Chapter 40 #3
When his shirt fell open, she leaned in, pressing her lips to the newly healed scar that ran along his ribs. The touch was feather-light, a blessing. A shiver ran through him, sharp and sweet.
His own hands went to the hem of her sweater, lifting it over her head. The cool air of the room raised goosebumps on her arms, and he drew her back against him, letting the warmth of his skin chase the chill away. Her heart beat frantically against his own, but it was a steady, reassuring rhythm.
He reached behind her, his fingers fumbling slightly with the clasp of her bra before it came free. He slid the straps from her shoulders, his knuckles grazing her skin, and let it fall to the floor.
He took a moment to just look at her, standing there in the soft lamplight. The curve of her hips, the swell of her breasts, the dusting of freckles across her shoulders. She was real. She was here. And she was his.
He guided her to sit on the edge of the bed, then knelt before her, his knees protesting the movement, but he ignored it.
He took her foot in his hand before he carefully untied her shoes and slid them off, his thumb stroking the arches of her feet.
Then her shorts, his fingers hooking into the waistband and tugging them down her legs.
He kissed the inside of her knee, then higher on her thigh, his breath warm against her skin.
She tangled her fingers in his hair, her grip tightening as he moved higher still and pressed her back against the pillows.
When he finally rose, he was breathing a little harder. He shucked his own jeans and boxers, the movement pulling at his side, but the flash of pain was fleeting. He stretched out beside her on the bed, pulling the covers over them both, creating a small, warm world in the peaceful room.
He propped himself up on his elbow, his free hand tracing the line of her jaw, his thumb stroking her cheek. "Eira," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "I'm here."
She turned her face into his palm, kissing it. "I know."
He leaned down and captured her mouth again, and this time, the kiss was deeper, more possessive.
His free hand slid up her body, cupping her breast, his thumb brushing over the nipple until it pebbled into a tight bead.
He broke the kiss, his lips trailing a path down her neck to capture the sensitive peak, sucking it gently into his warm mouth.
Eira gasped, her back arching as a jolt of pleasure shot straight to her core.
While his mouth lavished attention on one breast, his other hand continued its journey down, over the smooth plane of her stomach, to the heat between her thighs.
He found her already wet for him, and a low groan escaped his throat.
He circled her clit with his thumb, a slow, deliberate pressure that had her arching against him, a soft cry on her lips.
He watched her face as he touched her, watched the pleasure build, her eyes fluttering shut, her lips parted. He slid one finger inside her, then another, moving them in a slow, steady rhythm, stretching her, preparing her. Her hips began to move in time with his hand, a silent plea for more.
He positioned himself over her, settling between her thighs.
He took himself in his hand, guiding his cock to her entrance, teasing her with the head before slowly pushing inside.
The sensation was overwhelming, a tight, wet heat that enveloped him, pulling him deeper.
He went inch by inch, giving her time to adjust, giving himself time to savor the feeling of being whole, of being home.
He was buried to the hilt, his body pressed against hers. When he buried his face in the curve of her neck, her pulse beat against his lips. He stayed like that for a long moment, just breathing her in, the scent of her skin, the scent of them.
He began to move, a slow, languid rhythm, in and out, his hips rolling against hers.
There was no rush, no frantic need for release.
This was about connection, about feeling every single sensation.
The drag of his cock against her inner walls, the way her nails dug into his shoulders, the soft sounds she made in the back of her throat.
He shifted his weight, angling his hips, and she cried out as he hit that spot deep inside her. He did it again and again, his movements still slow but now more focused on her pleasure. She tightened around him, her muscles clenching, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Ford," she gasped, her hands fisting the sheets. "Oh, god, Ford."
He kissed her, swallowing her cries, his tongue mimicking the rhythm of his hips.
He slid a hand between their bodies, his fingers finding her clit again, rubbing tight circles as he continued to move inside her.
Her back arched off the bed, a silent scream on her lips as her orgasm crashed over her, a wave of pleasure that rippled through her body, pulling him deeper.
The feel of her coming undone around him was his own undoing. He thrust into her one last time, a deep, possessive stroke, and then he came, his release a hot, powerful surge that filled her, a primal claim that was both an end and a beginning.
He collapsed against her, his body trembling with the force of his release, his face buried in her hair.
He was careful to keep most of his weight off his injured side, but he couldn't bring himself to move.
He didn't want to. He wanted to stay like this forever, tangled up with her, their bodies still joined, their hearts beating as one.
After a long while, he shifted, rolling onto his side and pulling her with him so they were face to face. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead, his fingers lingering on her skin. She looked up at him, her eyes soft and sated, a small smile playing on her lips.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice still rough.
She nodded, her hand coming up to rest on his chest, right over his heart. "I'm more than okay."
He covered her hand with his, lacing their fingers together. He was still healing, still a little broken, but lying here with her, he knew he was finally, truly on the mend. The rest of the world could wait.
Later, as the island settled fully into night and the ocean breeze drifted through the open windows, Ford lay beside her with one arm loosely around her shoulders.
For the first time in weeks, everything felt still.