I pulled my mouth from hers to search her eyes. “Is this okay?”
She nodded as she stared up at me through hooded eyes.
“I love you,” I whispered, my lips moving against hers. Finally saying those words was terrifying and liberating.
“I love you, too,” she said back just as quietly.
My heart raced as my hands slid down to her hips and pulled her toward me. “Say it again.” I kissed her lips and she giggled.
“I love you.”
I growled as I lifted her, and her legs wrapped around my hips. “Again.”
“I love you.”
Her forehead was against mine as I carried her to the small bed in the center of the room and lowered her onto the mattress. I hovered over her as I stared into her eyes. I grabbed her wrists and slowly pulled her arm toward my mouth, placing a kiss on the jagged scars that marred her perfect porcelain skin. “Maybe we can help each other heal.”
“I’d like that.” A tear fell from her eye to the blanket below. She reached between us and gripped the bottom of my shirt, tugging it toward my head. I grabbed it and yanked it over my head as she pushed up from the bed and placed a kiss on my chest above my heart. “You keep your scars on the inside.” She ran her fingers over the spot her lips had just touched as my heart raced. I lowered myself on top of her, needing to be as close as possible. Her mouth pressed against mine and the urgency was gone. Neither of us was running away again. It was only us and we would work on healing each other. I didn’t care if it took months or years.
I ran my hand down her side and gripped her hip as I trailed kissed over her jaw and down the hollow of her throat. Her head fell to the side as my mouth slid over her shoulder. I lifted off her and grabbed the bottom of her shirt, tugging it up. She lifted her arms so I could pull it easily over her head, and I stared down at her beautiful body. I relaxed back against her, continuing my trail of kisses down to place one over her heart as I slid her bra strap from her shoulder. My eyes met hers briefly to make sure she didn’t object.
I couldn’t count the number of women I had been with in my lifetime, but I had never once made love. My hands slid behind her back as she arched from the bed so I could unclasp her bra. I tugged it down her arms as my mouth dipped lower, kissing her breast as her hands slid down over my back and her fingernails dug into my flesh. I ran my tongue over the tattoo on her ribs that read COURAGE in cursive.
I trailed kisses down her stomach, worshipping every inch of her flesh. I ran my fingers along the edge of her jeans so lightly it tickled her and she squirmed. “Are you sure about this?”
“I’ve never been more sure about anything.”
I slid my finger behind the button of her jeans and popped it free before sliding down her zipper. She lifted her hips from the bed as I tugged the jeans down her legs and tossed them on the floor. I pushed to my feet as she stared up at me and undid my jeans, then I kicked them off next to hers. She crawled back to the center of the bed and I climbed over her, my mouth finding hers again as I tangled my fingers in her hair.
Chapter Forty-Six
SARAH
EVERY NERVE ENDING in my body was on fire. I was terrified but never wanted anything else more in my life than I wanted E. He was treating me as if I were going to break under his touch and I struggled not to take things too fast.
Everything up to this moment melted away as his tongue slid over mine. My hands trailed down over the muscles in his back, each pulling and flexing under my touch until I reached the elastic band of his boxers. I slid them lower as I grabbed his ass and he laughed against my mouth.
His weight rested on one arm beside my head as his fingers ran over my ribs, causing me to shiver. He slipped his fingers in the side of my navy-blue panties and tugged them down a few inches.
I could feel how badly he wanted me as his hips pushed against mine, only a few layers of thin fabric keeping us from finally being together. He groaned as I pushed my hips against him, and his teeth bit lightly into my bottom lip as he tugged at it gently. I used my other hand to push down the other side of his boxers as his hand slid over my bottom, shoving my panties down farther.
He left fire in the wake of his touch and it was driving me insane. I rolled my tongue over his upper lip as our breathing accelerated and our bodies became hungrier for each other.
“Say it again,” he half moaned as he tugged at the thin fabric of my panties and it bit into my skin.
“I love you,” I panted, and I heard the material rip, and now only one article of clothing stood between us. His hand slid up over my ribs and he cupped my breast, sliding his thumb over my nipple and causing it to peak under his touch.
“I love you so much,” he growled as his mouth continued to move against mine and his hips pushed against me again. I moved against him, desperate for the release that was building inside me.
My hand pushed against his boxers but could not reach low enough to remove them. My nails dug into his hips and he laughed as he reached down and shoved the boxers lower, then kicked them off. His warm, hard body was back against mine in an instant. I struggled to control my breathing as he pressed against my entrance. I wrapped my legs around his waist as my arms looped around his neck to hold his body against mine.
He rocked gently against me and he was much larger than I expected, but my body was more than ready for him. He took his time as he slowly entered me, his eyes looking into mine until he had filled me completely. His hips stilled as he allowed my body to adjust to him as his forehead rested against mine and our breaths mingled.
I slowly rolled my hips and he began to move against me. I had never before felt like this in my life. I had no idea that being with someone could ever feel this way. Soon our bodies were covered in a thin layer of sweat as our skin slid against each other in perfect rhythm as if we were made for each other.
E’s free hand was tangled in my hair and he was careful not to rest all his weight on me. I had done the act so many times before, but this was something new, something I didn’t even know was possible, and I felt as if I were finally feeling for the first time in my life. I loved him with every fiber of my being. My body and my heart had known it all along.
His hips began to move more urgently and I rolled mine against his, eliciting a delicious groan from the back of his throat that rumbled from his chest.
The tightening in my belly slowly rolled lower, and I could feel it all the way to my toes as I fell over the edge of pleasure. E kept perfect rhythm with me until my body relaxed beneath him and he let go himself, his muscles tightening and relaxing under my hands until he moaned against my lips and his full weight pressed against me.
He kissed me softly on the lips, his fingers tightening in my hair before he rolled over beside me and pulled me into his arms.
“I don’t ever want to let you go.” He pressed his lips against my hair.
I closed my eyes, exhausted and satisfied. “I won’t let you,” I whispered as I closed my eyes and let exhaustion take over.
I loved sleeping with his arms around me, and for the first time in as long as I could remember, I didn’t have a nightmare about my childhood. E slept soundly, too, and by the time morning came, I wanted to force myself to sleep longer.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as he pressed a kiss to my temple from behind me.
“Happy.” I stretched, arching my back, and he groaned as I pushed against him.
“I am, too, and you are making me even happier as you do that.” He laughed, his chest vibrating against my back as his arms held me tighter.