42. Chapter 42 #2
With agonizing slowness, he lowers his weight onto me, supporting himself on his elbows to keep the pressure off my healing side.
The heat of his skin sears me through the thin fabric of my shirt.
I can feel the heavy, rigid length of him pressing against my thigh, which makes my own arousal spike in a sudden rush of wetness between my legs.
“I’ve been so scared of what this has done to us,” he murmurs against my throat, pressing open-mouthed kisses along the sensitive skin just below my ear.
I arch my neck, giving him better access, my fingers tangling in his damp hair. “Nothing could ever take me from you. We were always meant to find our way back to each other.”
He stares into my soul for a moment. Last time I said that to him, he might not have believed it. But he needs to now. He sits back, his eyes darkening as he reaches for the hem of my shirt. He pauses, his gaze flicking down to my bandaged ribs. “May I?”
I nod, lifting my arms so he can pull the fabric over my head. The air in the room is cool, but his gaze is fire. He traces the edge of the white bandage with the tip of his finger before his hand moves higher to cup my breast. His touch is electric, sending a jolt of pleasure straight to my core.
He leans down, first pressing his lips to where he was just tracing along my bandage.
Emotion suddenly swells inside me, but before I cry again, he takes my nipple into his mouth, his tongue swirling, his teeth scraping enough to send sparks dancing down my spine.
I moan, my hands gripping his shoulders, my nails digging into his skin.
He switches to the other side, giving the same attention, while his hand slides down my stomach, his fingers skimming the waistband of my underwear.
His hand slips beneath the fabric. He groans low in his throat when he feels how wet I am.
I gasp, my hips bucking against his hand.
He teases my clit with light, rhythmic circles, his touch maddeningly soft. It feels good, but I need more.
“Jude,” I beg, my voice breathy and high. “I really don’t want to wait.”
He pulls his hand away, and I whine at the loss, but he’s just moving to strip off his sweatpants.
He kicks them to the floor, and then he’s back over me.
His body is a map of scars and muscle, a testament to everything he’s survived, and I love every inch of him.
He hooks his fingers into my panties, sliding them down my legs and tossing them aside.
He settles between my legs, his weight resting on his forearms again. “Look at me,” he commands softly.
I meet his gaze, drowning in the hazel depths. There is so much love there, so much intensity, it makes my chest ache. “I love you,” I say again, because it’s bursting from me.
“I know. I love you, too,” he whispers, and then he pushes his hips forward slowly, the thick head of his cock stretching me open. I gasp as he sinks deeper, inch by agonizing inch.
He stops halfway, his jaw clenched tight. “Okay?”
“Yes,” I breathe out, wincing slightly from the pain from where I was shot.
He groans and pushes the rest of the way in, burying himself entirely. The feeling of fullness is overwhelming, intense, and absolutely perfect. He pauses again, letting me adjust, letting my body stretch to accommodate him. His forehead drops to mine, our breath mingling, sharing the same air.
“You’re all I want for the rest of my life,” he chokes out. “It’s always been you.”
I take his bottom lip between my teeth, and he hisses, his hips jerking forward. “Show me,” I whisper against his lips. “Show me how much you’ve missed me. How much you want me.”
Without breaking eye contact, he pulls almost all the way out before pushing back in, his strokes long and deep. Every time he bottoms out, I feel a jolt of pleasure that makes my toes curl. The drag of him sends waves of heat rushing through my veins.
He watches me intently, his eyes never leaving my face, gauging my reaction. He’s careful with me, mindful of my ribs, keeping his weight centered so he doesn’t crush me. But the gentleness only makes it hotter. It’s a contrast to the raw power in his hips and the restrained strength in his arms.
I can feel the pressure building, pleasure winding tighter and tighter with every thrust. I reach up, threading my fingers through his hair, pulling him down for a searing kiss. I pour everything I have into it. All my love, my relief, my desperation.
He responds in kind, hungrier, more demanding, even as his thrusts remain steady and controlled. One of his hands slides down my side, his fingers digging into my hip, anchoring me to the bed through every movement. He’s so large compared to me that extra care is needed when I’m injured.
“Harder,” I gasp against his mouth. “Jude, harder.”
He breaks the kiss, looking down at me with a mixture of adoration and lust. “Tell me if it hurts.”
I nod.
He obeys, driving into me with more force. He shifts his angle slightly, and suddenly he’s hitting a spot inside me that makes me see stars. I whimper, my body arching off the bed.
“There you go, baby,” he rasps, his voice rough. He aims for that spot over and over.
I can feel myself getting closer, reaching a breaking point. “Jude…I’m…” I can’t even get the words out.
“I know,” he says, his voice strained. “I know when my girl is about to come for me.”
He shifts one hand between us, his fingers finding my clit, and he rubs in time with his thrusts.
That’s all it takes. The coil snaps, and I’m thrown over the edge into a blinding orgasm.
I cry out his name, my body convulsing around him with the sheer force of it.
He continues to thrust through it until I’m a whimpering mess beneath him.
“I’m close,” he grits out. “Emma…where do you want…”
“Inside,” I whisper, pulling him down to me, wrapping my arms around his neck. “It’s okay.”
With a primal groan, he buries his face in my neck and lets go. His muscles tense, his breath catching while he empties inside of me. And when his body relaxes, I can feel his heart pounding against my chest.
We stay like that for a long time, tangled together, our breathing slowly syncing. I can feel the dampness of his hair against my cheek, the lingering tremors in his muscles, the warmth of him inside of me.
I run my fingers up and down his spine, feeling more content than I have in months. He presses a soft kiss to my shoulder, his lips lingering against my skin.
“Are you okay?” he asks softly, his voice muffled. “Did I hurt you?”
I smile, pressing a kiss to his temple. “I’m okay.”
He lifts his head to look at me, his hazel eyes soft. “I think I can do this.” He pauses. “The rest of the trial. As long as you’re there.”
I kiss his perfect lips. “I’m always right here.”