Chapter 30
Ilifted the curtain still blocking the bed from view of the camera in his room and climbed inside, noting the way the worn sheets were soft along the expanse of my exposed skin.
When Vaughn didn’t immediately follow me, I peeked out of the curtain and saw a sliver of his arm through the bathroom doorway. He was in the same spot I’d left him in.
“Vaughn…” I called to him.
He moved to the door, nerves evident on his pallid face.
“Get over here, silly,” I laughed, trying to diffuse the tension. “And no clothes allowed.”
He swallowed before pacing toward the bed, his anxiety transforming into determination. I let the curtain drop, allowing him privacy to divest the rest of his nerves along with his clothes.
And when Vaughn finally came through the curtain, I frowned to see he was still wearing his black boxer briefs, which were tented with quite an impressive erection.
Lucky me.
“I said no clothes.” I pouted.
He hesitated at the edge of the bed. “It’s—umm—been a minute since I’ve…” He ran his hand through his hair, his gaze focused on the sheets in front of me, rather than the naked woman before him.
“Me too—I don’t care,” I spoke softly, reaching toward him and lacing my fingers through his. “We don’t have to have sex. We can just cuddle—or kiss—or whatever you want,” I offered, a gentle smile playing on my lips when he finally gathered the courage to look up at me.
For all his bluster, and despite his immense size, Vaughn’s tenderness might have been my favorite part of him. He fought so hard to keep it hidden. But those whom he cared for saw past the facade of the rough-and-ready captain persona.
The Vaughn I saw before me was so much more than what the military had tried to reduce him to. He was warm, and lonely, and he was mine.
“Come here.” I tugged on his hand, willing him to get into the bed with me.
Lying on my side, I pulled the sheet over both of us, allowing us to face one another.
“Hi.” I smiled at him, resting my head on my arm.
“Hi.” He returned the gesture, mirroring my posture before reaching forward and snagging my hand in his, settling our clasped hands between us.
“Talk to me.”
He took a beat, studying my face, perhaps weighing his words. “I don’t want to disappoint you.”
My brow furrowed. “How would you disappoint me?”
“I told you I haven’t been in a relationship before.” His gaze fell to our hands and stayed there. “I don’t know what comes next.”
This man was the one who had pushed me to be something more than a fling, but now that I had agreed to his terms, his defenses were down, and the truth was coming out. The cat had finally caught the canary and was left confounded.
I couldn’t help but let a bubble of laughter pass my lips.
His eyes flicked up to mine, an expression of hurt crossing his features for a split second before he heard what I had to say.
“And you think I do?” I snorted. “Every man I’ve been with was worse than the last, and the most recent was a real doozy, as you well know.”
He sighed through a quiet chuckle.
“The only thing I expect from you is to care about me…like I care about you.”
Vaughn’s gaze searched mine. “Relationships are more than just that.”
“They don’t have to be.”
He pursed his lips, clearly not believing me.
“Well—I’m hoping there might be some sex involved eventually…when you’re ready.” I leered at him, squeezing my thighs together in a poor attempt to alleviate the amplifying ache.
“I’m not, not ready.” Vaughn leaned forward, allowing his nose to touch mine, his warm breath playing on my lips, his eyes boring into mine for a brief moment before they shuttered. “Don’t let me ruin this for us.” His voice was whisper-soft, and I felt his plea settle deep inside.
“You won’t,” I promised, closing the distance between us to kiss him softly, sealing our bargain.
Our kiss continued for ages, slow and languid. Vaughn’s skin was warm and welcome against mine, chest to chest, one of his legs slipping through mine, allowing me to hitch one along his hip to pull him even closer.
As his tongue massaged my own, exploring my mouth with long strokes, I didn’t even notice when our cores began to undulate in the same steady rhythm, or when his hand disentangled itself from my own to lazily palm my breast.
Fuck, I want him.
Despite his size, his weight was almost a comfort, never too heavy, as we slowly began to shift our center of gravity, before I found myself beneath him, rather than beside him. I loved the feeling of his hard cock nestled between my legs, despite the fabric that separated us.
We could have been making out and grinding for minutes or hours at that point, I was so dazed from his gentle caresses and skilled tongue.
But never one with much patience, and knowing how wet I’d become, I couldn’t help but reach between us to cup the bulge in his boxers, squeezing gently and preening internally when Vaughn released a low moan into my mouth.
A short whine escaped when he reluctantly pulled back from kissing me. Vaughn leaned his forehead against mine.
“Please…” I breathed.
His eyes opened, meeting mine, ice blue on molten chocolate.
“You first, Trouble.” His low voice rumbled in his chest, vibrating against my own.
My lips parted in anticipation at the silent challenge in his gaze.
I watched in a lust-filled, panting haze as he slowly nipped and sucked his way down my body, while I could only writhe beneath his deft fingertips and wet lips.
He’d gotten me off a few times with his fingers—thinking of the first time, in his office, sent a shiver down my spine.
But he’d never offered what I assumed he was about to before.
“Do me a favor…” His dark gaze met mine as he placed gentle kisses along the inside of my thigh, starting at my knee.
I could only nod to encourage him to continue.
“Don’t be quiet.” His tone was that of a command.
I gulped.
My reaction seemed to please him, a grin splitting his face. “I dream about the sounds you’ll make while I’m fucking you.”
“Jesus, Vaughn,” I panted.
