CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Reid
A sweet, warm, vanilla scent hits my senses as I stir awake from one of the best night’s sleep I’ve had in months, if not a year. A warm body is latched on to me for the second morning in a row, and I know instantly she’s the reason I’m so well rested.
This time, I let myself take her in, because fuck if my chest doesn’t tighten.
She’s so goddamn beautiful. Bow lips, thick lashes, and flawless skin.
Her leg, which is cocked and rested between mine, slides further up my leg, and she lets out a quiet fucking moan as she does.
My dick wakes up as I watch her shorts ride up, flashing the tiny freckle on her thigh.
Her hand, which is still clutched in mine, is pressed against my chest, and for some reason, the stark differences between her naked skin and my tattooed hand does something to me. I never want this moment to end.
Fuck.
It’s never occurred to me before that it could be like this between two people.
Ever. I want to keep her in my arms, keep her safe from everything bad in this world, to the point I want it so badly, my chest burns.
Then there’s this need inside of me that wants to fuck her until I’m all she’ll ever feel and all she’ll ever want.
Jesus Christ.
This is bad.
I lost my virginity as a kid who barely knew anything about sex, and she has me feeling like that kid again, experiencing everything for the first time.
We never even fucked last night, and yet I was happy to stay, which is something that has definitely never happened to me before.
“You’re staring,” she groggily croaks out.
I let go of the hand I’m clutching tightly in mine, but only so I can thread my tattooed fingers through hers and pin her hand above her head. I roll until she’s beneath me.
Her eyes widen, flashing with desire. “Reid,” she rasps, but moans when I press my erection against her.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I whisper before slamming my mouth down on hers. At first, she stiffens against me, but once my barbell flicks over her tongue, she melts into me, kissing me back just as passionately. Fuck, everything she does, she gives it her all.
We kiss for what feels like hours, when in fact, it’s barely five minutes, but she’s so goddamn good at it.
I pull back and her eyes linger on mine, trapping me as heat spears into my chest. Jesus, this woman.
I glance away, and her breath tickles my throat. I hear her intake of breath, and I know she’s about to ask me to leave.
I don’t want to leave.
My throat tightens as I press my mouth against hers once more, needing to hide my desperation, to hide my longing, my need.
I’m so fucking hard, it’s becoming painful, especially when she rubs her sweet pussy over my dick.
I slide my hands into her shorts, finding her slick and wet. She moans into my mouth as I brush two fingers over her clit.
Fuck.
I lift a little to slide those tiny as fuck shorts down her legs. She lies back, her chest heaving as I remove them from her body. I move back over her, kissing her once more.
“Is this okay?” I rasp.
Her blue, expressive eyes shine with so many emotions, she can only nod. I push my shorts and boxers down enough to slide my dick out.
I need her.
I need her so goddamn much.
Her breath hitches when I lift her leg over my arm and slide inside of her. I grit my teeth so hard, I swear a tooth cracks. She’s so fucking warm and wet. I nearly come right there and then. It’s never felt like this. Ever. Never this fucking good. “Fuck, you are so tight.”
She whimpers as I slide back out until only the tip remains, before slamming inside her with enough force, the bed jostles.
Pleasure ripples through me. Normally, this is where I ram into my partner to chase the orgasm I know will blow my mind.
This time, there is no rush. I keep my thrusts steady but hard.
If her parted lips and the way she clenches around my cock are anything to go by, she’s enjoying this just as much as I am.
It’s delicious torture.
I shakily press my hand against her stomach, sliding it up until I reach her breasts.
“Oh fuck,” she whimpers, closing her eyes as I squeeze her tit in my hand.
She reaches out to touch me, but I grab her hand, linking our fingers together once more, and slam it down on the pillow above us. I press my body as close as we can get since her hiked-up leg is in the way.
I thrust a little faster, my own breathing becoming sharper and faster. Sweat beads at my temples and slides down my spine.
Our skin slaps together, echoing off the walls between our whimpers. “Please tell me you are close,” I grit out, because I can feel my balls tightening.
“I... I...”
I reach down, taking her nipple, still covered by the silk material, into my mouth, and gently bite down.
Her walls clench around my dick, and it breaks my attempt at control.
I lift her leg a little higher, hold her hand a little tighter, and ram inside of her.
