Chapter 22
Holly
“Oh, I can think of a few ways,” I say, smiling softly and looking deeply into his eyes.
“Do you think you can be quiet? Because Tabby is a great sleeper, but I’d hate for her to wake up while we’re…”
“You won’t hear a peep out of me,” I reply, feeling butterflies in my stomach thinking about crawling into Denton’s bed with him.
His smile turns wolfish. Before I can say more, he takes my hand, his fingers lacing through mine with gentle firmness. Without a word, he leads me down the hallway as my heart pounds against my ribs.
We pause at Tabby's door. Denton turns the knob with practiced care, pushing it open just enough to create a sliver of space. The glow from her nightlight flows into the hallway as we both peer in.
She’s curled on her side, her dark hair spilling across her pillow, one arm wrapped tightly around her stuffed polar bear. Her breathing is deep and even.
Denton closes her door with the same careful precision, the latch barely making a sound and we continue down the hallway to the last door. He pushes it open, and I step inside.
Like the rest of his apartment, the space is minimal but thoughtful. A king-sized bed dominates the room, its gray duvet pulled taut, corners folded with perfect angles. Two simple nightstands flank it, each holding only a lamp and, on one side, a well-worn paperback.
A dresser stands against one wall, its surface bare except for a single framed photo of Tabby and a small wooden box. The walls are a light gray, bare except for a few black and white photographs of nature landscapes.
He quietly closes the door behind us and locks it, testing the lock just to make sure.
In two strides, he's standing before me and then his mouth is on mine, urgent and possessive. I arch into him, my hands gripping his sweater, pulling him closer.
The kiss deepens, and I taste the lingering flavor of tomato sauce and herbs from our pizza dinner. His tongue slides against mine, and I make a small sound in the back of my throat.
His hands slide down my sides, fingers playing with the bottom of my sweater. He pulls back just enough to look into my eyes.
"Yes?" he asks, his voice husky as his fingers tug gently at the sweater.
My heart hammers. "Yes," I nod quickly, wanting nothing more than to feel his hands on my skin again.
He pulls the sweater over my head in one smooth motion, his eyes fixed on me as he takes in the pale pink lace bra I'm wearing. This time I wore my best lacy lingerie in hopes that this would happen.
He moans with pleasure while he traces the outline of my bra. I pull his sweater over his head desperate to feel his warm body next to mine. He pulls me in close, kissing me passionately.
His skin is hot beneath my fingertips as I run my hands across his chest. The defined muscles tense under my touch.
"I've been thinking about this all day," he whispers against my lips, his fingers tracing the lace edge where it meets my skin.
"Me too," I admit, my voice breathless as his mouth moves to my neck, trailing kisses down to my collarbone.
His hands slide around my back, unfastening the clasp of my bra and. It falls away, and I fight the momentary urge to cover myself. Instead, I stand before him, letting him take me in.
His hands cup my breasts, thumbs brushing over my nipples, and I gasp at the sensation. He walks me backwards toward the bed.
The backs of my knees hit the mattress, and I sink down onto it, looking up at him as he towers over me.
He reaches for his belt buckle, unfastening it with quick efficiency. In one smooth motion, he pushes both his jeans and boxers down his muscular thighs, stepping out of them completely.
My eyes widen as I take in the sight of his naked body. He's impressively hard, the tip glistening with precum in the dim light of his bedroom. I feel a rush of heat between my legs.
I scoot forward on the bed and pat the edge of the mattress, inviting him to sit. He settles beside me, and spreads his thighs slightly. I slide off the bed onto my knees between his legs, my hands running up his strong thighs.
"Fuck," he breathes, his voice strained as I wrap my fingers around his length.
I lean forward, my tongue darting out to taste him. I circle the head slowly, deliberately, savoring the salty flavor while my hand begins a slow rhythm along his shaft. His breathing grows heavier as I take more of him into my mouth, hollowing my cheeks.
A moan escapes me and the vibration causes him to let out a deep moan.
I look up to find his eyes on me, intense and hungry. The connection between us is electric as I continue to take his cock in my mouth, varying pressure and speed, discovering what makes his breathing quicken.
