40. Mya
40
“You need your strength for what’s coming. Go to bed. We’ll keep at this.” Gray stepped in front of me to confront Oliver.
Oliver gently stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. “I’m not going to bed while you plot and plan. That’s not right. If we’re going to be a team, then we have to work like one.”
“The team needs you to have your strength, and it doesn’t look like you’ve slept in days,” Gray returned without hesitation, and I had to agree with him there.
“As soon as we get to our next location, I’ll train with you,” Jesse offered, coming up alongside Gray. “I’m sure Adam McGregor and Asher Hayes can give you some advice over a web call, too.”
Both Adam and Asher had experience inside a fighting ring, probably even more than Jesse. Although they’d be suiting up for war against the Sorens, they’d be joining for backup after the matchup with Hugo ended. We couldn’t risk them being seen beforehand.
“I’ve been practicing some stuff for a few months now, too,” Oliver shared, his tone almost somber-sounding. “But yeah, I’ll take all the help I can get.”
“Start with listening to us when we say to sleep,” Gray demanded, “Now, go put him to bed.”
I couldn’t help but grin at that order. It was certainly one I didn’t mind obeying.
Gray set his hands on his hips and gruffly tossed out, “You know what I mean. Now go.”
“Come on, we don’t want to piss him off.” I let go of Oliver’s hand so I could hook my arm around his. “Sydney, I, um . . .”
“I’ll bunk with Gwen tonight.” Sydney nodded, her lips forming a slight knowing smile.
I highly doubted Oliver would actually let me in the bed with him, but there were two queen beds in the room, so we could stay together that way.
“Fine,” Oliver gave in. “But if you need us?—”
“We know where to find you.” Jack mock-saluted him, and Oliver rolled his eyes.
It felt like old times, and I was here for it, I just didn’t want Oliver in that fighting ring. Not even for three rounds. But I couldn’t think about that.
We said our goodnights to the team and left for our suite. Once we locked up, Oliver went to my bedroom instead of his.
I shut my door, locking that one, too, and slowly turned to find him undressing. Well, unbuttoning his shirt, at least.
He left it on but open, wrapping a hand around his brother’s ID tags, and that reminded me . . .
Do I call your dad? Tell him what’s happening?
“I’d ask if you’re okay, but that’d be a ridiculous question. None of us are.” I slipped free from my shoes and then went over to him.
“I’m just . . .” He shook his head.
“Yeah, me, too.” I looped my arms over his shoulders, drawing myself closer to him, and he let go of the tags and set his hands on my hips. “Your job is to rest, build your strength, and prepare for the fight. The team will handle the op-y stuff, okay?”
“Say that again.” His deep tone pebbled my skin, finally for a good reason.
“Which part?” I asked, a bit breathless and lightheaded being so close to him while alone.
“The made-up word.”
I smiled, which was almost shocking, but it happened anyway. “Op-y.”
He brought his lips to my forehead and gently kissed me. “You making up words makes me feel like things are normal. Is that strange?”
Not having you part of the team before this was the only part that never made sense. “No, no stranger than me twirling in this dress at the party to try and?—”
“Calm me down?” He pulled back to find my eyes again. “It worked, and whatever you’re doing now is working, too.”
“You mean with the made-up words, and my arms over your shoulders?” He dropped his eyes between our bodies, careful not to knock his head against mine. “Rotating your hips so you’re arching against my cock is most certainly distracting me.”
“Apparently my hips have a mind of their own.” Like, for real. I hadn’t realized I was doing that. “Want me to stop distracting you?”
Eyes returning to my face, he slipped one hand around to the curve of my ass cheek. “Not on your life, buttercup,” he murmured before his lips slanted over mine.
Hell would be there tomorrow.
My parents’ treachery another day.
And everything else in between.
I’d already made up my mind—and from the sounds of it, his—that tonight belonged to us.
And, ohhh . . . “You’re the one distracting me, aren’t you?” He knew I was scared about the fight, and he was trying to ease the weight of that burden. For now, at least. “Well-played.”
He smirked, then slipped the thin strap of my dress down my arm, dragging his mouth from my lips to my shoulder.
That was one way to distract me, and I’d take it.
He squeezed my ass harder as I lifted the front of my dress, showing him I was completely bare beneath it.
“Want me to kiss you there, do you?” His seductive tone officially stamped out the pain and turmoil of the past four months, as I officially forgot everything, remembering only the passion that had existed between us BT and was just as strong, maybe even more so, now.
Too turned on to speak, I simply nodded.
Another sly smile cut across his lips as he let go of me to take off his shirt. He urged me backward until I fell onto the bed. Hands on each side of me, I remained upright so I could watch him, wanting to commit every moment passing between us to memory, in every glorious detail. Borrow his photographic mind for those captivating minutes.
He lowered before me and settled a warm palm behind each of my knees, his lips sliding along the inside of my thigh as he draped my legs over his shoulders.
Burying his face between my legs, he leaned forward and flicked his tongue against my clit.
“Oh. My. Fu—” My mouth clamped around the last word, losing the ability to continue speaking as he licked and sucked like he was worried he’d never taste me again.
That thought terrified me enough to send me sitting up a bit to savor the visual of the moment. I also needed to remind myself this was only one of many more times to come. We had a long lifetime of bliss heading our way.
I clawed at his hair as he ravished me. “Oliver. Oh, God.” With my voice working again, I cried out the only truth I could sink my teeth into. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Pant, pant, pant,” he teased. Apparently my words had come out much breathier than I’d realized, but I loved him jabbing me back for my “grunt” comment in Canada without missing a beat.
