12. Dane Gallagher
Dane Gallagher
Well, well, well. Looks like someone is ready to explore the darker side of her reading list.
Lucky me.
She starts at my neck, pressing soft kisses along my collarbone, then lower on my chest and stomach. I watch her move down my body, and my pulse kicks harder with every inch.
The sight of her kneeling between my legs makes my cock throb with anticipation.
She’s obviously never done this before, but the way she looks right now—focused and intent—you’d never guess it.
She grins and leans down, pressing a soft kiss just above my cock.
A low groan slips out as I imagine what it's going to feel like when she takes me into her mouth.
“Char?”
She glances up, eyes wide. “Hmm?”
“Can you—” I drag in a breath, trying to stay ahead of it. “Maybe it would be best if you start with your hand. I’m not sure I’ll last if you start with your mouth. And I don’t want to ruin this."
“Dane… you aren’t going to ruin anything. It’s not possible.”
Her fingers wrap around me, careful at first, then more certain as she starts to move up and down. The sensation hits fast, sharp enough to pull a low sound from my chest.
“Am I doing okay? Is that good?”
“Fuck, Charlotte—” My voice comes out rough. “That’s perfect. You’re doing great.”
She licks her lips. “Is it all right if I just taste it?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
I prop myself up on my elbows so I can watch. She smiles at that and leans down, slowly dragging her tongue over the tip.
I suck air through clenched teeth, my hips lifting off the mat.
She looks up at me and licks her lips again. “Did that feel good?”
“You’re doing everything right. That felt incredible.” I don’t think I can wait. “Keep going.”
There’s no hesitation. She wraps her hand around the base and lowers her mouth over the crown, taking me deeper until the tip brushes the back of her throat. The warmth of her mouth closes around me, and her tongue presses along the underside.
My whole body locks up.
“Oh, Charlotte.” Her name comes out wrecked. “That feels amazing.”
She pulls back, then takes my cock into her mouth again, deeper this time. Her lips form a seal, and she drags back slowly, pulling a groan out of me.
Then she really moves, finding the perfect rhythm.
“God, yeah.” My jaw tightens. “That’s good. That’s—fuck, that’s so good.”
Heat coils low and tight, building fast. “I’m close. You probably need to stop.”
She doesn’t. If anything, she leans into it. And that’s all it takes.
I come with a groan, my hips lifting as it hits hard. She swallows my cum without hesitation, then lifts her head, lips shiny and eyes bright. I pull her up and kiss her, tasting salt and heat.
“You taste even better when you come.”
That’s all it takes. My body reacts instantly, my cock hardening again before I’ve even caught my breath.
“I need to be inside you. Now.”
A small smile tugs at her lips. “I thought it took a little while before you could do that again. That’s what the books say.”
A quiet laugh escapes. “Not this time.”
I flip us over, settling above her, catching her wrists and pinning them above her head. She arches into me, her legs wrapping around my hips, drawing me closer with a restless urgency. Her chest rises and falls as she looks up at me, waiting.
I keep one hand on her wrists and use the other to position my cock at the entrance of her pussy.
But I need to ask one last time. “Once we do this, there’s no going back. We can’t undo it.”
She uses her leg around my hip to pull me closer. “I don’t want to undo it. I want to feel you inside me.”
“I want you too.”
“I’m ready.”
A low groan slips out as I push into her. She’s tight—really tight—and I stop halfway. I force myself to breathe through it, giving her a moment to adjust so I don’t hurt her.
“Are you all right?”
She nods. “Yeah, keep going.”
Then she gasps when I push fully into her.
I stop, searching her face. “Am I hurting you?”
She takes a breath, steadying herself. “Just give me a second.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“Absolutely not.” She takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. “See? Already better. Keep going.”
I move carefully during the first few thrusts, watching her for signs of discomfort.
Then her expression shifts. The tension fades, replaced by something softer, her lips parting as a quiet moan slips out.
“Don’t hold back.”
Her hips lift to meet me, and that’s all I need. I move deeper, picking up the pace. She gasps, her back arching as her hands find my shoulders. Her body responds instinctively now, matching me, pulling me closer.
Her legs tighten around me, holding me there.
