23. Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Joy
T ate’s rough hands graze my heated flesh as he slowly drags my thin shirt up my body and over my head. His gentle touch doesn’t match the hunger in his eyes. He’s gentle but commanding as he continues backing me further into his room.
There was never any question that I would stay with Tate while we anxiously waited for Gray to wake up. In just a few short weeks, these people feel like family. Gray and River are more than just people I see in passing. Being there for Tate while trying to keep some distance between us has been absolute hell.
“Joy,” he rasps, his words warm against my neck. “If you want me to stop, just tell me, and I will.”
“I know.”
My thighs hit the mattress, causing me to gasp in surprise. Tate pulls away and his eyes search my face as he frames it with both hands. I don’t move. I barely breathe as I get lost in the intensity of his gaze. He finally steps forward and covers my mouth in a kiss that takes the last of my breath away. It’s slow. And sensual. It’s all consuming as he holds me still, and works his mouth against mine, teasing and tasting with his tongue.
Moaning, I wrap my arms around him and pull him closer. All of my tension, and worry, and anger have turned into desire so strong I’m worried it will consume me. Reaching a hand between us, I stroke his hard length through the thin layer that separates us.
“Fuck, sweetheart,” he hisses, pulling away just enough to briefly rest his forehead against mine.
I keep still when he slowly slides his hands down to my neck, to my shoulders, and finally down my arms where he takes both my hands in his. My heart constricts. I was expecting fast and dirty. A way to get it out of our systems and relieve the stress of the past few days. Not this. I close my eyes and swallow hard, trying to get control of my emotions.
“You’re perfect,” he whispers.
Still holding my hands, he slowly lowers to his knees and presses a kiss to each of my palms before releasing them. The sight of him on his knees before me is nearly too much to handle. His eyes remain on mine as he slides his hands up my thighs and rests them on my hips.
“I’m sorry for not telling you.”
“No.” I cut him off before he can continue. “Please. I don’t want to think about it. Right now, it’s only us.”
His eyes hold mine and he hesitates for a fleeting moment before sliding his fingers into the waistband of my panties and sliding them down. The way he’s looking at me... It’s raw. Vulnerable. I close my eyes and bury my fingers in his hair, using him to keep my balance as I step out of my panties. His muttered curse sends a jolt to my already throbbing core.
“Tate,” I whine. “Please.”
Sliding his hands back up my thighs, he grips my right leg and drapes it over his shoulder, leaving me completely exposed. Holy shit. The heat in his eyes has my core clenching. I’m certain he can see how wet I am, and it only heightens my desire.
“Tate,” I whimper.
Without a word, he holds my gaze as he brings his mouth to the apex of my thighs. He swipes his tongue across my sensitive slit and my knees nearly buckle. My mouth pops open in a silent scream when he spreads me wider and spears his tongue into my entrance. I can’t think. I can’t move. I can barely remain upright up as I feel myself already spiraling toward release.
His beard is rough against my sensitive skin which adds to the sensations as he circles his tongue around my clit. My chest constricts and I let out a noise I don’t even recognize when he clamps his mouth around me and sucks, drawing my clit into his mouth. He slides one hand up and grips my ass, steadying me when my knees buckle.
“Fuck! Tate!”
My breathing comes in short gasps as my orgasm builds. His hair is soft on my fingers as I grip it and tug, which only seems to make him greedy for more. He slides his hand from my thigh to my center, slipping two fingers into my pussy and sending me crashing over the edge. Screaming a garbled version of his name, I struggle to remain upright through the most powerful orgasm I’ve ever experienced. Static fills my vision as I continue to pulse and squeeze around his fingers.
“Look at you, soaking my face. So, fucking good.”
“God—” I can’t manage another word when his fingers are stroking that sensitive place inside me, drawing out my pleasure.
“Say my name when I’m making you come,” he growls.
“Tate!”
My legs give out, and he stands with ease and lowers me to the bed. Did I just—I don’t have a chance to finish my thought before he strips off his only piece of clothing and joins me on the bed. He hovers over me, looking me over briefly before crushing his lips to mine, plunging his tongue into my mouth.
“See how good you taste?”
He returns his mouth to mine before I have a chance to answer. I haven’t fully come down from my orgasm yet, but I already want more. Heat builds in my core from the sweet tang of my arousal on his tongue. He kisses me like I’m his lifeline.
I wrap my arms around him and pull him closer, raising my hips in a desperate plea for him to fill me. He teases at my entrance and I’m ready to beg. I need him. Finally, he slides a hand down to my waist and holds me steady as he slowly glides inside. My breath catches at the unfamiliar sensation of skin on skin, the feeling alone causing need to coil tighter at my core.
“More,” I cry as I meet his thrust, trying to take him deeper.
“Fuck, sweetheart, I—fuck—I should get a condom.”
“I’m on birth control.”
His only movement is his breathing as he studies me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I want to feel you.”
I know this could be our last time together, and I want there to be no holding back. I want all of him. He draws back and then fills me again, deeper than the last time. Stretching around his hard length, my pussy squeezes him as he sets a steady pace. I run my hands along the corded muscles of his back, holding him close and enjoying the way they move and flex beneath my hands. His hair, now damp with sweat, hangs in his face as he looks down at me.
“Fuck, Joy. Your tight pussy is the perfect fit for me.”
His words. God, his words. And the way he’s looking at me. He grips my thigh, just above the knee, and raises it, spreading me wider as he pistons into me. His thrusts grow harder, and I meet each one. I crave the delicious line of pleasure and pain that I’m teetering on. My body trembles, and before I know what’s happening another orgasm tears through me. Dragging my nails down his back, I bite down on his shoulder as I come apart on his cock.
Tate kisses my forehead and down my cheek, until he reaches my mouth. The kiss on my lips is soft. Tender. I swallow the lump in my throat as he places more soft kisses along my jaw, stopping just below my ear.
“On your knees. Ass up.”