26. After the Storm #3
“Right there?”
“Mmm.” She lets her head fall forward. “Don’t stop.”
I work the area until I feel the muscles finally surrender, then continue my journey downward. The cloth dips below the waterline, following the flare of her hips. Her breath catches when I brush the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.
“Patience,” I whisper against her ear, though my own control is already fraying. The sight of her like this—wet and pliant and trusting—makes me want to take her right here, right now.
But tonight isn’t about that. Tonight is about showing her exactly how precious she is to me.
I guide her to lean back against the opposite end of the tub, then lift one of her legs from the water. Starting at her ankle, I work my way up slowly, massaging as much as washing. Her toes curl when I hit a sensitive spot behind her knee.
“Ticklish?” I ask, though I already know the answer. I’ve mapped every inch of her body, learned all her little tells and triggers. But I love hearing her laugh.
“You know I am.” She kicks a bit of water at me, playful despite her exhaustion.
I capture her foot before she can splash me again, pressing my thumb into the arch until she moans. “Behave, or I’ll stop.”
“Liar.” Her smile is knowing. “You’re enjoying this as much as I am.”
She’s not wrong. There’s something intoxicating about caring for her like this, about having her completely at my mercy and using that power only to pleasure her. It’s a different kind of dominance than our usual encounters, but no less potent.
I switch to her other leg, lavishing it with the same attention. By the time I finish, she’s purring with contentment.
The washcloth travels higher, skating across her stomach. Her abdominal muscles jump beneath my touch. When I reach her breasts, I abandon the cloth in favor of my bare hands, cupping their perfect weight.
“Zeke.” Her voice holds a note of warning, but her body betrays her as she arches into my touch.
I brush my thumbs across her nipples, watching them pebble. “Yes, love?”
“You’re supposed to be washing me.”
“I am.” I demonstrate by gathering some bubbles and using them to massage her breasts, paying special attention to the sensitive undersides. “Very thoroughly.”
Her laugh turns into a gasp when I pinch her nipples lightly. “This doesn’t feel like washing anymore.”
“No?” I trail one hand lower, beneath the water. “Should I stop?”
Her thighs part instinctively as my fingers dip between them. “Don’t you dare.”
But I do stop, pulling back to grab the shampoo instead. Her frustrated groan makes me chuckle.
“Patience,” I remind her again. “Turn around for me.”
She shifts until her back is to me, grumbling under her breath about teasing husbands. I gather her wet hair in my hands, working the shampoo into a rich lather. My fingers massage her scalp in slow circles, drawing out another moan.
“That feels amazing.”
I take my time, making sure to hit all the spots that make her melt. By the time I’m done, she’s practically boneless against the side of the tub.
“Rinse,” I instruct, guiding her to lean back.
Water cascades through her dark hair as I rinse away the shampoo, careful not to let any suds run into her eyes. The trust she shows in these moments never fails to humble me. This fierce, independent woman who fights monsters for a living, letting me care for her so completely.
I follow the shampoo with conditioner, working it through the length of her hair. The silky strands slip through my grasp like water.
“I love your hair,” I say, gathering it over one shoulder to expose her neck. I press a kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear. “Love how it feels wrapped around my fist when I’m taking you from behind.”
She shivers. “Zeke.”
“Love how it looks spread across my pillow.” Another kiss, lower on her neck. “Love watching it fall around us like a curtain when you ride me.”
Her breathing grows heavier as I continue my assault on her neck, alternating kisses with gentle bites. My hands slide down her arms, then back up to cup her breasts again.
“Please,” she whispers.
“Please what?” I squeeze her nipples, just hard enough to make her gasp. “Tell me what you want, love.”
Instead of answering, she turns in my arms and rises to her knees. Water streams down her body as she straddles my legs, her hands going to my waist.
“I want you,” she says, green eyes dark with desire. “Now.”
I catch her wrists before she wraps her hand around my cock. “You’re not finished with your bath.”
“Fuck the bath.” She grinds against me, making me groan as her heat presses against my already-hard cock. “I need you inside me.”
The last threads of my control snap. I release her wrists and she immediately reaches for me. Her small hand wraps around my length, squeezing just the way she knows I like.
