Chapter 23
23
BAILEY
M ay I kiss you?
This man and his manners might just be the death of me.
Never in my life has a guy ever asked if he could kiss me. He just did it. I couldn’t fight the smile on my face, touched by his need for permission before just taking something I would have happily given him. I thought he was going to kiss me in his bedroom once I had changed. I wanted him to kiss me, to take me to his bed, lay me down and make me his. But then he took a step back and I took that to mean he didn’t want to, that maybe he had changed his mind about me after all and he didn’t like me like I thought he had.
“Yes, you can kiss me,” I whispered into his lips, leaning in even closer to him. My heart surged with joy, knowing that my fears had been wrong.
“Thank god, because I’ve been wanting to since we got back.” His words were rushed before he crashed his lips into mine. I hadn’t realized how much I missed the way they felt until our lips were reunited once more. He snaked his hands behind my head and into my hair, pulling me even closer to him. Without thinking, I crawled my way onto his lap, never breaking the connection we had formed. With my legs on either side of him, I sat down only to discover that he was long and hard under the shorts he was wearing. Wetness pooled between my legs knowing how hard I was able to make him. After being attacked, I didn’t think anyone would ever want to be with me again and it made me feel good knowing I had been wrong.
“You’re driving me crazy doing that, hermosa ? 1 ,” he growled the name into my ear as my head dropped behind me. His lips pressed into the soft parts of my neck, sending a chill down my spine with each kiss.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I hummed, allowing the feelings he was causing with his lips to consume me.
“You, pressing your hips into me like that. It’s an unfair tactic to use on a man who is trying to show some self-control.” I looked down and realized I had been grinding my hips into his hard cock, enjoying the friction it was producing.
“Why are you trying to show self-control?” I brought both hands to his face and pressed my lips into his before he could answer. He pulled away from me and looked at me for a beat before speaking.
“Because I don’t want to push you to do something you aren’t ready to do. You shared something really personal with me not even a few hours ago and I would feel awful if you thought I rushed you into something after sharing that. I never want you to feel pressured or taken advantage of when you’re with me. I only ever want you to feel safe and cherished. As you should have always been treated.”
We were both breathing heavily on the couch, staring at one another for several long seconds. I was trying to collect my thoughts but doing so seemed impossible. He had left me speechless. Instead of saying anything, I pressed my lips to his once more. He and I consumed one another, our tongues clashing together and our breath becoming muddled between us. I hadn’t wanted anyone like this in a long time but I knew I wanted him. I wanted him to fill me up, to consume me, to make me his. I didn’t just want him, I needed him. Like the night sky needs the stars, I needed Hank Martínez.
“Soldier,” I whispered through labored breaths.
“Yeah?” He pulled his lips away from mine just long enough to say it.
“I want you. I don’t just want you, I need you. Please, Hank.”
He pulled away from me and searched my eyes with his. I could tell he was thinking about what I had just said, unsure of if I’d meant it. I trusted him, and while I had gotten scared the last time we were in this similar position, I didn’t have an ounce of fear in me now. Nothing about being with him in the way I wanted him made me feel scared. It made me feel alive.
“You sure? We don’t have to if y?—”
“Would you just hush up and take me to the bedroom?” I huffed with a playful grin on my face.
“ Gracias Dios mio ? 2 ,” he hissed under his breath. I had no idea what he’d said but the sound of the Spanish words falling from his lips turned me on even more. Before I knew it, he was standing from the couch and holding me under my butt with both hands. My legs instinctually wrapped around his torso and I laughed as he said, “You have no idea how much I would love to do that.”
He carried me from the living room directly to his bed like a straight-up caveman. I liked this side of him; the side that was possessive and in control. More often than not I saw the shy and kind side of him, but this hungrier side of him he was showing me now made me excited. I wanted to know just how hungry he could be.
When we reached the bed, he laid me down gently and took a step back. My eyes widened as he locked his eyes on me and pulled the shirt he was wearing up and over his head. As he did, the muscles in his arms and core flexed, causing me to almost drool like the last time I’d seen them. His eyes burned into me with so much passion my cheeks flushed. Desire and lust swirled in his eyes.
“If at any point,” he started, lowering himself onto the bed, his body starting to encapsulate mine, “you get nervous or want to stop, you tell me.” His lips found the soft part of my neck again causing a small moan to escape from the back of my throat. The combination of his lips on my neck and his strong body on top of mine was starting to cause my brain to go fuzzy.
“Don’t worry about me. I want this, I want you.” Desire dripped from my words as I ran my fingers along his back. I fought the urge to trace the scars that lingered there. He pushed himself up to where he was looking straight down at me with an intensity in his eyes.
“I mean it, Bailey, you tell me if you want to stop at any point. Promise me you’ll say something.” He spoke with so much severity in his voice that I knew he wanted me to feel safe and nothing meant more to me than that.
“I promise.” My hands started to pull him in, walking across the exposed flesh of his back as he lowered himself back down on top of me. “Now please, make me yours .”
1 ? beautiful
2 ? Thank God