Chapter 40 #4
“I know what you need,” I growl against her, adding pressure with my tongue and pushing my finger inside of her until she’s trembling beneath me. I want to draw it out, to savor every moment, but she looks so damn good from this angle that I can’t wait any longer.
So I put more pressure and slip another digit in.
When she comes apart, crying my name and arching off the bed, I nearly lose control watching her.
But I’m determined to feel her come around me.
I crawl back up her body, watching her face as she comes down from her high, eyes half-lidded and cheeks flushed.
“That was…” she breathes, trailing off.
“Just the beginning,” I promise, positioning myself between her thighs. I reach into the nightstand drawer, fumbling for a condom I stashed there for this situation. I knew it was going to happen, just didn’t know when.
Her hand catches mine. “I’m on the pill,” she whispers, eyes meeting mine. “And I’m negative. If you are…”
“I am,” I assure her. The thought of nothing between us makes my cock throb. “You sure?”
Her answer is to wrap her legs around my waist, pulling me closer. “I want to feel you. All of you.”
I line myself up against her entrance, watching her face as I push in slowly, giving her time to adjust. The feeling of her heat and all the wetness I’ve caused enveloping me is almost too much, and I have to grit my teeth to maintain control.
“Fuck,” I groan, pressing my forehead against hers as I sink deeper. “You feel so good, Nora.”
She gasps, her nails digging into my shoulders. “You too,” she whispers, her eyes wide and fixed on mine as I fill her completely.
I stay still for a moment, savoring the sensation of being buried inside her, our bodies joined in the most intimate way. Her hands slide up my back, pulling me closer, and I drop my head to the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent.
“Move,” she urges, her hips shifting beneath mine. “Please, Jericho.”
“My witch is so impatient.” My chuckle into her skin makes her shudder.
I withdraw slowly before pushing back in, setting a steady rhythm that has us both gasping. Her legs tighten around my waist, changing the angle so I can go deeper with each thrust.
“That’s it,” I murmur against her ear, one hand sliding beneath her to lift her hips higher. “Take all of me.”
Her eyes flutter closed, lips parted as soft moans escape with each movement. I can feel her tightening around me, getting closer to the edge again.
“Look at me,” I command gently. “I want to see you.”
Her eyes open, dark with desire and something deeper I don’t dare name yet. I increase my pace, driving into her as her breathing becomes more erratic. Her eyes flutter closed again.
“Eyes on me, Nora,” I order in a firmer tone, and she opens them. Wide and wild, solely focused on my face, they are a sight to behold.
I’m fighting to hold on, to make this last, but the way she’s looking at me—like I’m everything she’s ever wanted, like I’m some sort of a miracle—pushes me dangerously close to the edge. No one has ever looked at me this way.
My rhythm falters as I try to regain control, but she’s having none of it.
“Don’t hold back,” she whispers, her hands sliding down to grip my ass, urging me deeper. “I want all of you.”
Something breaks loose inside me at her words. I drive into her harder, faster, watching her face for any sign of discomfort, but there’s only pleasure there, raw and unfiltered. Her breath comes in short, sharp gasps that match my thrusts.
“That’s it,” I growl, feeling her tighten around me. “Come for me again.”
She arches beneath me, her body tensing as she hovers on the precipice. I slip a hand between us, finding the spot where she needs me most, and circle my thumb there.
“Jericho!” My name tears from her throat as she shatters around me, her inner walls clenching so tight I see stars. The sensation of her coming undone beneath me, because of me, pushes me over the edge.
I bury myself deep inside her one last time, my release hitting me like a freight train as my body starts shaking.
We stay locked together, both of us breathing hard, sweat cooling on our skin. I’m careful not to crush her with my weight, but I can’t bring myself to pull away completely. Not yet.
“Damn,” I finally manage, pressing my lips to her temple. “That was…”
“Better than chess,” she finishes breathlessly, and I can hear the smile in her voice.
I chuckle, finally rolling to the side and pulling her against me.
She curls into my chest, her hair twisting up in my beard.
The moonlight streams in through the window, highlighting her red hair.
Her skin is flushed, there are beard burns on her soft skin, and I want to say I’m sorry but I’m not.
I like my marks on her skin. I like seeing her mine .
“No regrets about the moon cave?” I ask, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on her bare shoulder.
She tilts her head up to look at me, eyes sparkling with mischief. “None whatsoever. Though I think you might have ruined me for anyone else.”
The possessive satisfaction that floods through me at her words should probably concern me, but I can’t bring myself to care. I tighten my arms around her, pulling her closer.
“Good,” I murmur against her hair. “That was the plan.”
She laughs softly, the vibration traveling through my chest. “So calculating.”
“When it comes to you? Absolutely.” I tip her chin up so I can see her face properly. “I don’t share, Nora.”
Something flickers in her eyes—surprise, maybe a hint of uncertainty. “Is that what this is? You claiming me?”
The question hangs between us, heavier than it should be for pillow talk. But looking down at her, hair mussed from my hands, lips swollen from my kisses, skin marked with evidence of what we just shared, I know there’s only one honest answer.
“Yes,” I say simply. “If you’ll let me.”
She’s quiet for a long moment, her fingers absently tracing the lines of my chest. I can practically hear her thinking, working through whatever doubts are racing through her mind. I wait, patient despite the way my heart pounds against my ribs.
“I don’t know if I’ve been claimed before,” she finally whispers. “Dick never… he made it feel like I should be grateful he even wanted me.”
The mention of that bastard’s name makes my jaw clench as I add another thing to my list of reasons to hate him, but I force myself to stay still. This isn’t about him anymore.
“That’s not claiming,” I say, my voice rougher than I intend. “That’s settling. What I’m talking about is different.”
“How?”
I shift so I can look at her properly, my hand cupping her face. “You are mine. For better or for worse. And I’ll beat the shit out of anyone who makes you feel any less than you are.”
Her breath catches, and I see the moment my words hit home.
“You are serious, aren’t you? ”
I nod. She moves a lock of hair away from her face with a flick of her wrist. “I don’t like violence, Jericho. So no beating anyone up please.”
“Then they’d better not upset you.”
She smiles at my words, thinking I’m joking, but I protect what’s mine, and she is mine now.
She falls back onto the sheets, spreading her legs wide. “I don’t feel properly claimed then. You need to do a better job.”
I laugh quietly as I settle into the best place on earth. “Yes, ma’am. Let’s remedy that.”