That’s my guy.
“And yeah, you could say I’ve missed you, too,” he added in a husky voice before returning to his current mission of getting me off.
When he was laser-focused on something, the man could move mountains, and he brought me closer to God with that tongue of his.
Clutching the bedding instead of his hair, I bucked against his face, coming hard. My body collapsed as he kissed the inside of my knee while lowering my feet to the floor.
“Like old times?” He stood, staring down at me while swiping the pad of his thumb along the underside of his lip. “Ride out your orgasm on my cock?” He lowered his slacks and boxer briefs to the floor but didn’t step free from them. His strong hand slid up and down his hard length from root to tip.
Part of me was scared I’d wake up and discover this was a dream. But it’s real. He was back on the team, and he wanted to live. To fight for us.
He stopped stroking himself when I’d yet to talk. “You okay?”
“I don’t want old times,” I admitted. “I want a fresh start. New memories. A new beginning.” I chewed on my lip. “Will you tell me again what you said to me in this room yesterday but . . . well, more directly?”
His eyes narrowed as if trying to connect the dots, then the muscles in his face visibly relaxed. He took a moment to completely rid himself of his clothes and shoes, then took off the chain from around his neck and set it on the dresser.
Sliding from the bed, I removed every last barrier between us. Dress with built-in bra now gone, all that was left was the dangly earrings Sydney had given me and the matching clip that held my hair pinned around one shoulder. Standing naked before him, we quietly locked on to each other’s eyes. He was breathing slowly, and I matched him breath for breath.
He opened his mouth to say something, but I beat him to it. “Oliver,” I began, my throat thick with emotion, “I know this is a wild time to say this, and it should wait until after we both wake up from this nightmare we’ve been stuck in, but?—”
“I’m awake.” He shook his head. “I’m already awake.” One sole tear fell down his cheek, and he caught it with his tongue. “You brought me back to life in Canada when you showed up in the woods that day. And no matter how much I’ve tried to fight it . . . I’ve been awake ever since.” He captured my cheeks between his palms. “I fell for you a long time ago, and I’ve been falling ever since.” He went quiet for a beat before saying those three words I craved. “I love you.” He brushed his smile against my lips, urging one to light up my face as well. “You didn’t give up on me, and I promise to never again give up on us.”
I couldn’t not cry at that. At his words. His promise. His love.
“You’re right,” he went on, “now is a wild time to say this. But it’s also very much us, isn’t it? Old us. New us. It doesn’t matter. As long as?—”
“We’re together,” I cried, pressing up on my toes. “I love you. So freaking much. The only place I plan to run now is to you, or at least, alongside you.” He deserved a promise from me as well, given what I’d put him through in the past. “Never from you.” I kissed him softly, gently, reverently. “And that limo-window visor thingy is down for good?” I sputtered, and a small chuckle left his mouth at my choice of words.
He let go of a deep exhalation at the end of his light laugh. “I still have work to do on myself, but for you, I’ll crack the window. Shatter it for good.”
“I can work with that.”
He leaned in and kissed me, tenderly at first, then more deeply as his hands left my cheeks to free my hair from the clip.
As he tangled his fingers through my locks, I smashed my body flush to his, feeling the heavy weight of his erection against me.
“No pulling out. No condom.” My mind was made up. No more being scared.
His lips went still against mine.
I licked at his mouth, urging him to part for my tongue. “I don’t need to check off those boxes anymore when we’re together. I’m not the same person I was then.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Both want to and can.” I’m not letting the assholes from yesterday ruin my todays anymore.
He startled me by scooping me up into his arms.
“Your shoulder.”
“Trust me, I’m good.” Carrying me around to the side of the bed, he set me down, positioning my head on the pillow, before climbing on top of me. Holding the brunt of his weight up with his good arm, he skimmed his other hand along my silhouette before settling it between my legs.
“I guess we’ll need to get you off again.” He set his mouth over mine, thumbing my clit to warm me up for orgasm two.
Kissing the hollow of my throat, he continued to coat my arousal over my sex with his fingers, and every bundle of nerves between my legs was on fire as I waited for our bodies to connect.
“I want you inside me. To have you feel me bare. My first time feeling that . . .”
He lifted his head, my words and their meaning registering there. His dark eyes narrowed on mine while nodding.
With his hand between our bodies, he positioned his cock at my center, then he leaned in and kissed me while driving his cock inside me.
When a stuttery cry fell from my lips, he cursed under his breath, and I caught the words with my mouth, kissing him feverishly.
He started to move again.
Making love with me.
Existing together in a way we never truly had before, allowing nothing to hold us back anymore.
In and almost all the way out. Slow and soft. Taking his time with me. Making it last for the both of us.
“I love you so much.” His words as our eyes met again had my heart squeezing, and my muscles locking tight. My body tensed up, seconds from release.
“Come with me,” I pleaded before kissing him again.
And the moment I tightened around him, he released, and I came undone right along with him.
Our soft breaths as we came down from the high were all that was between us as he remained on top of me, not pulling out.
He set his mouth over mine, kissing me, and I reached up, smoothing the back of my hand along his cheek.
“We’re going to get through this. All of it. Okay?” I needed to hear that as much as I needed to say it.
“We will.” His brows tightened. “But I don’t think I can sleep in the same bed with you yet,” he said apologetically. “I’m too scared I’ll accidentally hurt you. I still need help to truly . . .”
“I know.” He didn’t need to explain. I had his back, and he’d always have mine.