Chapter 10
HARLOW
Ishiver because this feels like a leap off a cliff. But exhilarating, a giant swoosh of anticipation enrapturing me.
Stone reaches out and grazes his fingertips down my arms. Slowly and barely a touch but enough to cause my nipples to tingle.
He’s about to check in if I’m sure, I can read his face, but I cut him off before he has the chance. “Yes,” I say, adamant. The last few weeks I’ve been treading carefully further along a trail, taking tiny steps. And for the first time, I don’t take two steps back.
Which is why in this very moment, I make the move forward.
His fingertips trail to my waist before he plants his hands firmly on the sides of my hips. We don’t blink because our eyes are in a strong embrace. Maybe there is a hint that he’s still studying if I’m okay. I am. I really am.
Stone is safe and makes my pulse race in a way that isn’t panic; it’s freeing.
We move closer, my breath picking up, as my nerves are still there, but I don’t care.
He reaches up and slides his hands through my hair to bring my mouth to his for a kiss that’s cementing, lustful yet soft. Warmth floats around us from this electricity that traps us in a current. I close my eyes to sink into the touch of his lips skimming my mouth.
I take this opportunity to circle my arms around his neck because I have an overbearing need to bring our bodies tighter together.
Stone tilts his head back slightly, his eyes dipping down to take in the look on my face where there’s a ghost of a smile.
It’s his gaze that has me captivated because his eyes darken with a determined glint that he will do everything I ask, even if he has a far more powerful side that he’s keeping locked up.
He catches me by surprise when without warning he lifts me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist instantly.
“I’m going to lay you on my bed, but you’re going to have to trust me on this,” he tells me softly.
“I do.”
Stone keeps to his word and lays me carefully on the bed, ensuring my head lands on a pillow, then he slithers down my body with his gaze tipped up.
I watch every second as my body melts under his touch.
The next moment, he’s on his knees working to remove my skirt and tights, which he peels down in a swift tug.
Something lodges in my throat that I recognize as eagerness, especially when he parts my legs open.
He kneels down, with our eyes still tied by an imaginary rope, and he begins to kiss slowly up my skin, from my knee to my thigh.
My breath. Why does it grow heavier, and I don’t want it to stop?
“Don’t lie to me, Harlow. The moment you feel we need to—”
I rise to lean against my propped elbows to get a better view. “Don’t say stop. I need this. I don’t want to stop. Trust me when I say that. I want you.”
He offers me a gentle smirk before he’s back where he left off.
My pussy is throbbing from a desire that’s so damn needy that my hips rock up to encourage him to give me more.
Stone gets the hint, and his tongue darts between my legs, giving me one stroke that already causes me to moan. His tongue maps out where to go, and when he lands on my clit, I’m a wanton woman who writhes and twists because it feels too good.
He flicks the tip of his tongue over my clit before drawing circles, and my eyes slide to the back of my head as I get lost in this fleeting moment. His hand splays below my belly button to keep me down so he has a better canvas to work with.
“Fuck, Harlow, you taste sweet. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough.” His voice has a satisfied underlying tone. He may have done this last night, but he is ravishing me as if this is our first time.
My hand comes to my head to check that I’m still on planet earth. “Don’t tell me that, it just makes me more desperate for you to make me come.”
Stone chuckles softly deep in his throat. “That’s kind of the point,” he rasps.
I have to smile to myself at his remark. But it makes me realize that I’m in a light mood that’s taken over my mind and body.
“I-I think…” I begin to stammer. A release begins to barrel down my body, twisting in my pelvis.
My only answer at this point is to comb my fingers through Stone’s hair to hold on and keep me safely against the mattress.
My moan is a sound I didn’t know I could make; it’s honest. This is by far better than any fantasy that’s been lingering on a loop in my thoughts lately.
He slips a finger Inside of me, and I whimper a pleased sound, enjoying the surprise as he slowly pumps, and my walls tighten around him. I’m in such a frenzy between his tongue and fingers that heat spreads across my skin, a near burning feeling.
“I want you to come on my tongue, Harlow,” Stone murmurs his demand against the apex of my thigh. His slightly stubbled jaw drives me wild again.
The aching of my clit is too much to bear, and then it hits me like a tidal wave, and I vibrate on his tongue just as he requested. He doesn’t leave me just yet and keeps his tongue on my clit until the convulsing fades away and my labored breath begins to calm down.
My heavy eyelids indicate my drowsy and spent state. I’m not complaining, but I need to come down from my orgasm. I smile when Stone studies me to check that he succeeded at his job.
“You’re beautiful,” he informs me as he moves to lie on his side next to me. Stone captures my chin with his finger to tip my mouth up, and he kisses me. I taste the proof of his talents on his lips, and he slips his tongue inside my mouth. I hum a sound in my relaxed moment.
My hand roams down his body to find the button on his jeans, but his hand wraps around my wrist to stop me, and then my eyes shoot fully open with confusion, as I can feel he’s hard as a rock.
“Not now.” His face is light and doesn’t have me worried. “No need to rush.” The feeling of the back of his finger gliding along my cheek is sweet, but I know where his mind really is.
Still, I nod once.
Stone pulls me closer to his body, and his leg lands around my waist to cover my bare lower body. I don’t feel vulnerable that I’m the one half naked. We lie there with our arms entwined for a few moments in silence.
But it only makes me ponder a lot of thoughts floating inside my head.
I can’t take it.
“Your shirt. It has to go,” I request with a firmness in my tone. I’m in control of this evening, aren’t I?
Stone’s eyes widen and again he examines my sincerity. I’m about to scream that he doesn’t need to check every other minute, but he gets the hint when we’re in a stare-off and I don’t give up.