His hands find my hair, fingers threading through it as he begins to move with me. I feel his thighs flexing beneath my hands, the muscles tightening as his hips rise gently to meet my mouth. His breath comes in short, ragged bursts now, punctuated by deep groans that send thrills through my body.
"Fuck," he gasps, his voice strained. "Your mouth feels amazing."
I can feel the tension building in him, his thighs trembling slightly under my palms. His grip in my hair tightens, not painfully but with an urgency that makes my core throb with need. I want him inside me, want to feel him stretch me open. The thought alone makes me moan around him again.
I pull back, letting him slip from my mouth with a soft pop. His eyes fly open, dark with desire.
Before I can say anything, he's reaching for me, strong hands gripping my waist and lifting me effortlessly onto the bed. He lays me out across the mattress, my head finding the pillows as he positions himself above me, his powerful body caging mine.
I expect him to enter me immediately—his hardness presses against my thigh, hot and insistent—but instead, he begins a slow descent down my body. His mouth leaves a trail of heat as he kisses my neck, my collarbone, my breasts.
"My turn," he whispers, his voice a delicious rumble.
His mouth trails hot kisses down my stomach. His hands find the button of my jeans, making quick work of it as he drags down the zipper. In one fluid motion, he tugs both my jeans and panties down my legs, tossing them somewhere behind him.
He kneels between my legs and lowers his head, his face hovering just above my center. I feel his warm breath against my most sensitive skin as he inhales deeply, his eyes closing for a moment.
"You smell incredible," he murmurs, his voice thick with want.
My cheeks flush with heat as he gently pushes my thighs further apart, his large hands warm against my skin. His tongue finds my clit, making slow, deliberate circles around the sensitive bud.
"Oh god," I gasp, my back arching off the bed.
His hands tighten on my thighs, holding me in place as he continues his gentle exploration. The circles are maddeningly light, teasing, building a slow burn deep in my core. I reach down, my fingers threading through his thick hair, needing to touch him.
His tongue is masterful, alternating between those soft circles and long, languid strokes that have me trembling. His technique is incredible—the perfect pressure, the perfect rhythm. My hips buck against his face as the tension builds, coiling tighter and tighter low in my belly.
"Don't stop," I gasp, my fingers tightening in his hair. "Please, right there."
He continues and it sends me hurtling toward the edge. My thighs begin to tremble as the pressure builds to an unbearable point.
When he sucks with more force on my clit, I shatter. My entire body convulses as waves of pleasure crash through me. I almost cry out but remember we have to be quiet.
Before I can even catch my breath, Denton is moving up my body. His eyes are hungry, his expression almost feral.
He positions himself between my still-trembling thighs. With one powerful thrust, he enters me completely. The force of it makes me gasp, my eyes widening as he fills me entirely, stretching me in the most delicious way.
"I'm not sure how long I'm going to last," he says, his voice strained. His forehead presses against mine, his breathing ragged against my lips. "You feel too damn good."
“Let go then,” I say, feeling incredibly pleased with myself that he’s this turned on.
His hips thrust forward, the muscles in his arms trembling as he holds himself above me. I can see the concentration on his face.
But just when I think he's about to let go, his rhythm suddenly changes. He slows down, his strokes becoming deeper and more deliberate.
"Not yet," he whispers, his voice strained.
Then his hand moves between our bodies, his thumb finding my still-sensitive clit. I gasp at the contact, my hips jerking upward.
"Oh!" The sensation is almost too much after my first orgasm, but he applies just the right pressure, circling slowly, deliberately. The dual sensations—him filling me completely while his thumb works its magic—has me spiraling toward another peak almost immediately.
"Is this what you need?" he asks, his eyes searching mine, even as he maintains that perfect rhythm.
"God, yes," I breathe, unable to form more coherent thoughts as pleasure quickly builds again. My oversensitized nerves sing under his touch, every circle of his thumb sending electric pulses through my body.
He watches my face intently as he moves, clearly savoring each reaction, each gasp and shudder. His control is incredible—the slow, deep thrusts never faltering even as his breathing grows more ragged.
"I want to feel you come," he says, his voice a low growl. "Come around me, Holly."
His fingers increase their pace just slightly, and I have to bite my lip to keep from crying out.
