Chapter Thirty-Four Ella
Chapter Thirty-Four
Ella
My knees weaken at his seductive tone, and when Tiero’s mouth finds mine again, they nearly give out entirely. Good thing I’m sitting down, or I’d be on the floor.
His kiss is tentative at first. Careful.
His lips brush mine like he’s testing the space between us, waiting to see if I’ll pull away.
I don’t.
How could I, after everything he just laid bare?
He rubs his nose along mine, a soft, intimate gesture that melts my insides. His hazel-brown eyes connect with mine, begging me to say yes.
Yes to him, yes to us, and this undeniable connection between us.
I want to.
I want to give in to this pull between us that has never faded, no matter how far I ran.
But a part of me is still afraid.
My hands curl into his shirt. I feel the tension in his body, the restraint he’s holding together by sheer will, and it mirrors the war inside me.
“Okay,” I whisper, my voice unsteady. “Let’s give us another go. But no more steamrolling over me. No more deciding my life without me. Promise me.”
There’s no hesitation.
“I promise,” he breathes, like the words cost him something, and he gives it willingly anyway.
Hope settles deep inside me. Fragile. Luminous.
Nothing is resolved, I know that. But there’s no gain without risk, right?
And maybe there’s a real chance Tiero can get away and we can have a future together.
Right now, though, all I want is his touch. His warmth. The comfort of being in his arms again after so long.
As if hearing my thoughts, Tiero’s hand slides into my hair, firm but reverent, as if he is holding something precious rather than claiming it.
Needing to be closer, I shift forward and slide into his lap.
The moment my body presses against his, the rest of the world fades. It narrows until there is only the heat between us and the echo of everything we are not saying.
His arousal presses into my abdomen, and I can’t help the moan escaping my lips. He swallows it, brushing his mouth against mine.
We kiss unhurriedly, tender and deliberate, savoring each other.
It’s been too long since I’ve felt this closeness with him.
I want to slow time, to fully enjoy his mouth and those lips I could only dream about for weeks.
The kiss deepens naturally, inevitably, like gravity finally reclaiming us.
His hand slides to my waist, steady at first, but then turning tentative like he’s asking rather than taking. For a second, he stills altogether, as if he is checking himself.
That alone melts my heart.
I lean in, pressing my forehead to his, answering his unspoken question.
A quiet sound leaves his throat, something raw and relieved.
“Angel,” he murmurs. “I missed this. Missed you.”
“Me too,” I whisper, pressing closer, needing all the space between us gone.
He rises smoothly, holding me close as if I weigh nothing, and carries me to the bed. Lowering me gently, he looks down at me with an intensity that steals my breath.
“Tell me to stop,” he says quietly.
I don’t.
I reach for him instead.
The kiss that follows is deeper, fuller, but still measured. It feels less like surrender and more like a choice.
His hands trace my sides slowly, grounding rather than demanding. Still, they set me on fire. And he hasn’t even touched me yet where I most want him.
I kiss him again, letting the heat build, letting myself feel without pretending the stakes are gone. Pleasure blooms slowly but insistently, coiling tight inside me.
When his hands slide lower, my body arches instinctively toward him. He pauses. Just enough to look at me.
A flash of heat bolts through me that has nothing to do with patience. I was right there, melting into him, ready to lose myself when he stopped.
But then I really look at him, and at the way his hands hover instead of roam. At the uncertainty flickering in his eyes as he waits for me to lead, clearly unsure of where the line sits now.
This isn’t his natural rhythm. Tiero is a man who takes control without thinking. And right now, he’s thinking about every move. Holding himself back because he promised he would.
The realization shifts something inside me. The frustration doesn’t disappear, but it tangles with gratitude, with a sharp pull of desire. Seeing him struggle to rewrite his instincts for me only makes me want him more.
“Are you sure?” he asks. It’s so unlike him. “We don’t have to rush.”
But he looks like it might kill him if he had to take it slow.
Me too.
Knowing he would, if I wanted him to, undoes me.
I kiss him harder, grinding my pelvis against his hardness.
“I want you,” I tell him honestly. “And more than anything, I want you to be yourself when we’re in bed… or the shower… or wherever you take me. I like you bossy then. It’s just outside of intimacy that you need to rein in your control freak.”
A whoosh of air leaves his body as he sags against me in relief, and I can’t help the giggle that escapes me.
“Bossy-you in bed is a turn-on,” I add, smiling up at him. “I don’t want you any other way.”
He lets go of his restraints then, his kiss turning hungrier, more urgent, and I meet him beat for beat, welcoming his passion.
God, how I missed this. I’ve only ever had this with him.
His hand slides between my legs, rubbing the sensitive bundle of nerves through my jeans. His movements carry certainty now. This is his territory.
Sensations build quickly as my neglected body cries out for attention.
Clearly as impatient with the layers between us as I am, he lifts off me and makes quick work of unbuttoning my jeans, pulling them off along with my panties.
I sit up and grab his shirt, yanking it free and pulling it off his body.
My insides clench at the sight of his tanned skin. Needing to taste him, I latch onto his nipple, licking and biting while my hands wander over the ridges of his muscled abs.
“Ella…”
The way he groans my name makes me smile against his warm skin.
Tiero grabs my head with both hands, fingers digging into my hair as he pulls me back up to his mouth.
“I love you so much,” he growls, his voice a deep, rough rumble.
He strips me out of my shirt and bra and lowers us both down, covering my body with his. His hand runs up and down my legs, parting them, while his mouth never leaves mine.
His fingers return to my clit, circling it with precision. I draw a sharp breath and let out a long moan.
Wow, it’s so much more sensitive than it used to be.
He continues his kisses as he caresses my clit, breathing deeply into my mouth as his arousal climbs too. My hips buck as I rush toward climax.
Too soon. I want to stretch this out, savor it.
But my body rocks against his hand, instinct taking over. Moaning and writhing, my nails rake over his back to hold him closer to me.
“More, please,” I beg, my voice husky.
He obliges, entering me with two fingers, finding my G-spot, and pressing against it while his thumb continues its steady rhythm.
My toes curl.
Oh, he’s so good at this.
While he works his fingers inside me, his lips don’t leave my skin, ravishing me, layering sensation upon sensation.
My eyes fall closed with a moan, and Tiero’s mouth lifts off.
“Look at me,” he whispers as he bites down on my bottom lip. “I want your eyes on me.”
I blink a few times to bring them back into focus. He’s watching my every move, a content smile on his face.
“I love seeing you like this. So needy for me.”
He kisses me again, deep and ravenous.
“You’re so fucking sexy. And all mine. You belong to me.”
Heat moves up my spine, building into something almost unbearable.
“That’s it, angel. Give it to me. I want your orgasm.”
I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be with Tiero. He commands, and I can’t do anything but yield.
He increases the intensity on my clit, his fingers flying in and out of me, until, finally, I soar over the edge.
Cascading fireworks replace the blood in my veins.
My body bows under the pleasure consuming me from the top of my head to the ends of my toes.
“Tiero…” I moan as I ride the high of my release while he takes my lips with an urgency that tells me just how pleased he is with himself.
When he lets me come up for air, I sink into the pillows, my chest heaving, my body covered in a light sheen of perspiration.
Tiero withdraws his fingers, and, bringing them to his lips, licks them clean, an expression of sheer ecstasy on his face.
Dear God, help me.
I can’t look away.
“Mmm, you taste delicious. I can’t wait to devour you some more.” He gives me a sexy, devious smile that has shivers of anticipation running down my spine.
“But it will have to wait until morning. Right now, I need to be inside you.”
His face softens and turns serious at the same time.
“Are you ready for more? Will you have me?”