Chapter Fifteen
Dawson
As we stepped into the bedroom, I quickly lit a few candles, wanting to at least attempt to make this a romantic moment. We stood facing each other, our bodies nearly touching. Her brown eyes shone like stars in the dim light as they met my steady gaze. In them, I saw a heady mix of desire and something deeper, more tender. Love.
I walked us backward until her legs hit the bed and we tumbled down onto the mattress. The candlelight flickered over our entwined bodies as the rest of the world fell away. In that moment, nothing existed but Nora; her scent, her taste, her touch… the feel of her soft curves beneath my rough hands.
I grazed my fingers along her cheek, and she shivered slightly at my touch. My heart raced, pounding against my ribs. I wanted her so badly I ached. But I knew I needed to go slow, be gentle. She’d been through so much pain and fear.
“You’re so beautiful,” I murmured, letting my hand linger against her face. “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”
Her lips parted on a soft intake of breath. “I want you too, Dawson. So much. Kiss me.”
My blood roared in my ears as I lowered my head, capturing her lips with mine in the gentlest of kisses at first. Then, as she sighed and melted into me, I deepened it, tasting her sweetness, losing myself in her.
My hands skimmed over her luscious curves, mapping the feminine landscape of her body. I trailed featherlight caresses along the elegant column of her throat, over the swell of her breasts, dipping into the valley of her waist. She trembled beneath my touch, and it set me on fire, knowing the effect I had on her.
Nora’s breath came faster, shallower, as our kiss turned hungry and wild. I groaned into her mouth, desire pulsing through my veins. I’d never craved a woman so desperately. Never felt so consumed.
We broke apart, gasping, foreheads pressed together. Her eyes were glazed with passion, lips bee-stung from my kisses.
“The things you do to me,” I rasped out. “I was trying to go slow but God, Nora, I just want to devour you.”
“I don’t want slow,” she panted, nipped at my lower lip. “I want you, Dawson. All of you. I need you.”
Those words unleashed something primal in me. With a low growl, I captured her mouth again in a searing kiss, our tongues tangling feverishly. My touch grew bolder, greedier, as they roamed her tempting figure. She arched into me, whimpering with need.
We were both breathing hard when I tore my mouth from hers to blaze a fiery path down her throat.
“Please,” she whimpered, and it was the sweetest plea I’d ever heard. “Don’t stop… more…”
My fingertips glided reverently along her skin as if trying to memorize every dip and curve. She was a masterpiece and I wanted to explore every inch of her, to discover all the secret places that made her gasp and shiver.
Nora’s hands tangled in my hair, tugging me closer as our kisses turned deeper, more urgent. It was like she couldn’t get enough and the feeling was mutual. I was desperate to eliminate any space between us, needing to feel her pressed against me from head to toe.
A groan rumbled up from my chest when she rocked her hips, seeking friction. I could feel how much she wanted this, wanted me. It was humbling and arousing as hell.
“Dawson.” Hearing my name fall from her kiss-swollen lips in that breathy tone nearly undid me.
Sliding my hands down, I cupped her round ass and pulled her flush against my aching cock. We both moaned at the contact, hips undulating instinctively. I nuzzled into the silky skin of her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent as I trailed hot open-mouthed kisses across her soft skin.
“You taste so good, baby,” I rasped against her heated flesh before laving my tongue over a particularly sensitive spot just below her ear. “I could kiss you here for hours just to hear those sweet sounds you make.”
She shuddered and gasped, her nails digging deliciously into my shoulders. “Dawson, please.”
I smirked against her neck, scraping my teeth lightly over her racing pulse point, careful to avoid the area where she’d been cut. “Please what? Tell me what you need.”
“I need you.” She writhed beneath me wantonly. “I’m aching for your touch.”
“Already touching you.”
“It’s not enough,” she said.
Trailing my hand down, I palmed her breast, kneading the soft mound. She keened into my mouth, her rosy peak pebbling under my touch. I leaned back and drank in the sight of her splayed out beneath me, miles of silky skin just begging to be explored. She was utterly breathtaking, a faint blush pinkening her body under my reverent gaze.
“I have to be the luckiest bastard in the world to call you mine,” I told her hoarsely.
Nora giggled and swatted at my chest playfully. “Smooth talker. But I think I’m the lucky one, being with a man as amazing as you.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I grinned wolfishly, loving this flirty, confident side of her. As I settled over her warm, pliant body, I marveled at how perfectly we fit together, two puzzle pieces clicking into place. Her hands roamed greedily over my back and chest, mapping the hard planes and ridges. Every drag of her fingers left a fiery trail in their wake, kindling my need for her higher.
