Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
Beckett
“Follow me.”
“Anywhere.”
The sight of her dressed in drab colors makes my chest ache with longing to bring her back to herself.
I start with the bun, releasing it and letting her auburn waves tumble down her back.
“There she is,” I whisper, threading my fingers through her tresses.
Then I unbutton the stiff blazer and the starched white, dress shirt.
I press a soft kiss to one shoulder as I drag the fabric over it, then do the same to the other.
I blaze a trail across her delicate collarbone and up the smooth column of her neck.
Her eyes flutter closed and she lets out a sigh of relief.
With every layer I remove, her eyes soften further and her shoulders sag more. I undress her slowly, bringing back the woman I love, adore, and cherish.
On my knees in front of her, I unbutton her pants and coax them down her legs until they pool on the floor.
Once she’s stepped out of them, using my shoulders to steady herself, she looks like my Joey again.
The beautifully clumsy woman with colorful clothes, untamed hair, and a laugh that goes straight to my soul.
I adore every inch of her.
Rising, I cup her face again, relishing the softness of her skin and her strawberry scent as I press a soft kiss to her lips.
She sighs against my mouth, wrapping her arms around my neck and drawing me closer.
I pull away a fraction, murmuring, “I hated that fucking outfit.”
Her laugh is light, free. “Me too. It’s going straight into the donation pile.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” I crush my mouth to hers and slip my hands to the clasp of her bra.
“Wait. I need to shower. It’s been a long day and I feel gross.”
I press a kiss to her nose. “Let’s shower together, then.” With my thumbs, I caress her warming cheeks. I lower my voice. “Let me take care of you tonight.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
While we wait for the water to warm, Joey leans against the sink, hugging herself. Still in her head. Still worried.
As steam billows around us, fogging up the mirror, I grasp her chin between my thumb and forefinger and tilt her head up. “You can let go now, Josephine. I’m not going anywhere. You’re here. With me. For however long you’ll have me.”
Eyes wide, she simply nods. She’s the first to step into the shower, tilting her head back, letting the water stream over her hair and face. I step behind her and squirt a healthy amount of shampoo into my hand.
Joey hums, eyes closed, and sinks into my fingertips as I massage her scalp, caressing away the day’s burdens.
Her body slackens, leaning against mine as I glide my fingers down to the base of her neck and loosen the tight, tense muscles there.
With a washcloth in hand, I scrub her body, tracing a sudsy trail down the curve of her spine.
When I’ve washed every part of her, I massage her scalp one more time, then coax her to lean her head back so I can rinse the shampoo out.
Under the hot water and wrapped in steam, she places her hands on my face, stroking my jaw.
“What’s the matter?” I ask as tiny droplets collect on her eyelashes.
“I love you. So much,” she whispers. Her voice is barely audible over the water tapping against the shower tiles.
I crush my mouth to hers, basking in the soft warmth of her lips, and pull her soft curves against the hard planes of my chest.
This is what heaven must feel like.
I’m not sure how long we stay in the shower, holding one another under the spray, but the water has gone tepid before we step out and I wrap her in a plush towel.
“Stay with me tonight, please,” I plead as I tuck my own towel around my waist.
I want nothing more than to hold her and soak in her warmth.
I want to wake up with her in my arms, knowing this wasn’t a dream.
She exhales softly. “I was hoping you would say that.”
Her eyes are filled with soft certainty, unshakable trust, and the quiet acceptance we both deserve in our lives.
Desperate, I cover her mouth with mine, urgent and hungry, stealing the air from her lungs.
And when I slip my tongue between her lips, she moans, her delicate fingertips tracing the edge of my jaw, leaving trails of heat in their wake.
I press closer to her, our damp skin melding as I tangle my fingers in her hair and tug gently, deepening the kiss. Against my bare chest, her wild heart beats in rhythm with mine.
Joey pulls away, though she stays close enough that her nose brushes mine. “I need this off.” She tugs at my towel and lets it fall to the ground. “And I need you inside me.” She nips my bottom lip, one hand wrapping around my erection. As she strokes, I close my eyes, surrendering to her touch.
When her movements stop abruptly, I snap my eyes open.
The look on her face is one of pure mischief as she takes a step back and allows her towel to fall to the floor.
My heart trips over itself as I take her in. Long legs, plush thighs, full breasts. All on display before me. I want to spend the rest of my life mapping out every curve with my tongue.
I take a step forward, aching to touch her, but she stops me by putting her hand on my chest.
