26. Katherine
26
KATHERINE
Now this is the kind of wake-up call I could get used to.
Pleasure hums through my veins, and I suck in much-needed oxygen. The elegant hotel suite is bright with the afternoon light, and the table is hard beneath my back. I don’t care. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Because everything has led to the hungry look in Alex’s eyes. Is he serious about the photo?
I give voice to the question humming through my brain. “Really?”
He looks at me like I’m the most gorgeous thing he’s ever seen in his life, and I’m not going to lie; it goes straight to my head. And my heart.
He’s mending things he didn’t even break.
Years of my mother harping on about my weight, openly frustrated and detesting my acne, her nonstop disappointment with my hair color.
It all melts away.
To her, I was always a problem. Something to be fixed.
But to Alex, I’m lovely. Worthy of praise and adoration.
“You’re right,” he murmurs, straightening. I swear I see battle armor click into place around him. “I’ll just have to use my memory.”
His hands coast up my thighs, then down again, leaving goosebumps in their wake. I tangle my legs around his so he can’t retreat because I feel him mentally pulling back.
“I’m not saying no, handsome.”
If anything, I’m saying yes. See me. Love me. Crave me.
I lift up onto my elbows, robe gaping open. I’m completely on display and he looks his fill, throat bobbing as he swallows. I’ve never felt more sexy or alive.
Isn’t that the dream? To be so connected that you just can’t get enough of one another? To feel supported and empowered? Maybe that’s not everyone’s fantasy, but it’s mine. He’s shown me over and over how much he cares about me, from showing up at the auction to rescuing me from a potentially public panic attack.
He’s shaking his head as I speak, closing his eyes as if that’ll stop my train of thought. I smile and reach out a hand, sliding it up his rock-hard abdomen.
His dark chocolate gaze sweeps up my body, soft and full of love.
“You know I’d never do anything to jeopardize your safety.”
“I know,” I assure him. “I trust you.”
That truth cracks me open and sets me free. It’s like a wave surges up from deep within my soul, lifting me up, filling me, nourishing my inner bruises.
I flex my fingers into his abs, grounding us both. This. This is what I want—now and every day from now on. Pleasure and peace rolled into one soul-nourishing combination. And I want to remember these moments and this trip when I’m old and gray.
Speaking of old and gray...
“Take your picture, Alex. My boobs are never going to look better than they do today.”
His lips twitch, and after a beat, he reaches for his phone.
A little thrill races through me. This is easily the most scandalous thing I’ve ever done. For the first time, I’m living by my own rules and embracing adventure.
He unlocks his phone, so smoothly efficient that I don’t have time to second-guess anything. The heat in his eyes makes my stomach tremble.
He glides a hand up my middle and arranges the hair over my shoulders. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this level of concentration from him. It’s heady and delicious. There’s truly something special about having your lover’s unbridled attention.
“You’re a work of art.”
The compliment makes me flush. At the moment, I feel like his canvas and try to remember exactly how I was posing.
“Thank you for making me feel beautiful.” I cup my breasts and take a deep breath, trying to find that relaxed, post-orgasm glow. “How’s this?”
“You are beautiful, Katherine. Inside and out.” After another second of contemplation, he pulls the robe up over my right breast, covering it completely. “Tip your head back.”
I follow his instructions, which makes me even wetter.
“A little more... there.” He takes my right wrist and lifts my hand until it obscures my face further.
I part my lips, nipping the tip of my pinky finger.
He groans, and I slam my knees shut, needing friction. But his hips are in the way. “Damn, Beauty?—”
He sounds almost choked up. Rough and growly and perhaps in need of a sip of water. The sweet words amp my need. I swear he has hidden powers. A touch of magic. He’s barely touching me, and yet, I’m well on my way to another orgasm.
I can’t see him from this angle, but I feel his hand positioning the bottom of the robe over my pussy. Then he leans back, stepping from the circle of my thighs.
A heavy inhale bounces off the walls. He groans again, this time long and so appreciative I can’t help but laugh.
“Told you you’re stunning.” He holds his phone out for me to see.
The woman in the photo is in the throes of passion, totally absorbed by her need. Her skin glows, flushed across her chest, and her curves are lush. Inviting, even.
I swallow.
“I didn’t—” My eyes meet his, overcome. “I didn’t know I could look like that.”
He puts his phone away. “Now you know what I see when I look at you. A goddess.”
I purse my lips, ridiculously touched, and reach for him. I need my arms around him, his weight on top of me, that massive cock inside me.
He curls over me, bracing one hand against the table and then dips his head for a searing kiss. His tongue sweeps past my lips, tangling with mine, making love to me. I clutch his hips, kissing him back, drowning in sensation. Hot, hard, breathless.
His hips grind against mine, the hard length of him making me wetter, needier. I’ll never get enough. Even though he definitely has more than enough to offer.
Skating my fingers down his sides, I pluck at his zipper. There’s something about being taken by him when he’s fully clothed that makes me feel extra wicked. Like I just couldn’t wait and needed to seduce him.
Which is so on point. Breathing the same air as Alex makes me want him.
He thrusts against my hand, and I smile so big my cheeks will hurt later. So eager. I love that. I love him.
“Need you,” I moan against his lips.
“Same, Beauty.”
He ducks his head, nibbling down my throat. The scruff on his cheek teases my sensitive skin, and my pulse pounds wildly, my breath hitching so I don’t miss a thing.
Gosh, he’s big. And hot. So hard and ready.
I give him a long, slow pump that pulls a growl from his lips and makes his forehead drop to my shoulder. The next one has him thrusting into my grip.
I guide him to my pussy, relishing the quick testing thrust of his hips and the way he coats himself in my wetness. And then he pushes into me with a slow, firm stroke that steals my breath. This is so much more than sex. It’s a kindred connection, and my body welcomes him, giddy at his possession.
“Yes—”
When he’s finally seated, holding himself steady, he looks down at me with an almost puzzled look on his face. “You’re so tight.”
I smile, running a finger down the bridge of his nose. “It’s all those Kegel exercises.”
He grunts and pulls his hips back, giving a small, short thrust.
The phone by my head rings with an unfamiliar tone and vibrates against the polished wood. Without missing a beat, he reaches for it. I freeze, ready to give him privacy. Tie my robe, hop off of the table, make a beeline for the bedroom.
But he doesn’t let me. He keeps me pinned, right where I’m at, impaled on his glorious erection.
He connects the call and holds it to his ear. “Hunt.”