His eyes are just as daring as mine, but he obeys and sits up to take his shirt off.
“Jeans too,” I add.
Stone shakes his head, charmed by my insistence. He listens and follows through, stripping down to his boxer briefs while I peel my shirt up and off, leaving my bra on, and I’m not sure why.
His body is defined, and the small tattoo of hockey sticks on his chest just one-ups the sexy factor. I’ve seen it before, but it’s even better when he’s nearly naked.
I don’t waste time and sit up to splay my hands along his chest then travel down. I watch my fingers trace the lines of his warm body, and again, that beating inside of me nearly drowns my ears as emotions coil between my ribs.
Please don’t ruin this, I pray to myself and close my eyes in a long blink.
Stone watches as I skim along his skin until I grip his length through his boxer briefs, and he groans from the touch.
He feels large and ready. Most of all, I just can’t get over this demand within to have him inside me.
I sneak my hand into his boxers to wrap around his cock, and our foreheads touch as we both soak in the feeling of my touch on him.
“Damn it, I’m not sure how long I’m going to last waiting,” he mutters.
“You don’t have to wait. Please,” I whisper a plea as I encourage him to take every scrap of clothing off, which he does in a flash.
He sighs. “You don’t want to know the thoughts in my head, Harlow.
You’ll only run.” There is something underlying, and I can only imagine it’s fantasies that would make my legs buckle until I’m on my knees to obey whatever he demands.
He sounds nearly sinister, but it just pools more desire between my thighs.
Stone isn’t an innocent man. I have a sixth sense when someone is anything but vanilla in the bedroom. He would be rough and fast. He knows exactly what he wants. Stone leads the way with dark eyes to possess you, I can see it already.
Yet right now, he’s giving it all up for this moment with me.
“Sit on me, Harlow. Straddle me and stay on top,” he instructs as he reaches over to the bedside table to grab a condom.
With me sitting on top, I feel like I’m about to explode. It happens, my worst fear. The underlying fear, and an image flashes in my head that makes me freeze. Then warmth and calm slides down my spine. That’s new. I glance down to see that Stone and I are wrapped around one another.
I breathe a deep breath.
“Harlow, you have to tell me if you wan—”
My finger flies up to hush his mouth. “Don’t say it.”
Stone’s hands quickly land on my cheeks to hold my head in place. “Listen to me, you’re in control. We don’t have to do anything. And if you want, bite my shoulder if you need to, squeeze my body tight, just don’t worry about disappointing me.”
That’s the last thing I want to do.
“I want this now, please.” I’m getting aggravated by his insistence to check in.
It only makes him smirk yet again, right before he rips open the condom wrapper and sheathes himself.
Then it happens. I feel him align himself along my opening and the tip of his length slides along my wetness, flicking my clit and wanting more.
My head falls to his shoulder, and I close my eyes with my mouth firmly tucked into the curve of his neck.
The moment he enters me, emotion nearly takes over me.
“Fuck,” Stone breathes. “You feel too good. Tight, and I’m trying to take you slowly, but you fit snug around my cock.” He tips his body up to hit me deep.
My nails claw his back, but I don’t want to stop.
This is different, I repeat in my head.
Maybe I had more fear than I thought, because a moment overcomes me where suddenly a new air warms within. One where I can finally feel someone inside of me and smile to myself.
Our breaths begin to sync. Stone’s more a grunt and mine a long moan. I do my best to slide up and down on his cock, and his hands guide my hips.
We move together on every thrust, completely in rhythm and lost as air wraps around us that feels like a steam shower. Our lips find hard and long kisses, only adding to our breath growing heavy. His mouth explores my cleavage, only to draw a line back up to my mouth.
Our eyes connect, and I’m not entirely sure what clicks, but we both barrel toward an orgasm that hits us in a mind-blowing moment only a few seconds apart.
By the time our breathing hollows out, I’m not sure if we can untangle from my body draped around Stone.
He kisses the top of my head. “I’ll be right back.”
I mumble okay, and then it registers he needs to get rid of the condom.
Gathering strength, I move the covers to tuck myself under the duvet, with no plans to do anything else. Instead, I lie on my back staring at the ceiling, realizing what step I just took and how it feels kind of amazing. An uplifting key to unlock what I deserve to have again.
I touch my face before I touch my stomach, slowly dragging my fingers in a near sensual way. I’m not dreaming, and my lips press together.
Stone is soon back and slides under the covers. “Penny for your thoughts?” His head rolls to the side to watch me.
“Trust me. When I say unexplainable, I mean it,” I say softly.
He wraps his arm around my middle and drags me to his body until I’m resting my head against his chest.
“What do I say?”
“Nothing,” I answer blankly.
“Sleep. We both need sleep.”
I smile against his skin. “That’s probably the last thing we both want. However, two orgasms later and maybe you’re right.”
“Of course, I am,” he teases.
My fingers draw on his chest. “The thing is… now that I got over a wall, then I might need to do it again.” Because this feels good and right. And it’s with him.
Stone is quick to roll me to my back. “I was hoping you would say that.”
I nearly squeal as I soak in this night that was exactly how I hoped it would be.
It’s later when he climbs out of bed to dispose of yet another condom and I see his glorious naked body walking to the bathroom, his ass a crime to humanity how impeccable it is, that I realize something else.
I was on top, again.
Stone Madden is hiding. He hasn’t unleashed his inner inhibitions. But it bothers me, and I’m well aware why.
Which is why I have to make another request later. I’m comfortable with it.
I’m just not sure he will agree.