31. Quentin
Chapter thirty-one
Quentin
I’d made decision.
“Let’s go inside,” I said.
I climbed out of the car and opened the door for Kelsey. Her eyes were searching my face, looking for a hint of what was about to come. I smiled at her, and she smiled back, a little unsure.
We walked up the stairs in silence. When we reached my door, Kelsey turned to me, hands nervously fiddling with her . God, she looked good in that skirt. The sight driven me mad for the better part of the evening.
“Well… good night then. Thank you for the ride. And the talk.”
My heart was beating in my chest. Years of fear told me to shut the door behind myself and hole up in my apartment where I was safe—unhappy and lonely, but safe.
But Kelsey had overcome her fear, and so would I. I had to. I no longer wanted to live like this. I wanted my happy future, and I wanted Kelsey to be in it .
“Do you want to come inside?” I asked quietly. “And stay?”
Her eyes went wide. “What exactly do you mean by stay?”
“What do men usually mean when they ask a lady to stay the night?” I asked.
Kelsey’s mouth opened as if she wanted to say something, and for a terrible moment I thought she would reject me.
Then she basically lunged toward me, pressing her lips to mine.
Fireworks exploded in my chest. I had missed her, had missed this so much. I deepened the kiss and pulled her close until her body was flush against mine, letting my tongue explore her lips.
Arousal was welling up inside me. The rational part of my brain still functioning told me to move this to a more private place.
I managed to tear myself away from her lips but kept her body close to mine as I fumbled the keys out of my pockets and unlocked my door with shaky hands.
She stepped inside and pulled me with her, shutting the door with one hand.
We were alone. We’d been alone many times before, but this time was different. This was the real deal. It was going to happen, and my nerves acted up.
“She might still leave,” the little voice of fear whispered in my ear. “She might not want you anymore once she has seen all of you.”
Kelsey must have sensed my hesitation. Instead of diving back straight into our passionate kissing, she caressed my face, letting her fingers wander through my hair, along my scarred jawline, and all the way down to my neck, where the scars were even worse.
She leaned in, rested her head on my shoulder, and whispered in my ear, her breath hot against my skin. “I want you, Quentin. ”
Something inside me snapped. My burning-hot arousal overwhelmed the nagging voice of fear in the back of my head, and all that was left was passion.
“I want you too,” I said, my voice husky, before diving back into the kiss.
I gently pushed her toward the bedroom, heat rising in my body. My pants were getting uncomfortably tight, and my mind was getting hazy.
We bumped into the closed bedroom door. I tried to reach for the door handle, but Kelsey’s body pressing against me was such a distraction that I quickly gave up the endeavor and instead pushed my hand under her skirt, grabbing her butt. Kelsey made a sound of pleasure that made me consider just taking her standing up against the door.
God, what was that woman doing to me? Three and a half minutes of kissing Kelsey were enough to turn me from a shrinking violet into a hot-blooded lover. I had no idea why the dam finally broke, setting free all my long-suppressed desires, but it felt good. A soft laugh bubbled out of me. I just couldn’t help it.
Kelsey tipped her head back. “What’s so funny?” she asked with a smile.
I rested my forehead against hers. “Nothing. I’m just happy.”
“And there’s more to come,” she teased as she reached around me to open the door, pushing me toward the bed.
When the back of my knees made contact with the bedframe, I let myself fall onto the mattress and pulled Kelsey down with me.
She sat up, straddling my hips, her fingers fiddling with the buttons of her blouse.
“Let me,” I said. “I imagined this way too many times.”
She just smiled and moved her hands away. I opened the buttons one by one, kissing each inch of newly exposed skin, then pulling the garment off her. Kelsey haphazardly threw the blouse onto the floor, grabbed the back of my head, and pulled me toward her chest.
I buried my face in the softness of her breasts while my hands reached around to her bra with shaky hands, driven by my need to get closer to her. Her breasts were such a glorious sight that I took a moment to take them in before bringing my lips down on her nipples.
When my tongue made contact with the sensitive flesh, Kelsey moaned and ground her hips into mine.
I had to close my eyes against the wave of arousal that hit me, overwhelming in the best kind of way. I grabbed her hips and pulled her toward me again. And again. The sensation was incredible.
Kelsey kissed my neck. “This would feel better without clothes on,” she whispered.
Her words pulled me out of my passionate bliss and made me pause. The moment of truth. I wanted to be with Kelsey, properly. And that was all that mattered in that moment. It mattered more than shame and fear and all the stares and all the pain I’d encountered and would still encounter. All that mattered was Kelsey. She had chosen me. She wanted to be with me. I was still scared, but I was ready to make the leap with her, so I nodded slowly.
Her eyes searched my face. “Are you sure?”
I was uncertain how my voice would sound if I attempted to speak, so I silently took her hands and gently placed them on my chest. She understood and started to unbutton my shirt.
Button by button, she revealed the knots and valleys of scar tissues that covered my left shoulder, my arm, and half my torso, all the way down to my hip.
Finally, she brushed aside the fabric and let her eyes wander over my destroyed skin .
