31. Henley
Henley
Sunlight peeks into the cabin, slowly finding its way to warm my face.
That was one of the best sleeps I’ve had in a long time. I think when I move out of this cabin, I need to ask if I can take the sheets. And this body pillow is divine. It molds perfectly against me. It’s even warm. I never realized it had a heating element to it.
Wait a minute. I’ve never had a body pillow.
My lashes flutter open and I find my cheek pressed up against the smooth expanse of abs.
“Morning, beautiful.” A low, gravelly voice stirs from above me, sending a delicious shiver down my spine.
His fingers find his way to my chin and tip it up to meet his gaze.
“Morning.” I blush.
“Before you freak out, I’ll remind you that you asked me to stay last night.” He smirks.
Of course I did. Even in my sleep, my traitorous body made demands on my behalf. But instead of telling him that, I just decide to play it off.
“I’ve always thought you’d make a good pillow,” I tease, poking his chest a few times with my finger. “Turns out, I was right.”
His eyes roll, a smile shining brightly through as he does. “We’ve got lots of work to do, Trouble. Time to get up.” Em squeezes my ass underneath the sheet, and both our eyes go wide in shock.
“Did you take off my pants last night?”
“Maybe? But, in my defense, you also asked me to do that as well.”
“Which means you probably got a peek of what was beneath?”
“Perhaps.” His grin grows.
“And my bra . . . that was—”
“That was all your doing, Trouble.” He chuckles. Its timbre is deep and rich, making my entire body tingle.
“It’s nice to see you laugh, it’s a beautiful sound. I don’t remember hearing it that often when we were growing up.”
Emerson’s lip pinch together. “I had my moments with my family. But most of them involved you.”
His gaze bores into me as I lie still, transfixed by his words.
“You’ve always had a way of coaxing a smile out of me. Out of all of us, really. Perhaps I should have called you Sunshine instead of Trouble all these years.”
I scrunch my nose. “Eh, it has a nice ring to it. But let’s face it, Trouble is much more fitting.”
“Facts.” He smirks as I pinch his chest. With a snort, he pulls himself up to lean up against the headboard, dragging me along with him.
For a moment, only silence passes between us. My head drapes across his shoulder, his thumb caressing my arm in gentle strokes. It’s so peaceful, I don’t want to break the moment. But the question is burning inside of me, and I had to let it out.
“Did you know I was still half-asleep when I asked you to stay?”
“I assumed that was probably the case, seeing how you barely flinched the entire drive home.” He grinned brightly, warming me from the inside out.
“Then why did you stay?” I breathe, my heart thundering against my chest.
A deep sigh flees his lips. His gaze rolls up to the ceiling for a moment before finally settling back on mine. Sweeping my hair behind my ear, his palm cups my cheek.
“Baby, whether you’re half asleep or wide awake, if you ask me to stay, I always will. There is no other place I’d rather be than by your side.”
Before I can respond, he seals his words with a kiss.
Setting a deliciously slow pace, I dig my fingers into his wavy locks and pull him closer.
My lips part at the seam, and his eager tongue leaps in to tangle with mine.
Em’s fingers tangle in my hair, causing a sting at the back of my scalp. But I don’t mind at all.
I’m falling so deeply in love with this man.
I’ve been terrified that when I reach the bottom, there will be no one there. Just like before. I’d be left alone.
This kiss changes all of that.
Emerson Lane is telling me that I can fall, and he will be there to catch me.
Always.
Suddenly, my back is pushed flush to the mattress as Emerson rolls himself on top of me. He gathers my wrists in his hands above my head as his hardened length drags against my sensitive core. My hips buck forward of their own volition, causing a whimper to escape my lips.
“Jesus, baby,” he rasps against my neck. “You’re ready for me, aren’t you?”
I nod, probably a little too eagerly, because he muffles his laughter into my neck as he continues to devour the entire length of it.
His lips glide lower. Teeth grazing and teasing my heated skin with little nips along the way. When his mouth hovers over my breast, my teeth pierce my bottom lip. I can feel my entire body trembling with anticipation.
Darkened eyes peek through his tousled hair, and a wicked grin forms on his mouth. “Can I make you feel good, Trouble?”
“Yes, please!” I whisper-shout.
Emerson’s head hangs once more, his chest vibrating against mine as he chuckles on top of me. My cheeks flame.
“Stop laughing, you ass!” My breath rasps between heavy breaths. I pinch his side and he jolts with a howl. However, it has the opposite effect. His hips jolt against mine and my starving core, ripping a groan from the both of us. And for a second, my brain short-circuits.