A few seconds later, my vision blurs as I empty myself inside her.
“Oh fuck, Summer.” It keeps coming, spilling inside her like we didn’t fuck yesterday morning.
She feels even wetter now, and that’s when I realise why it feels so good. I glance at Summer, who is staring back, her eyes glassy with what I can only describe as vulnerability, like she’s scared this is goodbye.
“Summer, I... I’m so fucking sorry. I’ve never...” I clench my eyes closed. How could I be so fucking stupid?
She arches an eyebrow. “You’re sorry?”
I glance down at where my softening dick is still inside her, where I can feel my cum trickling onto the bed.
I’m assuming that’s a good thing. It means those fuckers aren’t swimming up to her eggs inside of her.
“We didn’t use a condom,” I choke out. I’ve never forgotten before. Ever. This woman has me in a chokehold that has made me forget my one fucking rule. My number one rule.
Always wear a fucking condom.
I was low-key hoping she would say ‘shit’ then tell me what I need to do. Instead, she surprises me by smacking the palms of her hands onto my chest and pushing me off the bed. My back smacks against the floor, and I groan, glaring up at the bed.
The sheet rustles as she gets on her hands and knees near the edge of the mattress, glancing down at me with a grimace. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. It was just a quick, snap reaction.”
I reach for her hand and tug her down until she lands on top of me. “My dick was still inside you,” I grouch. “What if I had been hard?”
She struggles to keep a straight face, yet fails and ends up laughing.
“Sorry. Sorry.” She tries to be serious once again but only ends up laughing harder.
Which is rather insulting. This is another first. Her pussy was clenching around my cock only five minutes ago.
“I shouldn’t be laughing. This is serious. I’m sorry.”
I run my hands down her sides and over her arse whilst I give her a minute to calm down. Once she does, I press my thumbs into her hip bones. “Me too. I’ve never forgotten to use a condom before. There’s a pill you can take the morning after, though, right?”
Her nose scrunches up. “You mean the morning after pill?”
“Is that the actual name?” I think on it more. “Simple. I like it. They should do that with all medication instead of all those fancy-arse long words that most people can’t pronounce.”
Her lips twitch. “Reid, it’s okay. It wouldn’t have been, had you not reacted how you have.”
“Huh?”
She takes me by surprise by initiating contact and placing her hands on my chest, lightly running her thumb in a soothing motion. “Reid, you are panicking, and since you have no idea what to do or say, that tells me this is the first time it’s happened.”
My heart starts hammering in my chest at the way she’s looking at me.
It’s the same way she looked at me last night whilst I let her talk about her worries.
I just didn’t know how to dissect or analyse it.
I have no idea how to navigate what is happening because I have no idea ‘what’ exactly this is.
I only know that I don’t want to run from it. “Swear on my life.”
Her expression softens, the teasing glint in her eyes disappearing. Instead, they seem to burn brighter. “Then there’s no need to worry about the one thing we should have been worried about because I’ve never had sex until today without a condom either. The other concern is moot.”
And my heart is doing that goddamn hammering again because she didn’t just put me in the STD category, like it would only be possible for one to come from me. She included herself in the equation.
Why couldn’t she be a self-absorbed bitch?
Because I am getting a semi just thinking about taking her bareback again.
“Can you not have children?”
Her eyebrows pinch together so quickly, I’m afraid I may have upset her or pissed her off. “I’ve never tried, Reid, but I am assuming I can. Why?”
An exasperated breath leaves my body. “Then we need to get the morning after pill.”
“Reid, I’m on the fucking contraceptive pill. Are you okay? Do you think it’s your head injury?”
Head injury?
My eyes widen as I quickly sit up with Summer still in my lap. She squeaks out as I get up, keeping her in my arms, and take a seat on the edge of the bed. “Yes. But, Sunshine, birth control pills aren’t one hundred percent foolproof.”
“Neither are condoms.”
I groan when I feel how wet she is since she still isn’t wearing her knickers. That’s how much she distracts me. “Which is why double teaming is always the best. Like, if you were sending a mug in the post, you wouldn’t just bubble wrap it. You’d shrink wrap it too.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “Oh my god, Reid, you are so cute. If you don’t like going bareback, then don’t.”
