Chapter 31 #2
I started with her face, tracing the delicate line of her jaw, the curve of her cheekbone, the fullness of her lower lip.
I kissed her deeply, pouring everything I couldn't say into the press of my mouth against hers.
Then I moved lower, exploring her body with reverent hands and a worshipful mouth.
When I reached the apex of her thighs, I looked up at her, seeking permission.
She nodded, her eyes heavy-lidded with desire, and I lowered my head to taste her.
She was already wet, her arousal coating my tongue as I licked a slow stripe through her folds.
The sound she made, a breathy, desperate whimper, sent a jolt of pleasure straight to my cock.
I took my time, exploring her with my tongue and fingers, learning what made her gasp and what made her moan.
I circled her clit with the tip of my tongue, then sucked it gently between my lips, feeling her thighs tremble on either side of my head.
When I slipped one finger inside her, then two, she arched off the bed with a cry.
"Oh god. Cole," she gasped, her hands fisting in the sheets.
"Please." I curved my fingers, finding the spot inside her that made her eyes fly open and a strangled cry fall from her lips, and increased the pressure of my tongue against her clit.
Her orgasm built gradually, her breathing becoming more erratic, her moans more desperate, until finally she shattered with a cry of my name, her inner walls pulsing around my fingers.
I worked her through it gently, easing her down from the peak until she lay boneless and panting beneath me. Only then did I move up her body to capture her mouth in a deep kiss, letting her taste her sweetness on my tongue.
"You're so perfect," I murmured against her lips. "So fucking perfect, Pet." She reached between us, her hand wrapping around my cock, and I groaned at the contact.
"I want you inside me," she whispered. "Please, Cole.
" I reached for the condom I'd placed on the nightstand earlier, tearing open the packet with shaking hands.
Cade took it from me, rolling it down my length with a touch that was both tentative and determined.
Then she lay back, pulling me with her, her thighs parting to make room for me between them.
But I had other ideas. I sat back against the headboard and guided her onto my lap, facing me, her knees on either side of my hips. This way, I could see her face, read her reactions, ensure she felt safe and in control.
"Like this," I said, my hands on her waist. "I want to see you.
All of you." She nodded, her eyes meeting mine as she positioned herself over me.
I held my breath watching her eyes widen and her breathing to quicken as she slowly lowered herself, taking me inch by inch until I was fully seated inside her.
The sensation was overwhelming, tight, wet heat enveloping me, her body trembling against mine, her breath warm on my face.
"Fuck," I breathed, fighting for control.
"You feel amazing, Pet." She began to move, a slow, rolling rhythm that had us both gasping.
I held her close, one arm around her waist, the other hand tangled in her hair, guiding her movements but letting her set the pace.
Our foreheads pressed together, our breath mingling, our eyes locked in an intimacy that went beyond the physical.
"You're everything to me," I whispered, the words escaping before I could stop them.
"Let go, I've got you. I promise. This is real.
" Her movements became more urgent, her nails digging into my shoulders as she chased her pleasure.
I slipped a hand between us, finding her clit with my thumb, circling it in time with her movements.
She came with a sob, her inner walls clenching around me, pulling me deeper.
The sight of her head thrown back, lips parted, completely lost in pleasure, hit something in me and I took over, pushing myself harder into her, speeding up. She cried out again as she clung to me.
“Oh god, Cole, Oh god,” she cried as I felt her fall over the edge again.
She burrowed her head into my neck and I felt the sting as her teeth clamped down.
The sting of the pain was enough to push me over the edge.
I buried my face in her neck as I came, her name a prayer on my lips, my arms holding her tight against me as if I could somehow keep this moment, this feeling, forever.
I held her there for a few moments, feeling her as she pulsed around me, both of us trying to catch our breaths.
Finally, I lifted my head and swiped away the faded purple hair from her eyes and searched for some clue as to how she felt.
The look in her eyes lit up my soul, and she leant in and met my lips with hers again.
I kissed her back, gentle and sweet, letting her guide the tender moment.
When she finally pulled away, I helped her climb from my lap, noticing with a quiet smug expression the shake of her beautiful legs and she collapsed beside me on the bed.
I pulled her into my arms and we lay tangled together, her head on my chest, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on her back.
The candles had begun to dim, their batteries running low, casting the room in a soft, fading glow.
"Thank you," Cade murmured, her voice thick with sleep. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"For what, Pet?"
"For making me feel like I'm worth something. After everything... after what she said..." I tightened my arms around her.
"You are worth everything, Cade. Everything. Don't ever let anyone make you believe otherwise." She nodded against my chest, and soon her breathing evened out into sleep. I lay awake a while longer, watching over her, marvelling at the trust she'd placed in me. In us.
Despite everything we'd done to her, all the manipulation and control, she'd found it in herself to see beyond that to the broken, yearning parts of us that just wanted connection.
Wanted her. As I drifted toward sleep, I made a silent promise to protect her, not just from external threats, but from our own darker impulses.
She deserved better than what we'd given her so far.
And somehow, I would make sure she got it.
Even if it meant standing against Logan and Ryder.
Even if it meant defying the Trivium itself.
Even if it meant standing between her and Dominic Blake himself.
For Cade, I would risk it all. Knowing with all my heart that I meant every word, I finally fell asleep with Cade in my arms, feeling, for the first time in years, like I might have found my way home.