Chapter 46
CLEO
Icould have drowned in that kiss. The water bubbled around us while Cash held me against him, his hands tangled in my wet hair. I couldn’t believe this was his life and he was sharing it with me. The man was nothing like the guy I thought he was.
And I was so grateful for it.
“We should go inside,” I murmured against his lips. “Unless you want me to take you right here in this jacuzzi.”
His eyes darkened. “Tempting, but I have plans for you that require a bed.”
“Lead the way, Bancroft.”
We climbed out, water cascading down our bodies. Cash grabbed towels from a nearby cabinet, wrapping one around my shoulders before drying himself off. The air was cool against my wet skin, making me shiver. Though whether from the chill or anticipation, I couldn’t say.
He led me through the apartment, leaving damp footprints across his perfect floors. I should have felt self-conscious, walking naked through this pristine palace in the sky, but I didn’t. With Cash looking at me with raw, carnal need, I felt powerful. Beautiful. Exactly where I belonged.
His bedroom was as immaculate as the rest of the place. Massive bed with crisp white sheets, floor-to-ceiling windows with the same breathtaking view, minimalist furniture that looked basic but I knew it was high-end.
“Do you actually sleep in here?” I asked. “Or is this just for show too?”
“I sleep here.” He pulled me close, his hands sliding down to cup my ass. “Though I haven’t done much sleeping since I met you.”
“Poor baby,” I teased, running my fingers down his chest. “Am I keeping you up at night?”
“In the best possible way.” His voice dropped lower, sending shivers through me. “Get on the bed, Cleo.”
I loved when he got like this, commanding but gentle, his eyes telling me exactly what he wanted to do to me. I backed toward the bed, letting the towel drop as I went.
“How do you want me?” I asked, enjoying the way his breath caught.
“Just like that. Perfect.” He followed, stalking toward me with intent that made my heart race. “Lie back.”
I did as he asked. Cash stood at the edge of the bed, just looking at me like I was a buffet and he was trying to decide what to go for first. I resisted the urge to cover myself.
I knew what he saw. My curves, my softness, all the parts of me that had made me feel insecure for so long.
But the way he looked at me, like I was a feast he couldn’t wait to devour, made me feel like the sexiest woman alive.
“You’re staring,” I said.
“I can’t help it.” He climbed onto the bed, moving up my body until he was hovering over me. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
He kissed me, his body pressing mine into the mattress. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, needing to feel all of him against me.
“Cash,” I whispered. “I need you.”
“Not yet.” He smiled against my mouth. “I want to take my time.”
His lips traveled down my neck, across my collarbone, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. When he reached my breast, he took his time, circling my nipple with his tongue before taking it into his mouth. I arched up, a moan escaping me.
“I love the sounds you make,” he murmured, moving to my other breast. “I could listen to you all night.”
His hands were everywhere. Finding all the places that made me gasp and squirm. He was learning my body like a map he wanted to memorize, and I was more than happy to be explored.
But two could play at this game.
I pushed against his chest until he rolled onto his back, looking up at me with surprise and heat in his eyes.
“My turn,” I said, straddling his thighs.
I kissed my way down his chest, taking my time, savoring the taste of his skin. His muscles tensed under my touch. When I reached his stomach, I looked up, meeting his gaze as I moved lower.
“Cleo,” he groaned.
“I want to make you feel good.”
“Trust me, I feel good.”
I took him in my hand, stroking slowly, watching his face as pleasure washed over it. Then I lowered my head and took him into my mouth.
His reaction was immediate. A sharp intake of breath, his hand coming to tangle in my hair. I took my time, using my tongue, my lips and hands. I pulled and sucked and had the man writhing on the bed.
“Stop,” he said after a few minutes, his voice strained. “I don’t want to finish like this.”
I released him with a smile, feeling powerful in a way I never had before. “Too much?”
“Just enough.” He pulled me up his body, flipping us so I was under him again. “But I want to be inside you when I come.”
He reached for the bedside table drawer, but I stopped his hand.
“Wait,” I said. “I’m on birth control. Have been for years. And I’m clean. I got tested after my last relationship.”
His eyes widened slightly. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I touched his face. “I trust you. I want to feel all of you.”
“I’m clean too,” he said. “I get tested regularly. But are you absolutely sure about this, Cleo? It’s a big step.”
