Chapter 43
Tim
“Because I love you.” I gazed into Tabitha’s eyes, and it made my chest hurt how much I loved her. I felt relief that I could finally tell her. “And that makes everything simple.”
“Oh,” she said, her voice breathy. “Tim, I love you too.”
Oh, thank fuck.
I leaned over the console and touched my forehead to hers, taking her hands in mine. “I can’t do a life without you, Tabitha. I don’t even know how I’ve done it up until now.”
Outside, the stars and moon seemed to shine brighter through the truck windows, lighting up her face. Flickers of silver shot through her eyes, filling my chest with peace, then a pulsing excitement.
“I wanted to tell you last night,” I said. “I went to say it so many times, but I thought it was too soon and it might frighten you away.”
“I’m not frightened,” she said immediately, and her face was more intense than I’d ever seen.
“You’re not frightened?” I kissed her gently on the lips and kissed her again, holding on to her bottom lip and letting its plump wetness slowly slide from my bite. Then I rested my lips on the shell of her ear. “Maybe you should be, a little.”
“Should I?” She shivered. “Why?”
I ran my hands along her arms, like I was warming her up, but I knew it wasn’t the cold that made her shiver.
“Because I scare myself with how much I love you and want you.” I kissed a trail down her neck.
“I want to spend all day with you, just to look at you and plant butterfly kisses on your face and hold your hand.” Her full mouth fell open in a gasp, and at the sight of her face wide open with pleasure, I growled.
“And then I want to fuck you so hard you scream because you’ve gone so far beyond what you thought pleasure was.
” I breathed out, worried that might sound too raw, too much, too soon.
“How can a man feel two such different ways about a woman? I don’t know if that’s even right, but I do. ”
She grabbed my face with both hands and kissed me with a force and passion that sent me reeling.
As she lifted her lips from mine, her blue eyes deepened to that side of her I’d seen last night. “I want to be loved like that. And, Tim? I love you like that too.”
My heart was full to fucking bursting. “That’s everything to me. That’s all I ever wanted to hear.”
A beautiful blush rose on her neck and face at my words.
I reeled her in with my arms and pulled her into a tight hug, and she buried her face in my neck.
I moved my face down to hers. My lips nudged hers open, and my tongue stroked hers like I couldn’t get enough.
She tasted of honey and smelled of roses—old-fashioned, but fresh and sexy.
I slowly trailed my fingers over her knees and thighs and under her dress and cotton underwear, finding her satiny under my touch. Her eyes were languid and dark, her cheeks already flushed pink.
I leaned farther over the console and flicked my tongue teasingly against hers as my fingers strummed and plunged and circled against her until her breath went raspy.
Her hips writhed and bucked under my fingers as she reached up and pushed her hands against the ceiling until she came apart. “Yes, oh God, Tim, yes.”
With barely a breath, she climbed over the console and sat astride my lap. She plunged her hands into my hair, lust in her wild eyes. At the sight of her hunger, heat welled up in me, and I gripped her hips and tugged them flush with mine.
“Feel that?” I rasped out.
“Yes,” she said, rolling against me.
“That’s how much I want you.” I unzipped the back of her skirt as I flicked and swirled my tongue against her neck. I wanted to block out everything else in the world—our families, our work, our problems—and just enjoy this moment.
“Let’s take everything off,” she said, lifting my shirt. “I want to feel you against me.”
It must have been her reference to feeling me against her.
I froze and muttered, “Shit.”
“What?” she asked.
“I don’t have a condom. They’re in my gym bag back home.”
We both slumped against each other.
Was it too soon to say this?
“Hey, I’ve been tested and I’m clean,” I said. “It was part of medical for rugby season, but I do it regularly anyway.”
She pulled up her head from my chest. “And of course I was tested after Perry.”
“How do you feel about not using condoms?” I asked.
Excitement strobed through my body, ridiculously eager at the prospect, but I forced myself to say it gently, without pressure.
“It’s a big step. It’s early, but you are it for me, Tabs.
Exclusive, everything, you are my future.
You have to feel comfortable with this, though. ”
Hyperaware of her reaction, I scanned her face for any hesitation, but there was only a keen glitter in her eyes, her lips open, her tongue tracing her teeth.
“Yes, I’m comfortable with this. I trust you.” She curled her fingers into my T-shirt. “I want this. I want you.”