I took my time lavishing attention on her upper body, licking and sucking at the hollow of her throat, the sharp jut of her collarbones, the soft swells of her breasts. I took a nipple into my mouth and she cried out, her back bowing off the bed. I rolled the stiff peak between my lips and teeth, my hand kneading the generous mound.
“Yes, just like that,” she hissed, holding my head to her chest. I switched to her other breast, giving it the same loving treatment until she was trembling and whimpering my name over and over like a plea and a prayer.
I kissed my way down her stomach, then stopped to gaze up at her, silently seeking permission. Nora sucked in a shuddery breath and nodded jerkily, spreading her legs. I settled between her parted thighs, breathing in her intoxicating scent.
I teased her glistening folds, then her slick entrance before circling her swollen clit. Nora’s hips bucked as I stroked and caressed her.
“I need your mouth on me,” she pleaded.
I dipped my head and drew my tongue along her slit, savoring her honeyed essence. She cried out sharply, her thighs clamping around my ears as I swirled my tongue around her throbbing clit. I slid a finger inside her, pumping slowly as I suckled the tender bundle of nerves.
“Oh God, yes!” Nora sobbed, grinding herself against my face. I added a second finger, curling them to rub that spongy spot deep inside her as I lashed her clit with the tip of my tongue. Her inner muscles started to quiver and clench around my fingers.
“That’s it, baby,” I murmured against her pussy. “Let go for me. I’ve got you.”
With a keening wail, Nora shattered, her body quaking with the force of her release. I worked her through it, gentling my touch as the aftershocks rolled through her. Kissing my way back up her trembling form, I gathered her close, brushing damp tendrils of hair from her face.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered reverently, claiming her lips in a deep, searching kiss. She wound her arms around my neck, giving herself to me completely. “Ready for more?”
She nodded eagerly, and I reached between us, dragging my cock through her slick folds before slowly sinking inside her. Her lips parted and her eyes slid partially closed as I filled her. She felt incredible, and I knew I wouldn’t last. With a growl, I angled my hips, driving deep inside her.
I felt her pussy clench down on me as she cried out my name, and that was all it took. I came so hard, harder than ever before. With every thrust of my hips, more of my cum filled her. She cried out again and I felt the heat of her release on my cock. Two more strokes, and I was spent.
As the world tilted back on its axis, I lowered myself onto shaking arms, still buried deep inside her, and kissed her damp forehead. “I love you, Nora.”
She gave me a contented smile, her eyes still mostly shut. “I love you too.”
Easing from her body, I stretched out beside her, pulling her into my arms. Nora curled up against me, and it wasn’t long before I felt her deep, even breaths and knew she’d fallen asleep.
I slowly slid out of the bed and went to rinse off. Then I used a warm, damp rag to clean Nora. She didn’t even stir. While she slept soundly, I went to retrieve my phone. Christmas Eve was only two days away. No, correction. It was after midnight, so it was now one day away. While I’d bought things for Taylor while Nora had been with me, it had been difficult to shop for my girlfriend. Couldn’t exactly buy her presents while she was with me.
Instead, I’d had to sneak in some short shopping trips whenever I left to buy groceries or go to work. I’d stashed them in the toolbox bolted to the bed of my truck, and now was my chance to retrieve them.
I slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt before silently going down to the truck. I hauled the bags from the toolbox, then carried them upstairs. A quick peek at Nora showed she still slept. Getting the wrapping paper, tape, and ribbons from the closet was harder than I’d thought, as every rustle made me freeze, worried I’d woken her.
Finally, I managed to get everything to the living room where I sat on the floor and wrapped things as quickly as I could. I’d noticed her ears were pierced, even though she didn’t have earrings to wear. So that had been the first thing I’d purchased, along with a sterling silver bracelet. She also had a soft floral perfume, and a gray purse to open on Christmas morning.
Akira had let me know one of the times she babysat Taylor, she’d taken her shopping. My soon-to-be daughter had not only bought a pair of gloves for her mom, but also picked out a gift for me. It had warmed my heart hearing that, and I’d nearly gone out to buy every toy in town for her. Thankfully, I’d come to my senses.
Looking over at the tree, I saw all the brightly wrapped gifts below. There was also a dollhouse in my closet that we’d put out from Santa. I had no idea if that’s what she’d actually wanted, but Nora assured me she’d asked for one all year long.
It was the first time this place had felt truly like a home. And I knew I had Nora and Taylor to thank for it. If I hadn’t offered them a place to stay the night of their apartment fire, then I may have never fallen in love with Nora. What if she’d been alone when Rex went after her? The thought of any harm coming to her or Taylor made me want to punch something, or someone.
With the wrapping paper put away once more, I stripped off my clothes and climbed into bed beside Nora. I breathed her in, kissed the top of her head, and closed my eyes. It had been one hell of a day.