I nodded. “I’m sure. I love you, Cash.”
“I love you too.” He kissed me deeply. “So much.”
When he pushed inside me, it felt different. More intimate. Like we’d crossed some invisible line into something new and profound. He moved slowly at first, both of us adjusting to the sensation of nothing between us. He was the first man I’d been with like this in years.
“You feel incredible,” he breathed.
I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deeper. “So do you.”
We found our rhythm together, bodies moving in perfect sync. This was making love in the truest sense. Every touch, every kiss, every whispered word was a declaration. I love you. I choose you. I’m yours.
Never ever had I felt like this with anyone. My heart was full.
Cash watched me the whole time, his eyes never leaving mine.
It was the most intimate thing I’d ever experienced, being truly seen, completely vulnerable, utterly connected.
A tear slipped from the corner of my eye.
He bent forward and kissed it away, somehow understanding it was a tear of joy and not sadness or pain.
“I’m close,” I whispered.
“Me too.” His movements became more urgent. “Come with me, Cleo.”
I shattered. The pleasure was so intense it brought more tears to my eyes. I felt him follow me over the edge, felt him pulsing inside me as he called out my name.
We collapsed together, breathing hard, limbs tangled. Cash pulled me close, my head on his chest, his heartbeat thundering under my ear.
He literally rocked my world. I couldn’t find words. There weren’t adequate words to describe what I felt in that moment. Pleasure and love rolled up into one giant ball.
I felt boneless, sated, and completely at peace.
“I could stay like this forever,” I murmured.
“We might need food eventually,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Mmm, food.” I propped my chin on his chest to look at him. “Got any snacks hidden in this fortress of solitude?”
“As a matter of fact.” He kissed my forehead and slipped out of bed. “Don’t move.”
I stretched out on his bed, watching him walk naked across the room. The view was spectacular, all lean muscle and purpose. I could definitely get used to this.
He returned a few minutes later with a tray loaded with goodies. Chocolate-covered strawberries, cheese, crackers, and more wine.
“You planned for everything, didn’t you?” I asked, sitting up.
“I told you I was going to woo you.” He set the tray on the bed and climbed in beside me. “Extensive wooing includes post-coital snacks.”
I laughed and reached for a strawberry. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously in love with you,” he agreed. “We need fuel for the night. Can’t have our blood sugar dropping.”
We ate in bed, feeding each other bites, stealing kisses between sips of wine. It was decadent and intimate and so very us.
“I’ve been thinking,” I said, licking chocolate from my fingers in a way that made his eyes darken again.
“Dangerous.”
“Very.” I took another strawberry. “I want to stay over more. Like, a lot more.”
“I was hoping you would.” He looked around the room. “I can clear some space for your things. Whatever you need.”
“Slow down, Bancroft. I’m not moving in. Yet.” I smiled to soften it. “But I want to wake up with you. Fall asleep with you. Do normal couple things.”
“Like what?”
“Like grocery shopping. Movie nights. Walking around the city holding hands.” I shrugged. “The little things that make a relationship real.”
He nodded, serious now. “I want that too.”
“Good.”
“But I also want the big things,” he added. “The future stuff. I meant what I said about putting a real ring on your finger someday.”
My heart fluttered. “I know you did.”
“Not yet,” he assured me. “We’ll take our time. Do this right. But I want you to know that’s where I’m headed, Cleo. All in with you.”
“All in,” I echoed. Those two little words so powerful. So meaningful. So perfect.
He took my hand, brought it to his lips. “One step at a time.”
“One step at a time,” I agreed.
Later, when the tray was empty and the wine was gone, we made love again. When we finally fell asleep, tangled together in his enormous bed, I felt like I’d finally found home.
I was falling asleep when he whispered, “Move in with me.”
I froze, wondering if I’d imagined it. “What?”
“I know it’s fast,” he said, his voice quiet in the darkness. “But I want you here. All the time. Every day. I’m serious. You said you wanted to be here. So be here. Please.”
“Cash, that is fast.”
I didn’t need to think about it. I already knew my answer.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Yes?” He sounded surprised, like he hadn’t expected me to agree so quickly.
“Yes.”
I fell asleep with a smile on my face dreaming of our future.
It was going to be perfect.