His mouth finds mine as he pulls up my top, exposing my breasts. The chilly morning air inside the cabin makes my nipples rise to even sharper peaks. And when his thumb rolls over one of the sensitive buds, I almost jump out of my skin.
Emerson comes up for air, the sunlight glazing over his handsome features. The stubble that shadows his chiseled jaw. His muscled chest adorned with dark ink. His Adonis abs that make me want to bend down and lick them. The golden light from the window highlights every single one of them.
All I’ve ever wanted was for him to look at me the way he is right now. Heavy-lidded eyes slowly roll over me as he wets his lips. Preparing to devour me whole.
“I’m not laughing at you, Hen,” He purrs, caressing my breasts in exactly the way I’d imagined he would. Making my body squirm with need. He leans in, his hot breaths brushing against my ear as he whispers, “For so long, I thought I’d lost you.”
Warm lips brush against my chin, until his face is directly in front of mine. “Right now, I’m just fucking ecstatic to see you crave me so badly. The same way I’ve wanted you for so long.”
His palm tightens around my breast as his knuckles trap my nipple between them and tug, instantly making his name fall out of my mouth like a prayer.
“That’s right, Henley. From now on, those sounds are all mine, and I want to hear every last one of them.
Hold on tight, baby, I’m about to make you feel so damn good. ”
He presses a bruising kiss to my lips, taking the air from my lungs as he rises and leaves me on the bed.
“W-where are y-you going?” My words stutter through my trembling lips.
“You’ll see.” He smirks.
Em disappears into the bathroom, and my curiosity peaks. I watch him open the drawer of my side table and pull out my sleep mask. And suddenly, my eyes go wide.
“What are you going to do, Em?” I sit up, my hands fidgeting within the sheets.
He lifts the mask with a smile and hovers over me from the edge of the bed. “Do you trust me, Hen?”
I nod silently, making a grin spread wide across his lips.
“I want to help you get out of your head. This will help you just focus on the feeling of everything I’m doing to you. Right now is all about you, so at any time you can tell me to stop if you aren’t comfortable. Would you like to give it a try?”
I nod feverishly.
“I’m going to need words, baby.”
“Yes. I’d like that very much.”
“Good girl.”
Oh, sweet Jesus.
“Arms up,” he demands, and they fly up without a second thought. With a smile, he bends down and carefully peels away my flimsy T-shirt, tossing it behind him. The chill makes me shiver, even though the inside of my body is practically molten lava. “Don’t worry, you won’t be cold for much longer.”
With a wink, he carefully places the mask over my eyes, and my world turns dark. His palm presses against my pounding chest and guides me down. My back is flat against the bed, legs dangling over the edge.
Taking away my sight causes every other one of my senses to become heightened.
Every sound is more thrilling. Each brush against my skin is more intense.
His citrus scent envelops me as he lifts my arms over my head and wraps his palm around my wrists holding them in place.
Anxiety creeps in when I tug against his hand, and I wonder for a split second if I’ve made a mistake.
“You still alright, baby?” Em’s voice is full of concern as his hand cups my cheek. “You’re safe, Hen, I promise. This is all about you right now, so if you’re not comfortable, we can stop.”
I swallow down the anxiety and cling to his words. Emerson would never hurt me. He’s not like any of the other men I’ve ever met. I let his words wash over me, once more.
You’re safe, Hen.
“Don’t stop,” I whisper.
Though I can’t see it, I swear I can feel him smiling. Like somehow the invisible energy between us is strong enough for me to feel.
He answers with a tender kiss to my lips.
Then his lips trail their way down the slope of my neck and across my collarbone.
Each kiss is a delicate reminder of the care he is taking with not only my body but my heart.
I feel his warm breath against my nipple, and then he sucks it into his mouth with a deep groan.
My toes curl into the sheets when his tongue twirls in circles around the sensitive peeks.
Not to leave out the other, he gives my other breast the same attention before his lips inch a delicate path down my stomach.
The prickle of anxiety ripples over my skin as he makes his way further down to the place that I needed attention most.
“Em,” I croak. His lips pause just above the seam of my thong. “I-I’m nervous.”
He lifts the mask off my eyes and unties my wrists. When his gaze locks on mine, I avert mine. Embarrassment claws around my throat, making it difficult to say what I needed. “It’s been a few years since I’ve had . . .”
“Sex?” he questions, his fingertips calmly brushing up and down my arm.