I stand and twist, lowering her onto the bed. Because hearing her say ‘bareback’ has me fucking hard. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”
Her cheeks flush. “Then stop stressing.”
I hold my dick, which is still hanging out of my boxers, and rub it up and down her slit. She moans, closing her eyes. I love how responsive she is. “Do you think you can come again?” I rasp, even though I already know the answer.
Her pupils dilate and she croaks out, “Yes. Definitely yes.”
I slam inside her to the hilt, groaning when she grinds down on me. “Don’t move a second,” I warn.
She smirks, which is another first, and fuck if it doesn’t make me believe she’s thinking naughty things in her head. “Mr Reid Hayes...” she huskily taunts. “Are you already close?”
I grip her hips and slam her down on my dick, causing her to cry out. “No. Just don’t move,” I warn.
Her nails dig into my biceps as I fuck her in earnest. “So you don’t mind me doing this?” she asks.
I open my mouth but no words come out, only a groan, because the little minx chooses then to clench around my dick. “No,” I grit out, pressing my hand on her chest, wishing her top was off so I could watch her perky tits bounce as I fuck her. “Just lie there and take it like a good girl.”
Fuck! She clenches again, and the sound of our flesh slapping together gets louder, bringing me closer to orgasm.
“Harder.”
I’ll break her.
“Touch yourself,” I demand, bringing her knees up and using them to keep her where I want her.
Her hand slides between her legs. “I’m close,” she rasps, unable to fight off my grip. She’s so fucking greedy, wanting to fuck me back, and I know it’s only turning her on even more.
“Fucking hell,” I growl, scared I’m going to hurt her.
Her walls clench around my dick, squeezing my own orgasm out of me as I empty myself inside of her. I pull out halfway through my orgasm and watch my cum splatter over her pussy—something I’ve always wanted to do. “Oh fuck.”
I lower my chest to hers but keep my weight off. I press my lips to hers, not wanting to break the connection between us.
When I pull back, her lips are swollen, cheeks flushed. “Does this mean you’ve stopped being afraid?” I question.
“Afraid?” she repeats.
“Of me. Of us. Of whatever the fuck this is between us,” I ask, because she’s been fighting this every step of the way. Until now. “And before you deny it, there’s no way what I’m feeling is one sided. No one can fake this.”
Her lips part as her fingers involuntarily squeeze my biceps, and I know she didn’t mean to because she immediately lets go. She looks up to the ceiling, like she’s searching for answers. “Yes, I’m done being afraid. Kind of.”
I grip her chin and shift until she’s back looking at me. “What? Say it?” I urge, knowing she’s holding back.
“What exactly is this?” she asks, and I feel her hands shake as she brings them up to my waist.
I close my eyes for a minute before staring into the depths of hers. “More.”
“More?”
I nod. “I...”
Fuck. If my brothers could hear me now, I’d never hear the end of their teasing. For all the talk I do when it comes to women, this is new. This is unchartered territory.
She places the palm of her hand to my cheek. “Reid,” she gently calls. I meet her beautiful gaze, feeling my throat tighten somewhat. “I can do more.”
There’s no denying the hope that fills my chest. “Yeah?”
She smiles but it doesn’t match her eyes. “Yeah.”
“You’re still holding back,” I point out. “Talk.”
She chuckles. “Jesus. Stop being so fucking good at reading me. It’s freaking me out.”
“Sunshine, if you were a woman easily read I wouldn’t be going crazy wondering what you’re thinking.”
“Okay, but don’t freak out.”
“Promise.”
She searches my gaze and must like what she finds because she finally tells me. “If we are going to do this, it has to be exclusive. I can’t... I won’t...” She shakes her head, laughing without mirth. “I’m okay with there not being a label, but I cannot be one of many.”
A small smile reaches my lips because she has no idea. None at all. “That, I can definitely do.”
“Let’s shower. I feel gross. If we do that again we need to put a towel down because ew.”
I chuckle and gently slide out of her. I get to my feet and help her stand. She’s unsteady, but I stay close, making sure she doesn’t fall.
The hands gripping my forearms slide further up, as does her gaze. “Please don’t hurt me,” she whispers, and then heads for the bathroom, leaving the door open.
My hands shake as I run them through my hair.
I am so fucked.