33. Open Book
Chapter thirty-three
Open Book
Chloe
Morning light creeps through the curtains, pulling me from the haze of sleep. The smell of coffee and bacon sizzles in the air, and I hear the soft clink of dishes from the kitchen. I can’t help but breathe it all in, even as I stay in the warmth of the bed.
I stretch and sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Through the door, I catch Brody flipping something in the pan, looking like he knows what he’s doing.
"Brody?" I call, my voice still thick with sleep.
He turns with a grin. "Morning, sleepyhead. Just a minute."
I flop back against the pillows, half-smiling, trying to shake the fog of sleep. It’s one of those mornings where everything feels easy, familiar. No rush. No drama.
A few minutes later, he walks in carrying a tray of two plates of scrambled eggs, toast, and a steaming mug of coffee.
"Breakfast in bed," he says, setting it in front of me. "Figured you could use some extra comfort today."
"You didn’t have to do this," I say, picking up the mug. "But I’m definitely not complaining."
He sits down beside me. "I know, but I wanted to."
The warmth of the coffee spreads through me as I sip. "This is really good," I look at him, my eyes meeting his. "Like, really good. Thank you."
He shrugs, the playful look in his eyes softening. "Anything for you. I wanted today to feel easy for you. You've been juggling so much lately."
"I’m glad you're here, helping. I don’t know how I would’ve kept it all together without you."
His hand finds mine, offering a steady, affectionate squeeze. "You’ve done this on your own. I’ve seen the effort you’ve put in, how you didn’t just go with what everyone expected. Like the advisory role, you could’ve taken it, but you didn’t."
A tightness grips my chest. "I knew turning it down would be hard. My dad really wanted me to take it."
"I’m proud of you for choosing what’s right for you."
"It wasn’t easy. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, but I have my own dream. I want my own bookstore one day. It’ll take time, but I’ll get there.
"You’re going to do it. I know you will. And I’ll be right here, supporting you every step of the way."
“I love you.”
“Good,” he says, cupping my cheek. “Because I love you too. A lot.”
He takes the tray from the bed and sets it on the dresser. With a soft kiss to my forehead, he trails his lips down to the corner of my mouth. “Can I tell you something?”
“Anything.”
“Being here with you… looking at you…” He pauses, searching for the right words. “It’s like looking in a mirror sometimes. You see me, really see me. I don’t need a mask to hide behind.”
I let out a soft laugh, my fingers grazing his arm. “Why would you want to hide? You know you don’t have to with me.”
He leans in, pressing his lips to mine. The gentle strokes of his hand send tingles from my cheek down to my toes, pooling heat low in my belly. I pull him closer, his chest against mine.
“Look at us.” My heart overflows. “Living our domestic small-town bliss. I never thought this could be my life, but I’m so happy. Here, with you.”
His thumb grazes over my bottom lip, tracking the motion with his eyes.
I kiss him hard, unable to hold back any longer. His warm skin is enough to get me going. My hand glides up slowly, fingertips taking their time, committing every inch to memory, savoring what it’s like to love him like this.
He shifts, parting my legs and lifting one to drape over his hip, a clear invitation I can’t resist. His hand starts to explore, so I guide him exactly where I want him.
The moment his fingers make contact, a groan spills from his lips.
I swallow the sound hungrily, crashing my lips into his again. Closing my eyes, I brace for that familiar heat to wash over me as he hardens against me.
Urgency takes over, and he shifts to position himself between my legs.
A breathy, raw sounds leaves my mouth at the feel of him grinding against my pussy.
His face buries in the curve of my neck, trailing wet, open-mouthed kisses along my skin, each one lingering a little longer than the last.
He pulls me closer, begging me for every last breath of space between us to disappear. I know the feeling. All I want is to lose myself in him, to become one. It's what I always crave.
Lowering his head, he takes one of my rosy, stiff nipples into his mouth. Licking and sucking, he teases me with his tongue, drawing a low groan from me as he gently grazes his teeth over it.
I dig my fingers into his hair as I arch my back, offering him the other breast. He palms it with his free hand without slowing down the teasing with his mouth. He flicks his tongue over it a few times, while his fingers firmly pinch the other.