“You took care of me. Now let me take care of you.” Eyes filled with lust lock on mine, and then she drops to her knees.
She drags her hands up my thighs to my clenched abs and back down again. A wave of euphoria hits me as she explores every ridge of my body, making my pulse race violently.
She grips the base of my cock, then licks up my shaft slowly, torturously. With her eyes still locked on mine, she swirls her tongue around the head and pulls me into her mouth. The heat of her mouth surrounds me, stealing the breath from my lungs. Holding back takes everything I have.
“Fuck, Joey.” Her name leaves my lips in a half prayer, half plea as I thread my hand into her hair.
Eyes fluttering closed, she moans, sending vibrations of pleasure through me. Then she’s slipping her free hand between her legs and stroking her clit.
The sight of her touching herself as she takes me deeper is enough to take me out. Swaying, I grip the countertop on either side of me hard enough to make my knuckles ache.
When dark spots dance in my vision, I gently tug her head back. She releases me with a wet, obscene pop and blinks up at me, breathless, her swollen lips curling into a satisfied smirk.
Cock twitching, I haul her to her feet. “Grip the sink for me, baby.”
I can’t take my eyes off our reflection. Her dark hair falls over her pale skin and soft curves. Behind her, I’m all sharp angles and dark ink. The stark contrast between us is devastatingly erotic.
We’re so different, but so perfectly matched in all the ways that matter.
I smooth over the dip in her waist down to the flare of her hips, then slip one hand between her thighs, gliding over her slick heat, stroking her until she’s writhing against my fingers. “Don’t move. I’ll get a condom.”
As I pull back, she grasps my wrist. “No.”
I still, blood roaring in my ears. “No?”
“No condom. I have an IUD.” Panting, she peers over her shoulder. “Also I was recently tested. Nothing to report.”
All the air leaves my lungs and my grip on her hip tightens. “That makes two of us. Nothing to report, either.” I kiss her slowly, reverently. “God,” I say when we come up for air. “The thought of being inside you, feeling all of you—”
Eyes closed, she shudders. “I know, Beckett. I know,” she breathes, arching into me. “I’m yours.”
Once I’ve notched myself at her entrance, I slide into her slowly, savoring every inch of her softness.
With a gasp, she pushes back into me, greedy for more. Slick and tight, her body melds to mine like we’re made for each other.
Because we are.
“Fuck,” I groan, clutching her hips tighter. “You feel incredible.”
Every gasp and breathy moan escaping her pink lips pulls at the threads of my resolve. I hold back, tensing my muscles to keep from tipping over the edge, but her sweet sounds are making it difficult to keep this up.
“Yes,” she gasps, face flushed. “More.”
Because I can’t say no to her, I pound into her harder, every movement urgent and desperate.
Head tilted back, she exposes the column of her throat in the dim light. I fist her long auburn waves and tug, tilting her head to side, then nuzzle the hollow where her neck meets her shoulder, inhaling the warm scent of her skin.
We’re a tangle of ragged breaths, pleasured moans, and pounding hearts as I rock my hips into her.
The image reflected in the mirror is obscene. It only turns me on more.
“Look at us, Josephine,” I command. “Look how perfect we are. Look how perfect you are.”
She turns her head, and as she takes us in, her brown eyes widen. She’s lost in the way we look, overtaken by sensation, her pussy clenching around me, pulling me deeper as if her body is desperate to keep me inside.
I lock eyes with her in the mirror. “All of me.” My voice is ragged and desperate. “My soul, my body, my heart is yours. Forever.”
I release the silken strands of her hair, then slide my hand over her soft stomach and down to the apex of her thighs. With two fingers, I find her slick, swollen clit and rub small circles over it. Against me, she trembles and her breaths grow short and frantic.
“I’m so close,” she pants, her knuckles turning white as she grips the counter on either side of her. “Please don’t stop.”
“Never, baby,” I promise against the shell of her ear.
She cries out my name—a breathless sound that breaks into a whimper—and her body shudders against mine as her orgasm consumes her. With a final deep, satisfying thrust, I let go, give in to the pleasure shooting through my veins, and bury my face in the crook of her neck.
As we come down, we’re both panting, sweat-slicked, and trembling.
“We need another shower, don’t we?” she jokes. Her chocolate brown eyes shimmer as she smiles, and a tender warmth blooms deep in my chest.
I brush away the damp strand of hair clinging to her forehead and press my lips to her freckled nose. “I’ll get the water going.”
God, I love this woman.