I swallowed hard. It had been years since anybody but myself had seen me like this. As she studied my body, I studied her face, looking for a sign. Was she disgusted? She looked thoughtful, sad almost, but I found no trace of repulsion in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry you had to suffer through this,” she whispered. “Does it still hurt?”
I cleared my throat and tried to steady my voice. “Sometimes. Mostly, it’s just discomfort.”
“Does it hurt when I touch it?”
I shook my head. “Not really,” I said. “To be honest, I hardly feel anything there at all.”
Her hand hovered over my body, an unsure expression on her face. I gently took her hand and put it on my chest again. “You can touch if you want to.”
Feather-light, her fingers wandered over me, mapping out the crisscross of scars on my skin.
Being touched like this felt strange. The last time anyone had paid that area any attention was years before, at my physical therapy session during rehabilitation.
It was a surprisingly sensual experience. The tender look on her face was enough to make my swell.
My gaze followed her hand as she traced my arm and my shoulder, gently stroked my chest, and let her hand wander down my side toward my belly. Then her hand traveled even lower, and it wasn’t my heart that swelled now.
She looked at me with her beautiful green eyes, silently asking for permission I was more than happy to give, before she unbuckled my belt. I quickly sat up, pushed my pants down then grabbed her by the hips and pulled her toward me, pressing my lips against the bare skin of her stomach. She moaned and her hands dug into my hair before she moved away to strip off her skirt and underwear.
There she was. Even in near darkness, the sight of her was breathtaking. Desire shot through my veins. Before I could decide between touching her and looking at her a little longer, she pushed me down on the bed and straddled me again.
Her hands searched for my length, making me shudder and flush. She stroked me firmly, drawing a series of groans from me. If she kept the pace, this would be over before it began. It had been way too long, and Kelsey was extremely good at this, as if she already knew my body inside out.
Somehow, I managed to regain enough control over my body to move my hand up her thigh, toward her center, gently probing, finding her hot and wet already.
When my fingers rubbed over the sensitive flesh, she bit her lip and moaned. “I can’t wait any longer,” she said. “Please tell me you’re ready.”
Ready? I’d been ready since we walked into my bedroom. Sitting up, I kissed her once more for good measure and reached into my side table to fish out a condom. I’d bought them back in October in anticipation of our romantic dinner date. After Kelsey left Brightwater, I’d considered throwing them in the trash, but now, I was thankful I didn’t go through with this plan.
I handed her the condom. “Ready and eager. But you have to do this. My hands are too shaky.”
She smiled as she tore open the plastic package. “My pleasure.”
I laid back and closed my eyes, waiting for her. , and when she was done, she leaned over and kissed me, hot and passionate, our lips clashing with fervor.
Her hips rolled against mine, one hand guiding me in .
Our bodies finally united, making us both groan with pleasure. I grabbed her hips, holding her firmly in place, trying to adjust to the wonderful sensation—tight and hot, connected in the most intimate way.
I savored the feeling for a little while before loosening my grip, letting her find a slow rhythm. My eyes were still closed because I was afraid that opening them would overwhelm my senses and cut this short. I did not want short. I wanted forever.
Kelsey was moving against me, faster now, her hands bracing on my shoulder and chest.
Pleasure built up inside me, making my muscles tense and my skin tingle.
“Look at me,” she gasped.
I opened my eyes and saw Kelsey on top of me, her creamy skin almost glowing in the faint moonlight, her face full of pleasure. I let my gaze wander over her sleek neck and her soft breasts, down to the apex of her thighs, where our bodies met.
Desire coiled tightly inside me. I needed more, more of this, more of her, so I grabbed her hips and sped up the rhythm, rising to meet her, each thrust drawing a moan from her lips.
“Almost,” she groaned. Her fingernails dug into the skin of my shoulder. Her thighs tensed, her head fell back, and I felt her tighten around me, again and again, as her climax washed over her. That was my undoing. Only a few thrusts later, I followed her, white-hot pleasure shooting through my body.
She collapsed on top of me, and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her gently as both of us tried to catch our breath. Pure joy flooded my body, making me feel warm and weightless.
Kelsey found her words first. She lifted her head and looked at me.
“How was that?” she asked .
I exhaled. “This was the best sex I ever had.” I let my fingers wander through the strands of her red hair. “In fact, it was the best anything I ever had.”
“Of course,” she said, grinning. “We had mad chemistry from the moment we first met.”
“You yelled at me the first time we met,” I remembered. “You’re not wrong, though. Our first interaction might have been a little… tense. But I admit I was very attracted to you right from the start.”
Kelsey smiled, satisfied, and rested her head on my chest. “Like I said. Chemistry.”
I shook my head. “This night, this right here… It’s more than that.”
“What is it, then?” she asked, lazily tracing patterns on my unburnt skin.
I burrowed my face in her hair, breathing in her wonderful scent. “Love.”
Kelsey’s head shot up. “What did you just say?”
“I love you.” I didn’t even think twice. The words just left my lips, as easy as exhaling a breath.
Her eyes went wide before a bubbly laugh escaped her. “I love you too.”