Chapter 71

He licked a slow, teasing path around her clit, and her nails grazed over his scalp, trailed down to bite into his shoulders. "Tell me what you want.”

“You.” She gasped then moaned long and sweet as he slid two fingers inside her tight sex. “Oh, God. You.”

He hummed, thrusting lazily, twisting his wrist at the end of each stroke. “Those weren’t your choices. Mouth or cock, Michelle.”

For several seconds, she didn’t answer, too consumed with riding his hand. And he allowed it, enraptured by the sight of her. She whimpered, bending over him to cup his face, slide her thumb into mouth. He nipped it, soothing away the sting with his tongue.

“You. Inside me,” she rasped. “I need that. I need you.”

He froze, those words penetrating the thick fog of lust to reach deeper inside him and fist his heart, brush his soul.

Would he ever hear those words outside of this aberration of a moment? Shoving aside the thought, he rose to his feet, fingers still pumping into her, still stroking her stiff nub of flesh. He crushed his mouth to hers, letting her taste herself on him. And she clung to him, driving her tongue between his lips, taking, taking…

“I want to give you gentle. You deserve it.” He bent low enough to hike her into his arms. And when her strong legs wrapped around his waist and her hot, wet center ground against his abs, he didn’t bother suppressing the rough sound of need that clawed its way up and out of his throat. “But I don’t know if I can.”

He’d wanted her too long. Even now, his body shook with that years-denied hunger.

“Don’t be gentle. Don’t handle me,” she whispered against his neck.

Then she bit him. Lightly, but that soft sting arrowed straight to his dick, and he almost stumbled with her in his arms.

Steeling himself, he focused on stalking to his bedroom, entering and heading for the bed. Carefully, he laid her down on the mattress. And without removing his gaze from her gorgeous body of curves and dips and hollows, he removed his clothes in indecent haste. He’d become single-minded in his purpose. Which was getting inside her.

He climbed on the bed, crawling over her body until he crouched over her.

“Nick.” She breathed his name, and the wonder that laced her tone as her gaze took in his bare shoulders, chest, thighs and his hard, erect dick. That visual caress had him throbbing, and he gripped himself, squeezing to try to alleviate that deep ache. He stroked himself, his fist sliding over his head, then sliding back down. Her lips parted and her heavy pants peppered the air. Pure hunger suffused her expression and his gut was hit with a spasm in response.

She looked at him like she wanted to replace his hand with hers...or with her mouth. Fuck. He might not survive this. But damn, if he didn’t want to lay his life on the line to find out.

“You’re stunning,” she murmured, her scrutiny of him returning to his face. She cupped his cheek, levered up to brush a kiss over his mouth. Then dipped her tongue between his lips, tasting more of him. “God, you’re stunning.”

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing her in. Hiding. Because he knew what his face would reveal.

A moment later, he shifted, reaching for the bedside dresser, and pulled open the drawer and removed a condom from it. Quickly, he opened the package and sheathed himself, then returned to her. Michelle wound her arms around his shoulders, his neck, drawing him down to her. Damn, his heart. It thumped against his rib cage. Love, need and fear hurled through him at warp speed. Once he drove inside her, they couldn’t go back. They couldn’t undo this. Alarm sizzled down his spine, a warning.

“Is this what you want, Michelle?” He threaded his fingers through her hair, gripping her head on both sides. “Be sure.”

“I want this. I want you.” Her hands slid under his arms and curled over his shoulders, tugging him close until his chest pressed against her full breasts. “Inside me, Nick.”

He closed his eyes and gave them both what they craved. Heat. Pressure. Wet.

He locked down a hoarse shout as he pushed into her, but it echoed in his head. Nothing had ever felt this good, this vital. And nothing mattered but being completely surrounded by her. Embraced by her tight, quivering flesh. Everything in him hissed that he should thrust hard, sink inside her. But a small part of him that retained a semblance of sanity slowed, halted. Allowed her clenching sex to become accustomed to him. And though it stretched his control so far that sweat dotted his face, back and chest, he waited.

“This is about you,” he whispered, nuzzling her jaw and scattering kisses along the delicate line. “Let me know when you’re ready.”

She slipped her hands down his damp back, over his hips, not stopping until she grasped his ass. “Move. Please, move.”

“Jeez, Michelle.” He groaned, slowly withdrew and released another moan when her flesh sucked at him, as if bemoaning his leaving. When only the head of his cock remained notched inside her, he paused, then thrust back home.

Home.

Because he’d never truly belonged, never really experienced a place of utter safety and beauty until this moment. Inside her.

He pulled free and plunged back into her again, slowly, tenderly. Gritting his teeth, he fought against the urge, the need, to ride her hard and raw. Despite what she’d said earlier, what he claimed about not being able to go gentle, he could give her this. Even if it drove him insane.

“You promised.” Her harsh breath brushed his cheek, then his mouth, as she grazed her teeth over his bottom lip, then nipped it. "Take me like you need. Don’t handle me.”

As if her permission was the shears that snipped his control, he let go. Wrapping his arms around her, he cuddled her close and fucked her. Hard. Wild. Like he needed. Like they needed.

Their bodies crashed together in a carnal war—loud, sweaty, laying siege to one another. With each short, fast thrust or slow, grinding glide, she gave it back to him in equal measure. Her cries and his grunts punctuated the air. The slap of damp skin greeting damp skin, the sound of her sex releasing and receiving him, created an erotic soundtrack that was now his favorite album. One he would replay over and over.