“Harder,” she whispers against my ear. “Please.”
“Look at me, Charlotte.”
Her eyes find mine, and something sharp and primal twists low in my chest. I rest my forehead against hers, our breath mixing between us.
“Fuck me hard, Dane.”
Whatever control I have left slips, and I slam into her hard and fast. “Is this… the way… you want… it?”
“Yes. Just… like… that.”
Her nails drag down my back, and I’m certain she’s drawing blood. I’ll happily wear her stripes tomorrow.
“Oh God. I’m going to come again.”
She breaks with a sharp cry, the sound tearing out of her as she tightens and shudders beneath me. Her fingers dig into my shoulders as her body clenches around my cock.
I slam deeper, my pace increasing as I get closer.
“Fuck, I’m going to come.”
And then it hits me—a sharp, cold clarity cutting straight through everything.
We have to stop. I can’t finish inside her.
I pull out of her and come hard across her stomach, spilling in hot pulses while my whole body shakes with the force of it. The orgasm tears through me, but underneath it runs a cold thread of relief so sharp it almost hurts.
That was close.
Too. Fucking. Close.
I drop my forehead to her shoulder, breathing hard. Her hands move over my back in slow circles.
She has no idea that I almost stayed inside her too long.
Fuck, I can’t let that happen again.
We lie there for a moment, both of us catching our breath, skin on skin. I press a soft kiss to her mouth before rolling onto my side and pulling her with me.
She settles against my chest easily, like she belongs there, her hand resting over my heart.
“I love you, Charlotte Gallagher.”
She tilts her head back, looking at me, something warm and certain in her eyes. Then she smiles. “I love you, Dane Gallagher.”
I pull her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“I can’t believe I wasted so much time when this was right here under my nose.”
She lets out a soft breath against my chest. “We both wasted time, but we’re here now. That’s what matters.”
We stay like that for a while, her breathing settling as I move my hand slowly through her hair.
“We should talk about something.”
She leans back, studying my face. “That sounds ominous.”
“Not ominous. Just practical.” I pause, choosing my words. “We need to talk about the possibility of you getting pregnant.”
She goes completely still. “What do you mean I could get pregnant?”
My stomach drops, and I replay the last hour in my head with a growing sense of alarm.
“Charlotte… please tell me you know how babies are made.”
She just stares at me.
The silence stretches long enough that real panic starts to settle in.
And then she breaks.
The laugh starts small, like she’s trying to hold it in, but it doesn’t last. It spills out of her, full and uncontrollable, her whole body shaking as she presses a hand to her mouth.
“Your face right now.” She works to catch her breath. “Oh my God, Dane. Your face.”
I drop back onto the mat with a long exhale. “That wasn’t funny.”
“Come on. It was a little funny.” She’s still smiling when she leans in and presses a kiss to my shoulder. “Forgive me?”
I pull her closer and steal a kiss. “You’re lucky I’m in a very good mood.”
“Do I need to remind you that I’m the reason you’re in a very good mood?”
I chuckle. “Fair.”
“I agree with the point you were making. We’ll need to be careful.”
“Yeah, we will.” I glance at the book beside her mat. “Your books—did any of them cover that part?”
She tucks her chin against my chest, thinking. “One of them did. There’s only a small window each month where a woman can get pregnant. Around ovulation—give or take a few days before and after. But it’s not exact unless you really know your cycle. I’d need to read the book again to be sure.”
Thank God for Tara’s romance book addiction.
“So we keep track of your periods?”
“According to the book. And the only way to avoid it completely is to stop doing it.”
I stare at her. And she stares right back.
“That’s unlikely.” Because I’m already thinking about the next time.
“I can’t go back to the way we were living. Not after what we just shared.”
“So we’ll track your menstrual cycle. We’ll be careful and pay attention. And we’ll figure the rest out as we go.”
She laces her fingers through mine where my hand rests against her waist. “We’ve been figuring things out for years, Dane. We’re pretty good at it.”
“Yeah, I guess we are.”
I think about everything we’ve managed to build here from nothing.
Eight years ago, four of us became stranded on this island with nothing except fear and grief. Now it’s just the two of us.
Somehow, we still built a life here.
And holding her against me now, I realize she’s all I need.