Chapter Twelve #2
Hearing his guttural groan in Italian spurred her on, and she obeyed, sliding her tongue along the length of him once more before completely enveloping him in her mouth.
She wasn’t practised in this, as Ian hadn’t been keen, but she had read how to do it in books often enough.
She had always had a very healthy sexual appetite, despite having chosen to remain celibate since Luca’s conception.
‘I’ve always been a fan of learning and practising myself.
’ He made an attempt at humour, which turned into a shout when her mouth fully enveloped him.
She was not feeling shy now, no; she was feeling hungry, famished, from the way he had described himself, and she was determined to get him there just as he had done for her.
However, she had barely managed more than three thrusts of him deep into her mouth before his hands were in her hair, pulling her away.
‘Not good?’ she asked.
‘Too good, that’s the problem.’ He exhaled heavily. ‘As much as I would love you to witness the conclusion of where five more seconds of that would go, there’s something I need far more, something I’ve not been able to stop thinking about for a very long time.’
Apollo moved over her with surprisingly feline grace for a man of his size, his hands rough on her skin as he spread her thighs and took a moment to roll protection down over himself.
She watched his every move, hungry to take in the sight of him, both of them flushed and feverish in their need for one another.
It had been like that the first time, too, she remembered.
His hands had been everywhere in the darkness as they’d explored one another, then there had been a moment of calm as he’d shifted over her and rested the hard tip of his erection against her entrance.
It had been another time, in another life, and yet she felt the echo of back then merge with right now as she opened her eyes and watched him slowly slide forward, filling her.
The sensation was like a huge relief, as though her body had been aching for him all this time, just waiting for him to be inside her once again.
He fit her perfectly, his girth stretching her to perfection and touching the most sensitive parts deep inside that she could never quite seem to find herself.
‘You feel like heaven,’ he said, sliding out a few inches then pushing back deeper again.
Astrid inhaled a sharp breath, not realising there had been more to go.
There was so much of him! And yet it was just the right amount.
The sense of being overwhelmed she felt had nothing to do with his impressive size and everything to do with the scale of what making love with him was unlocking within her.
‘Do you see how this could be between us?’ he murmured between thrusts, his mouth devouring hers. ‘One night could never be enough. Tell me you want more, Astrid, and I’ll give it to you. I’ll give you everything.’
She paused at the intensity in his voice, her mind fuzzy with pleasure.
His words were just passion, surely? This night had to be enough; they both had very different lives to return to and a co-parenting agreement to set in place.
Still, she found herself giving into that fantasy for a moment—of Apollo wanting all of her. Of him being hers.
‘I want it, Apollo,’ she whispered, her eyes meeting his.
He growled his satisfaction at her words, eyes closing as he began to move more forcefully.
She clung to his shoulders, feeling a lump build in her throat just as the pleasure built deep within her core.
With every stroke of his body, every murmur of pleasure and encouragement that escaped his lips, she was closer to losing it.
He reached down, adding a finger to her clitoris, and she was instantly done for.
The intensity was more than she could withstand, and she heard herself cry out as a second orgasm built and crested within her; still, he didn’t give up nor did he slow down. He moved harder against her, seeking his own pleasure this time, and she urged him on, needing him to lose it too.
She needed to know she wasn’t alone in this, that she wasn’t just scratching an itch and giving in to the desire between them. This wasn’t a surrender, or a moment of weakness. This was something more.
Apollo slowed his movements ever so slightly, his body still gripped inside her heat. His thumb brushed over her cheekbone and he paused, feeling the evidence of her tears. She stiffened, pulling her face away, hiding from him.
‘Sorry, I—’
‘Don’t,’ he said sternly, leaning down to kiss away the rest of the moisture. ‘Don’t dare apologise for showing me how you feel, how this affects you. I feel it too.’
‘Don’t stop, Apollo.’ She breathed the words, gasping as he moved inside her again, and he felt her delicious heat clench around him like a vice.
‘Never, amore. Never.’ He leaned down, resting his forehead against hers, whispering the words like a vow as he restarted his rhythm.
He rocked into her slowly at first, trying to draw out the pleasure even longer.
But, God help him, she was perfect, and this was perfect.
His heartrate soared, his chest tightening with the effort of harnessing his own control.
Never in his adult life had he been in danger of losing control to an immediate release this way.
Never had he felt this kind of clawing need for more, to feel every inch of the woman beneath him.
He’d always used protection, and it had never bothered him, but right now he had to stop the image of losing himself bare in her heat, with no barrier between them.
The brief thought of doing just that, of one day deliberately getting Astrid pregnant again, sent him fully past the point of control. His hips took on a more brutal rhythm, working harder and deeper into her, until he was crying his own release up to the sky above.
Afterwards, he took care not to completely fall against her, taking a moment to dispose of their protection safely before tucking her body into his embrace and holding her close as they both recovered.
But the effect of his fantasy lingered, burned into his mind like a brand.
He knew that, for now, he wanted them to spend time getting to know one another again without the risk of another unexpected blessing.
‘Are you okay?’ Astrid whispered against his skin, jolting him from his silent brooding.
‘I’m more than okay.’ Apollo attempted a laugh. ‘I’m trying to think of something romantic to say, but you’ve pretty much short-circuited my brain.’
‘You don’t have to say anything; we can just enjoy this moment of paradise for what it is,’ she said, smoothing the hair back from her face. ‘I’m okay with it.’
‘I told you, I want more than one night and I meant it,’ he said softly. ‘A lot more.’
Her mouth thinned into a line, her brow furrowing. ‘I know it will be awkward when it’s over, Apollo. Not to mention the idea of watching you move on with your fast-paced racing-driver life, while my life will most likely stay exactly the same.’
‘What if I don’t want to move on?’
‘What do you mean?’ She frowned, confusion making a little line between her brows. ‘Your idea of fun is jumping out of a plane. Mine is spreadsheets and rage-cleaning.’
‘Opposites attract… I think that’s quite evident.’ He smirked.
‘I’m not saying you’re some kind of hopeless playboy,’ she said quickly. ‘I’m just a realist. You’ve carved out your perfect life, one that you’ve worked incredibly hard for, and I’ve done the same. I don’t need you to force this to be more; can’t it just be…this?’
Apollo reached down to the trousers he’d hastily discarded before their love-making, and for a moment she worried he was leaving, but instead he seemed to be searching for something in the pockets. He turned back to face her, raised up on one arm now so that he looked down at her in the soft light.
‘You said you don’t need more…but you’ve become a pro at denying your needs for a very long time. Quite simply, I disagree.’ He leaned down, laying a playful kiss on her lips.
‘You disagree?’ she repeated, mildly incredulous and unnerved by the calm intent in his gaze as he pulled away and moved to kneel at the end of the bed.
‘I’m not forcing anything, Astrid. I’m more relaxed and sure than I’ve ever been about the future that I want; these past two weeks have shown me that. And I’ve never been a patient man…’
His eyes met hers in the soft lamp light, his fingers grasping her left hand firmly as he opened his hand, revealing a small hexagon-shaped velvet box in the centre.
‘What are you…? Is that what I think it is?’
‘Hear me out before you freak out, okay?’ Apollo’s lips curved into a soft, teasing smile, even though she was pretty sure she’d seen his hand shake slightly as he dropped to one knee on the floor beside the bed.