Chapter 9 #2
Her breath hissed out, one hand releasing his hair so she could push onto her elbow. “Zain, I swear…”
He chuckled, nipping at the inside of her thigh before meeting her heated gaze. “Did I read this wrong? Because your body seems pretty fucking happy with my method.”
“Do you have any idea how long it’s been?” She huffed out another breath when he added a second finger. “God, I can’t…”
She flopped back down, yelling his name when he increased his pace, humming against her skin — taking her to the edge before easing off. Giving her a chance to recover.
Her head rocked side-to-side, her thighs shaking around his shoulders. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“I promise, it’ll be worth the wait.”
“It’s already past that. I…”
The hint of desperation did him in. How he imagined his voice had sounded to her when he’d said her name.
He shook his head in mock defeat. “You really don’t play fair.”
Saylor inhaled as he doubled his efforts, licking and sucking until she started chanting his name, her hips flexing to meet each thrust. He kept going, wanting to draw it out — make it last all night — but aware she was too far gone.
That she’d likely go over with or without him.
And he’d be damned if he missed one second of her release without his mouth on her. His fingers pumping deep.
“Zain. Now — I…”
She froze, her thighs locked around his shoulders, hand clamped around his head, before she broke.
A deep flush raced along her skin as she unraveled beneath him.
He drew it out, coaxing another wave before he grabbed his wallet — slipped on a condom.
While he wanted nothing more than to slide inside with nothing between them, that conversation would have to wait.
Saylor pried her eyelids open as he moved over her, eyes widening as he went to his elbows. She didn’t ask him to give her more room, but he couldn’t miss the nervous flick of her eyes. How her muscles instantly tensed.
Zain gave her a smile, dipped one shoulder, then rolled them both over, helping her arrange her legs until they straddled his. He reached up and cupped her chin, grinning at her furrowed brow. “Your turn to be in control.”
She inhaled, a few tears slipping free as she leaned over him — ate at his mouth — before slowly sinking along his length.
Torture.
That’s what this was. Pure unadulterated torture designed to push him into the deep end. Suck out any sanity he’d reclaimed since that fateful night. The way she eased up, stopping before he slipped free only to lower, again, just as slowly.
He grunted when she made another pass, no hint that she planned on upping the pace and stopping his descent into utter madness.
Zain gripped her hips, reminding himself not to dig his fingertips into her skin. “While I love watching you ride me, you’d better find a faster rhythm, sweetheart, before I decide we should take this onto our knees. ”
She grinned, all full lips and sass, still loving him at that ridiculously slow pace. “Did I read this wrong? Because your body definitely approves of my method.”
“Throwing my words back at me?”
“Seemed fitting.” She stopped — leaned down. “Our turn.”
“Hell, yeah.”
He levered up, locking her between his thighs and his chest, waiting to see if this would set her off.
Instead, she moaned, tilting her head back — relying on him to brace her weight.
He cupped the back of her head, drawing her to him as he crushed his mouth to hers, holding her in place as he began a punishing rhythm.
The bed rocked, the headboard tapping the wall as heat shot down his spine. Black dots flitted across his vision before he finally gasped in some air, resting his forehead against hers as his release burned through his veins.
Too much.
The glide of her skin, the feathering of air across his shoulder. How her breath hitched then held, every muscle clenched tight.
He took a chance and kissed her, again.
She shattered, convulsing in his arms, his name sounding above the howl of wind and the patter of rain on the windows. He kept moving, determined to send her over one more time when she locked her mouth on his shoulder — bit down hard.
He died.
Right there on his bed, Saylor wrapped around him, rasping his name in his ear. Three more strokes, and he surrendered, jerking through his release. Emptying what seemed like a lifetime’s worth into the damn condom.
Saylor clung to him, her fingers digging into his back, her body plastered to his. He finally regained his senses god knew how long after, his chin resting on her good shoulder, his arms cinched around her back. He smiled against her skin, easing away when she shook her head.
“Not, yet.” Her voice sounded raw, as if she’d been shouting for hours. “I need you to hold me a bit longer.”
He chuckled. “I plan on holding you all night.”
She lifted her head — met his gaze. “Not sure that’s long enough.”
“Then, we’ll continue, again, tomorrow night.”
“That’s a start.”
It took a few tries to untangle their limbs before they finally just rolled to one side so she could flop over. He laughed, dropping a hard, wet kiss on her mouth before scooting to the end of the bed.
He looked over his shoulder at her. “I’ll be right back.”
She barely nodded, already looking as if she’d drifted off, as he made his way to the washroom — took a few minutes to clean up. He touched the small blemish on his shoulder, then shook his head. If the guys saw the hickey, they’d never let him live it down.
Seeing her curled against his sheets made everything else seem unimportant. Had him grabbing an extra blanket from the closet before helping her under the covers .
He curled her into him, her head nestled on his chest as her arm fell across his waist. “You, okay?”
She smiled against his skin. “Way past okay. That was…”
He nudged her. “Mind blowing? Life altering?”
“Apocalyptic.”
“Sounds like I’ll really need to up my game if I’m going to beat that performance, later.”
“Not sure it’s possible for us to survive it, but I’m game if you are.” She drew her fingers across his chest, then blew out a rough breath. “Thank you.”
He chuckled. “Pretty sure I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “For not making me feel like a freak when I tensed.”
“You’re not a freak. You’re a warrior. Because that’s what you faced. A war.” He brushed some of that silky hair off her face. “I still can’t believe you fought him off after being drugged.”
“Like I said, it wasn’t much of a fight.”
He huffed, rolled onto one elbow, then leaned over.
Not enough he thought she’d feel trapped, but enough he eclipsed her view.
Got that blue-eyed gaze locked on his. “You held your own. In a perfect world, he’d pay for what he did.
” He smoothed his hand along her cheek. “Was this the first time you’d been with someone since? ”
Her chin quivered, her eyes glassing over. “I’m sure it’s no surprise that I haven’t trusted anyone enough to let my guard down… to make myself vulnerable.” She winced when a couple tears slipped free. “Until you. ”
“I want to tell you that I’ll never let anyone hurt you, again.
That anyone gunning for you has to go through me, first. Hell, my team, too.
But that makes me sound like a controlling, overprotective asshole.
While I won’t fully dismiss the overprotective part, I know you can hold your own. That you don’t need me, it’s just…”
How could he say it stemmed from the fucking love trying to claw through his chest?
That imagining his life without her in it messed with his head.
Hurt him far more than living with the guilt of not stopping Stein and Adams from launching their attack in the chopper that night.
From watching Sean die knowing Rhett was only a breath away.
That she meant more to him than anyone else ever had.
More tears, then her dragging him down for a soul-searing kiss. The kind that reignited all that heat. Had him wanting to roll on top — love all the shadows away.
She nuzzled against his hand when he wiped the moisture away. “Tell me, again.”
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.” He lowered his head until his forehead rested on hers as he focused on just breathing her in. “Is this too much?”
“Not nearly enough.” Saylor palmed his jaw, her eyes still glassy. “Make love to me. Just like this.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to prove?—”
“I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m trying to heal.” She tilted her head to the side — eyes wide. Trusting. What looked dangerously like love staring up at him. “Well, soldier? You up for round two?”