The sound that escapes him radiates through my bones. His cock hardens more. Twitching with want, he moves against me, eliciting a sensual moan from both of us. He wants nothing more than to bring me to the edge of ruin and hold me as I fall.
His hands roam over me, the way I touch him fueling every thrust, as he rocks his hips in a stilted rhythm.
I want him so damn bad, it’s hard to think straight.
When I drag my nails down his back, goosebumps erupt across his skin.
His breathing’s ragged, but I don’t care. There’s only one thing on my mind.
Like feeling him inside me.
I work my hand between us, to grip him and stroke. He bites gently on the flesh of my neck, stifling the urge to cry out as pleasure rips through me.
“ I want you ,” I breathe against his ear.
He shifts his weight onto his knees, leaning forward to get a closer look at me. I lean back into the pillows, spreading my arms and legs out. His intense gaze locks onto mine as I lick my lips.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmurs as he slides his thumb over my swollen clit, pink and slick with arousal.
I writhe beneath him, my back arched, lips parted in a silent scream. My muscles tense, releasing beneath his hands as I bite down on my lower lip to stifle my moans.
His gaze is drawn to the bounce of my breasts as I try to keep it together, the way my lips curl into a grimace of pleasure under his touch.
He is perfect.
His fingers trace the curve of my hips, savoring the feeling of my skin under his touch. My body aches with desire as he takes in every detail.
Shifting closer, he uses his knees to push my legs wider as he guides his tip to my wet pussy. I cry out, bucking my hips, lifting myself to him. I can see it’s taking all he has to keep from driving into me, but he wants to make this last a little longer.
Cock firmly in his hand, he slides his engorged shaft down the length of my pussy, over my hard clit, down to my entrance, and back up again. Slowly. Agonizing. Coating himself with my juices as he sends me into a frenzied spasm of arousal.
“Brody, please…” I hike up my knees, giving him the perfect view of fresh arousal spurting out to soak my pussy more.
As his jaw tenses, he grips his cock and gently prods against my softness. Slipping inside. Only the tip.
I whine as he pulls out again, my hands reaching for him.
“I don’t want to wait,” I say, breath ragged and shallow. “Please.”
My need sends his into overdrive, tensing his thighs. “You know I love it when you beg.”
He lowers his body on top of me, supporting his weight on one elbow. My finger traces lightly along his jaw. I’ve never seen him look this open and wanting.
I pull him in for another kiss, and that’s when he pushes inside me. Hard and deep. The walls of my pussy contract around him, and I moan into his open mouth. He plunges his tongue into my mouth, drinking me in with feverish passion.
He edges his cock out of me, then slowly pushes in again, not stopping until his balls slap against me. I gasp for breath, and my needy moaning only makes him want to go harder.
My fingers dig into the flesh on his back as his thrusts take on a more urgent purpose. Faster. He pants hot and heavy beside my ear. His restraint is quickly fading with every clench of my muscles around his shaft.
Driving into me again, he grunts as our bodies sync together. We ride the wave of our hunger, clinging to one another.
An explosion of wet heat erupts between my legs. Slick sounds of sex and our needy noises fill the room, edging him closer and closer to his climax.
“Don’t stop,” I breathe, reading the signs I know so well.
He slides his arm beneath my back and lifts me up with an urgent grunt, until he’s rocked back on his ass, and I’m straddling him. Through it all, his cock stays buried deep inside me.
I lunge forward to kiss him again, wrapping my arms around his neck I know what he’s asking for, I move my hips back and forth, his cock sliding in and out. I want all of him, and I take it. With his mouth, his cock, his hands.
And I surrender wholeheartedly. Like I always do.
My arms still draped over his shoulders, holding onto him for all its worth.
My pussy clamps down around him one last time, a series of intense pulses making his cock quiver with eager anticipation.
I close my eyes, giving in to the surge of desire choking his cock and tensing muscles.
Hundreds of lights explode behind my lids. My ears begin to ring.
We’re at the edge he’s been guiding us toward, and together, our bodies are wracked with a shuddering orgasm that leaves us breathless and shaking.
We stay locked together, as he empties inside me, cock twitching until every last drop is gone. I collapse on him, my face against his neck, breath warm and even.
Through the haze of our afterglow, my mouth stretches into a smile against his skin.