Chapter 39 #3
His torn expression is that of a man standing at the edge of a cliff who knows the way down will destroy him and wants to jump anyway.
Then his thumb traces the curve of my bottom lip, and his eyes darken with heat.
I lean into the touch, pressing a kiss to his fingertip.
He shivers as though it electrifies him.
Our gazes meet.
“Fuck it,” he says, and then grips my jaw and kisses me.
Liquid fire sears through my veins as I meet his desperation with my own, locking my hands on the back of his neck like I’m afraid he’ll pull away and tell me this is a mistake we shouldn’t be making.
It might just be the most foolish, reckless moment of my life, but nothing in this world could make me let go of him.
I curl my fingers into his hair. He moans, and I chase the sound with my tongue, drowning in his warmth and the taste of peppermint on his lips. He kisses me harder, faster, like every second might be our last. He caresses my jaw, featherlight in a way that makes me shiver.
Then he breaks the kiss, his breath heavy and ragged. “You don’t want this,” he whispers, resting his forehead against mine. “Not with me.”
But then he kisses me as if he can’t stop himself, his hands ghosting down my neck to the sensitive hollow of my collarbone, then wrapping around my back, pinning me in place. He holds me so tight, as though I’m something precious he’s terrified of losing.
I draw back just enough to whisper against his lips, “I’ve never wanted anyone until you.”
He releases a stuttered breath as if the words have undone him.
Through our bond, all I feel is an insatiable desire that transcends everything else.
Then he pushes me down, cradling the back of my head as he straddles my hips.
The sight of him above me, caging me, is enough to make my pulse pound with heady anticipation.
I want him. I want him so badly it hurts.
We kiss again, his chest pressing against my breasts, the firm pressure exhilarating in a way I can’t get enough of. I lift my hips to grind against his. A low growl rumbles through him as I feel his hard length straining to be released.
When I reach for his waistband, he snatches my wrists, pinning both my hands against the ground with only one of his.
“Not fair,” I bite out, straining against his grip. I gaze up at him, my eyes half-lidded and my heart beating as loud as a drum as he smiles at me, as though seeing me trapped beneath him is the most beautiful sight in the world.
Then he leans back, the cold air stinging the peak of my nipples. But then he cups my breast, his grip so gentle and warm. I gasp, my core tightening. So tortuously slow, he thumbs my nipple.
“You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted you,” he says, his heated gaze never leaving mine.
“Every time we almost kissed, fighting this tore me apart.” He flicks the sensitive bud, a smirk dimpling his cheek as I squirm beneath him.
Every squeeze and stroke sends sparks through me until I’m arching my back, desperate for more.
“Then why did you?” I ask him, breathless from pleasure.
If he hadn’t, we could’ve had a night like this on that hilltop with the stars splayed above us.
We could’ve met in a storm of heat and fire instead of dancing around the tension between us, and had that much longer to enjoy the time we still had together.
“Because I knew the moment this started—” He pauses to press a long kiss to my lips, his soft lips wet and swollen. He swallows hard. “I knew I wouldn’t want it to end. I wouldn’t want to ever let you go.”
The confession stuns me, my stomach dropping as I stare up at him, spellbound.
Before I can say a thing, he lowers his head to my breast, his hot mouth sealing over my nipple.
He sucks, and I cry out, fighting against his grip.
My core liquefies, molten as his tongue swirls.
I want to touch him. I want to feel the length of him.
The only leverage I have is my thigh, and I rub it against him until he shudders.
He bites in retaliation, just hard enough that the pain feels so unbearably good.
“Desmond,” I moan.
His lips leave me, but then he presses a kiss to my collarbone, his breath so warm and wet. He trails kisses up my neck as he hums in question.
I tilt my head, making it easier for him to find the sensitive spot just behind my ear. He nibbles it, and a sweet coil of pleasure winds through me. I don’t want him to stop, but I want to feel him even more.
“Let go of my hands,” I plead. If he doesn’t, I’ll find a way to make him.
I hear the smile in his voice as he whispers into my ear, “And what will you do if I refuse?” His soft breath tickles me, but when he bites the lobe, my core tightens, every thought stuttering to a stop.
“I—”
His free hand caresses my stomach down to my inner thighs. He strokes up and down, so tantalizing close to where I’m wet and aching.
Gods, everything feels too damn good.
Then a loud, grinding creak shudders through the chamber, startling me so hard that I flinch. The slab sealing the exit rolls up as if it just remembered to let us out, revealing the tunnel beyond.