My second orgasm is even more intense than the first. It feels like it lasts for minutes instead of seconds.
Denton's control finally shatters. His rhythm falters, his powerful body tensing above mine. With a deep, guttural groan that he muffles against my neck, he thrusts deep one final time, his entire body shuddering as he comes.
We stay locked together, trembling and breathless, our bodies slick with sweat.
Eventually, he presses a soft kiss to my lips before carefully withdrawing from me and laying down beside me.
“You were so quiet. I don’t know how you did it. I almost lost it there at the end,” he says, grinning.
“I just knew how mortified I’d be if I woke her up,” I say, almost laughing out loud.
“She’s a deep sleeper. I knew it would take a lot to wake her up.”
I cuddle up to him, laying my head on his chest, listening to his still rapid heartbeat.
“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you something for a while,” he says, seriousness radiating in his voice.
“What’s that?” I ask nervously.
“Sometime back, Tabby and I came into the bakery and this sleazy looking guy was leaving,” he begins. “You had a weird look on your face and when I asked about him, you said he was a salesman. Was that true?”
I swallow hard. “Not exactly.” I feel bad now about lying to him, but I couldn’t tell him the truth back then.
“His name is Tony Taviani and he’s a real estate developer. He’s trying to push me out of the space so he can put something else there. Condos maybe, I’m not sure…”
“Shit, are you worried? Will he be able to pull it off?”
“I certainly hope not but time will tell.”
“Can I do anything?” he asks, gently playing with my hair.
I ponder the question for a moment. “I don’t think so. But I’ll let you know if I think of anything. I’m really hoping the whole thing just blows over and he goes away.”
My chest feels tight as I say this. And I don’t want to talk about this anymore. It’s starting to ruin my perfect day.
Denton pulls me in closer. “Can you stay? I’ll set my alarm to make sure we get up before Tabby does.”
“I’d love to stay. Are you sure that’s okay though? I don’t want to cause any problems.”
“No, it’s all good. I want you next to me,” he says, setting an alarm on his watch. “She sleeps surprisingly long in the morning. We’ll probably be up way before her.”
I yawn, feeling my eyelids growing heavy. The warm contentment of the day, the incredible sex, and the emotional significance of decorating the tree have all caught up with me at once.
"You look exhausted," Denton says, brushing a strand of hair from my face.
"I am," I admit, fighting another yawn. "It's been quite a day."
He kisses my forehead and slides out of bed. "Stay here," he says, padding across the room to his dresser. He rummages through a drawer before returning with a soft t-shirt and flannel pajama pants.
"Here," he says, handing them to me. "Just in case Tabby needs me in the middle of the night. Wouldn't want you to have to scramble for clothes."
The thoughtfulness of the gesture warms me even more than the afterglow of our sex. This isn't just about tonight—it's about acknowledging a future where I might be here when his daughter wakes up needing him.
I slip into his clothes, the t-shirt hanging almost to my knees, the pants requiring several rolls at the waistband to stay up.
"You look so sexy in my clothes," he says with a lazy smile as he pulls on a pair of pajama pants himself, leaving his chest bare.
We climb into his bed together, Denton pulling back the covers for me. I snuggle up against his warm body, my head finding the perfect spot in the crook of his shoulder.
His arm wraps around me, strong and secure, pulling me closer until there's no space between us. My hand rests on his bare chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my palm.
The weight of his arm around me feels like a shield against all the uncertainties that have been plaguing me—the bakery troubles, Tony Taviani's threats, even my own doubts about whether I deserve this happiness.
"What are you thinking about?" Denton asks softly, his fingers lightly tickling my arm.
"Just how good this feels," I whisper, not wanting to break the peaceful cocoon we've created. "Being here with you."
He presses a kiss to the top of my head. "It does feel good. Right."
The word hangs between us, heavy with meaning. Right. Like pieces falling into place after being jumbled for so long.
"I never thought I'd have this again," he continues. "Not just... sex. But this. Holding someone. Wanting them to stay."
My heart swells at his admission. I reach up and give him a long kiss, not wanting to break the connection.
I finally break the kiss and lean into him, feeling my body surrender to the gentle pull of sleep.