“Careful, love.” My voice is gravelly with need, barely able to control myself.
She gives me a wicked grin in response.
When she positions herself over me, I force myself to remain still. Let her take control, even though every instinct screams at me to flip her over and fuck her until she screams my name.
She sinks down onto me inch by torturous inch, her walls gripping me like a vise. The sight of her taking me in, combined with the exquisite pressure of her body, nearly undoes me.
“Fuck,” I groan when she’s fully seated. “You feel so goddamn perfect.”
Her answer is to rise up and slam back down, setting a pace that has us both gasping. Water sloshes over the sides of the tub as she rides me, her breasts bouncing enticingly with each movement.
I let her maintain control for as long as I can stand it, which isn’t nearly long enough. When I feel her walls beginning to flutter around me, signaling her approaching orgasm, I snap.
In one fluid motion, I lift her off my cock and set her on the edge of the tub. She makes a sound of protest that turns into a moan when I spread her legs wide, exposing her dripping pussy to my hungry gaze.
“So fucking beautiful,” I murmur before diving in.
The first swipe of my tongue makes her cry out. I take my time exploring her folds, alternating between broad strokes and focused attention on her clit. Her thighs tremble against my shoulders as I devour her like a starving man.
“Zeke, please.” Her hands fist in my hair, trying to direct me where she needs me most.
I resist, maintaining my leisurely pace. “Something you want, love?”
“More,” she begs. “Please, I need—ah!”
I cut her off by sucking her clit into my mouth, flicking it with my tongue. Her back arches as I slide two fingers inside her, curling them to hit that spot that makes her come undone.
“That’s it,” I encourage when I feel her walls starting to tighten. “Come for me, beautiful. Let me taste you.”
She shatters with a cry of my name, her body convulsing around my fingers as I work her through it. Before she can come down, I rise up and slam into her, making her scream.
“Again,” I demand, setting a punishing pace. “Give me another one.”
She’s so sensitive from her first orgasm that it doesn’t take long. I feel her walls starting to pulse around me and growl, “Open your eyes. Look at me when you come.”
Those stunning green eyes lock onto mine as she falls apart again, and the sight pushes me over the edge. I thrust deep one final time, emptying myself inside her with a groan of her name.
We stay like that for a long moment, both panting. When I finally pull out, my cum immediately starts leaking from her well-used pussy. The sight stirs something primal in me.
I gather some on my finger and push it back inside her, making her whimper. “Mine,” I growl, rubbing the rest around her still-sensitive clit. “All mine.”
“Yours,” she agrees breathlessly. “Always yours.”
I clean her up before wrapping her in a thick towel. Once we’re both dry, I carry her to bed, not bothering with clothes. She curls into my side immediately, her wet hair soaking my pillow. I don’t care.
“Thank you,” she whimpers, already half asleep. “For taking care of me.”
I press a kiss to her forehead, overwhelmed by how much I love this woman. “Always, love. Always.”
She drifts off quickly, exhausted from the day and our activities. I stay awake a while longer, watching the moonlight play across her peaceful face and thinking about how close I came to losing her—to losing both her and Leo.
Never again, I vow silently. I’ll burn the whole world down before I let anyone hurt my family again.
Eve snuggles closer in her sleep. I tighten my arms around her, breathing in her lavender scent.
Tomorrow will bring new challenges. The ongoing fallout from Alessandro’s death. The ever-present threat of Nicolo and his plans for Columbus.
But for now, in this moment, everything is perfect. My wife is safe in my arms, our nephew is sleeping peacefully down the hall, and all my enemies are either dead or too far away to touch us.
I close my eyes, letting Eve’s steady breathing lull me toward sleep. Just before I drift off, I hear a car engine in the distance—probably one of my men patrolling the perimeter. Good. Let them watch. Let them protect what’s mine while I hold my world in my arms.
The last thing I register is Eve mumbling something in her sleep, her hand pressed against my chest as if making sure I won’t disappear.
Never . I’m not going anywhere, love. You’re stuck with me now.
And then I’m gone, following her into dreams where no shadows can touch us.