I’d never been with a guy who talked like that—or frankly, talked at all, during sex. But now all I wanted to hear were the filthy things Vaughn wanted to do to me, directly from his soft, full lips.
Nudging his shoulders under my knees, Vaughn got comfortable, positioning himself between my legs.
When he finished his path of kisses along my inner thigh, he placed one final kiss atop the center of my mound, then wrapped one arm around my leg, finding purchase at my hip, where my hand instinctively met his.
His eyes peered up at me, a smile upon his lips, which went in and out of view as my chest rose and fell with my stuttering breath. “Relax, Trouble,” he cooed, using the middle finger of his free hand to run a line up my slit, finding it drenched.
We both shuddered together. Again, his eyes met mine. “I fucking love how wet I make you.”
Although I tended to be more brash than shy, I felt my cheeks flush at the compliment.
And then all thoughts blinked out of existence when his mouth found my cunt.
For someone who was so nervous only moments ago, his regular bravado had returned in spades as he laved his tongue over my folds, seemingly delighted as I began to squirm and whimper beneath him.
All I could do was surrender to the sensations as he used the tip of his tongue to trace circles around my clit, occasionally using his teeth to nip at it, smiling against me when I’d yelp at the contact.
He built a slow tempo, figuring out what I liked, and then repeated those steps in sequence, over and over and over again.
My hips began to chase his mouth as my pleasure built, winding tight in my core. He could sense it; his circuit intensified, and my moans only escalated. I was nearing the precipice when he moved his fingers, inserting two at once inside, curling them slightly and dragging them down my inner walls.
It caused nothing short of a combustion.
I released a keening sob the moment I felt my body spasm.
Vaughn continued his ministrations, albeit with a lighter touch, as he extended my release, while I rode through the waves of sensations and emotions all at once.
I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes.
I didn’t know if I’d ever come so hard in my life, and I’d certainly never been so completely enamored with a partner as I was with Vaughn.
I didn’t know where the emotion was coming from.
Maybe I’d forgotten what it felt like to connect with someone on such a primal level.
Vaughn untangled himself from my legs, again trailing kisses up my body, stopping to spend some time licking and sucking my breast before he continued upwards along my collarbone, then the column of my neck, to my jawline, and eventually making it back to my mouth, where he again took his time kissing me deeply while he repositioned himself over me, resting his weight on his elbows.
“So that’s what it takes to shut you up, huh?” he whispered against my mouth, a smile curling his lips.
I huffed a laugh. “I think you prefer me disobedient.”
“I prefer you exactly as you are.” He placed a tender kiss at the corner of my mouth.
And I almost told him then. I had to stop myself. It was on the tip of my tongue…those three words, after which, there would be no going back.
But I didn’t know if he would return them.
I tried to convince myself I was just experiencing heightened emotions post-climax, even though I knew the truth.
I knew what I felt, and it was only a matter of time before I told him and fucked everything up.
So I bit my tongue, not wanting to lose this moment with him.
We weren’t finished. Not by a long shot.
“Need you inside…” I breathed, hooking my legs around his hips and tugging him closer.
He pulled back slightly, his eyes appraising me. “I should have asked before, but you’ve had your sterilization shot?”
“Yes. You?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, his shoulders relaxing upon hearing my confirmation.
The initial shot could be easily reversed with a different injection, but were a godsend.
“Please…” I used my heels to nudge him forward again.
The corners of Vaughn’s lips quirked. “Love it when you’re desperate.” His eyes darkened as he closed the distance between us, this time, his lips finding a particularly sensitive spot at the juncture of my neck and shoulder while he rubbed his hard cock through my wet folds.
“Vaughn…” I moaned. He was edging me on purpose.
He chuckled against my skin, but then I felt the large head notch against my entrance. He took his time pushing into me while I sucked in mouthfuls of air, acclimating to his size, inch by inch.
The pressure was exquisite.
He paused once fully seated and brought a hand to my cheek, raking his eyes over my expression to confirm I was alright.
“I’m so full…” I moaned.
He replied with a sinful smirk.
“It feels so good, baby.” I placed my hand over his.
And then he began to move.
A long and heady moan erupted from my throat at the feeling of him moving inside me.
His mouth found mine again, as we continued our slow and sensuous dance. Every thrust brought me to a new level of pleasure, and I felt the beginning of another climax building as we moved together.
I adored every gasp and groan coming from Vaughn, savoring each sound as much as the feeling of him inside me, stretching me to fit him, just like always. Sex with Vaughn was impossibly intimate. I felt completely bared to him, body and soul. Our physical and emotional connection was transcendent.
As my second orgasm began to crest, Vaughn’s thrusts grew more staccato.
“Touch yourself,” he panted. “Want you to come again.”
I was already so close, I barely found my clit before I was coming hard once more.
Vaughn released a guttural groan at the feeling of my walls constricting against him. He pulled away from my bruised and wet lips to bury his face in my shoulder as he rutted against me, coming hard inside me only moments later.
For a moment, he stilled, our ragged breathing the only noise in the room as we came back down to earth…or rather, the Radiant.
I whimpered as he pulled out of me, already mourning the loss of him as he collapsed beside me in bed, pulling me against him and tucking me into his embrace.
“I love you, Lark.” His words were muffled as I was squished against him tightly.
“I love you too, Vaughn.” I sighed happily into his chest.
Guess those three words weren’t so difficult after all.