Page 49 of Sweet Heart

Her breath stills as her mouth opens and her eyebrows come together in question. I instantly know that she wants to see if I am really here with her. Not just physically, not running from my grief. But I am not running. I am here despite the fear. Because she is the only one with whom I can hold both feelings simultaneously.

“Dios,” I exhale, softly brushing my hand over her hair. “I really, really want this.” I want to keep returning to the safety that is her. To her warmth, her arms. To all of her.

Her eyes dart over my face, assessing me, and when she finally breathes, it is in short, rapid bursts. A small whimper falls from her lips, and her eyes close as if she is fighting herself. When she leans back, a sudden cold washes over me, and I shudder in response.

“Are you okay?”

She shakes her head, and I instantly move to sit straighter. Her palm comes up against my sternum, holding me in place, as she opens her eyes again.

“I really, really want this, too.” She pauses and bites her lip before her gaze lifts hesitantly. “Cat, I really want you. But I want all of you, and I want you to want all of me, too. You are vulnerable right now. I don’t…”

She doesn’t finish. Doesn’t have to. I nod, and my lips curl into a soft smile.

“You have all of me, and I want all of you.” I smile again. “That is not tied to this moment, Maria. That is tied to us.”

Her lips part as she looks at me, and I see her gaze soften. Something inside her settles, and it makes me want to cradle her in my arms.

“We can wait,” I whisper as I watch her. “There is no need to rush any—"

Before I can finish, she slides her hands around my neck and presses herself against me, her lips finding mine again. The urge for connection overrides both of our systems, and my body responds before my brain catches up. I pull her onto my lap in one swift motion, my hands steadying her at her hips. She doesn’t break the kiss but deepens it. All I can do is moan into her mouth and surrender to her completely. She really does have all of me.

Chapter 18

Mary

The soft rumble of Cat’s moan settles deep in my chest and makes me want to pull her even closer to me. Her pulse beats fast and strong under my fingertips, and her hands steady me as much as they anchor her. I arch slightly into her to feel her soft, pillowy lips even better, my thumb brushing her sharp jawline. She huffs out another breath against my mouth while her hand glides up my shoulder and into my hair, her fingers pressing gently into my scalp.

I gasp softly, and Cat leans back instantly. Her eyes are heavy-lidded, but her hands go still as she scans my face.

“Are you okay? Is this okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” I hum softly. “More than okay.”

A slow smile spreads across her face. Not victorious or gleeful. No. It is warm and safe. Knowing, almost.

“Good,” she whispers as she caresses the bare skin just above my waistband.

I blink. When did my shirt ride up? Cat lets out a chuckle as she follows my gaze, her umber eyes sparkling with amusement. Her face is so open, so sincere, that I go completely still, taking my time to look at her. At her beautiful hair that now falls in waves, framing her face, at those eyes that are so warm and intense, her lips that are slightly parted, begging me to love them. This is the woman who came running to me when she was in pain, and she is now looking at me with no outside distractions, no disruptive thoughts. Just her and me. Yes, she really, really wants this.

My hands glide down Cat’s stomach, slowly and deliberately. I want to savor every second of this moment. Her lips part a little more, and she trembles under my touch. Her eyes roam over my face, and the spark between us burns even hotter.

I kiss her softly, narrowing the world between us, before finding the hem of her shirt and sliding my hands under the soft fabric. I push the shirt up slowly, but when her breath hitches, I pause long enough for her to stop me. She doesn’t. By the time it reaches her chest, she breaks the kiss and lifts her arms so that I can take it off. My fingers tremble a little when I do, and the shirt ends up somewhere on the floor.

“Okay?” I breathe, my voice unexpectedly scratchy, and she lets out a soft chuckle.

“More than okay.”

I bite my lip as a smile spreads across my face, and I shake my head softly in disbelief. Her playful quip was the last thing I expected, but I love it. Then my smile falters as my brain registers what I am seeing.

Cat’s chest rises and falls unevenly as she tries to steady her breath. Her breasts are held in a simple black bra and partially covered by strands of her dark hair. I try to keep my hand steady as I gently brush her hair back. I want to see all of her. Her smooth skin breaks out in goosebumps at the slight contact, and her throat bobs in silent anticipation. I notice a small freckle just below the hollow of her throat, and I brush my lips against it. Her ribs flare out with the ragged breath she takes, revealing the contours of the muscles lying right under the surface of her soft belly. I run my finger along her sternum and watch her arch into me. She is so beautiful.

All that time, her eyes stay on me, watching me watch her. It is with such intensity that it almost shatters me.

“You are so incredible…” I rasp, and her eyelids flutter a little.

A soft blush creeps up her cheeks, and her eyes dip toward my lips. I lean forward to kiss her, but this time it isn’t frantic. It isn’t laced with a need for her to reassure me or for me to console her. This kiss is meant to fuse us. To connect us at the seams.

I drink in the taste of her mouth, that faint caramel mixed with a hint of the savory noodles she had earlier. She tilts her head back in response so that I can deepen the kiss. I bring my hand up to her jaw again, holding it there, brushing my thumb softly over her cheekbone as I lose myself in all that is her.