..." she starts, then laughs softly. "I don’t even have words."
I grin against her hair. "Good. Because I plan on doing it again. Soon. Maybe in the morning before we leave for my mom's."
She tilts her head up to look at me, eyes soft in the dim light. "You’re already thinking about round two?"
"With you? Always." I kiss her forehead, then her temple, then the corner of her mouth. "You have no idea what you do to me, Sadie."
She’s quiet for a moment, her fingers tracing idle patterns on my chest. "I’m scared," she admits quietly. "This was supposed to be pretend. Temporary. But it doesn’t feel temporary anymore."
I tighten my arm around her. "It’s not. Not for me. I don’t know what happens after the concert. After we deal with my father and whatever mess he’s in. But I know I want you in it. Whatever comes next."
She doesn’t answer with words. She presses closer and kisses my chest, right over my heart. We lie this way for a long time, the ocean keeping time outside, the room growing darker as the night deepens. My body’s relaxed in a way it hasn’t been in months. The shock of seeing my father, the questions still spinning in my head, the worry about tomorrow's visit to my mother. It all feels a little farther away with Sadie in my arms.
I think about her beneath the lighthouse, confessing she was falling. I think about the kiss that came after—the moment she stopped resisting what had been building between us. I thinkabout her here in my arms now, warm and soft and trusting in a way I never thought I’d have.
For years, I’ve chased threats, protected strangers, and kept my distance from anything that could matter. I was good at surviving. Good at walking away.
Then she came along.
