CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The second they were through the door, Nova’s back was against the wall again, and Snow’s mouth was on hers, kissing her with enough hunger to steal what little breath she had left.
She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and kissed him back just as eagerly, her heart pounding as the storm raged outside their room.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, a tiny voice reminded her that this was moving fast, that less than twenty-four hours ago she’d been crying in this man’s arms over the disaster that was her life.
But when Snow pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, giving her every opportunity to slow things down, Nova realized she didn’t want to.
For once, she didn’t want to analyze or second-guess what came next. She just wanted him.
When he finally pulled back, both of them breathing harder, she saw it in his eyes. The desire was there, but it was layered with control.
Nova held his gaze, her chest rising and falling as she gathered the courage she’d been dancing around for days.
“I want you.” The words felt like a free fall. It was terrifying, exhilarating, but true.
Snow’s reaction was immediate. A low, rough sound vibrated through him, sending a shiver straight down her spine as his grip tightened, pulling her flush against him. The solid heat of his body made her breath hitch, her thoughts scattering.
His mouth found her neck, and Nova’s eyes fluttered closed as his lips moved slowly, deliberately, leaving heat in their wake.
Every nerve ending lit up, her body reacting in ways she couldn’t control, and she didn’t want to.
“You have no idea what you do to me,” he murmured, his breath warm against her skin.
Her heart beat harder because she was starting to understand exactly what he meant.
One of his hands slipped under her tank top. The heat of his hand felt as if it had burned her skin, but in a good way.
His palm flattened against her ribs, then slowly slid upward before she felt his fingers brush the underside of her breast.
She arched into him, her hands gripping his shoulders as a flutter sensation rolled through her, stealing her breath.
Snow’s grip tightened beneath her thighs as he pushed away from the wall, carrying her toward the bed. This time there was less hesitation, more intent, like whatever control he’d been holding onto was slipping, piece by piece.
Nova’s pulse raced, a mix of anticipation and nerves tightening in her chest as he lowered her onto the mattress. The second her back hit the sheets, he followed, his body settling over hers—solid, warm, and grounding in a way that made her feel both safe and completely undone.
Then his mouth was on hers again. Her body responded, melting into him. Her hands found his hair again as she kissed him back with equal need.
His hands moved slowly down her sides, tracing her curves like he was learning her, and memorizing her. Every touch sent heat spreading through her.
His thumb brushed over her nipple, then she felt a pinch. The pleasure-pain sensation caused a faint moan to slip out. Her back arched, pushing her chest out as if she was begging for more.
Heat rushed through her, equal parts desire and vulnerability, and for a split second, it left her exposed in a way she wasn’t used to.
She felt him smile faintly against her lips.
“You are so fucking responsive, sweetheart,” he said as he continued to kiss her.
His mouth trailed from hers, moving down along her jaw, to her throat. Her head tipped back against the pillow, her breath uneven as she tried to hold onto some thread of control. But it was slipping fast.
He then pulled back, and she immediately missed the contact.
But then he looked at her, and the intensity of it made her breath catch all over again.
He lifted her tank top over her head, and the cool air brushed against her heated skin, making her even more aware of everything.
His breath caught as his fingers lightly traced along the edge of her lace bra.
“Jesus, Nova. You’re even more beautiful than I imagined.
Her chest tightened at that. Not from nerves, but from the way he looked at her when he said it, like she was something more than just a moment. And that might’ve undone her more than anything else.
His fingers moved to the clasp of her bra. And with one flick, the lace slipped away.
He stared at her exposed breasts. “Perfect,” he murmured as his hands moved down her stomach until they reached the waistband of her pants.
“These are in the way,” he rasped and gave her a playful wink.
Before she could respond, his hands tugged at the fabric, and Nova lifted her hips instinctively to help him, her heart pounding as the last barrier between them disappeared.
Snow leaned down to kiss her again, but Nova pressed a hand against his chest, stopping him.
“Wait.”
He immediately stilled. “You okay?”
“More than okay.” Her gaze traveled slowly over him before returning to his eyes. “But this hardly seems fair. I want to see all of you too.”
A slow, wicked smirk spread across his face. “Is that right?”
She nodded.
Snow stood up and shed his clothes, and when he straightened, Nova could only stare. She’d already known he was gorgeous when she saw him in the towel. But seeing him standing before her completely naked with no barriers was something else entirely.
He literally stole whatever clever response she might have come up with.
His smirk deepened. “See something you like?”
Nova lifted her gaze to his. “I’m still deciding.”
“Liar.”
She smiled and then crooked her finger at him.
He didn’t hesitate as he crawled back into bed, and he kissed her again. His lips moved against hers with intent, claiming and exploring all at once. His thumbs brushed over her nipples, the touch light at first, then firmer, drawing a soft moan from her.
He didn’t linger in one place. His mouth drifted, trailing down the curve of her neck, across her collarbone, then back again, never letting her settle, never letting the sensation fade.
Each kiss, each brush of his skin against hers, sent waves of heat rolling through her body, building, coiling low in her abdomen into a pressure she couldn’t quite understand—only feel.
“Gabe!” she gasped, her voice breaking as his mouth closed around one nipple.
The sensation stole whatever words she had left. His tongue circled the sensitive peak slowly, and her hands flew to his shoulders. A tremor ran through her, desire tightening every muscle, pulling her closer to something just out of reach.
“So fucking responsive,” he murmured against her skin, his voice low, the vibration of it sending another shiver through her.
“I’ve been thinking about this,” he added, “About tasting every inch of you.”
And from the way he moved, it was clear he intended to do exactly that.
His mouth traveled slowly down her body, each kiss against her stomach sending a shiver through her, her muscles tightening beneath his lips in anticipation she could not control.
His hands slid along her thighs, spreading her wider, and she felt the cool air hit her exposed heat.
“Please,” she whimpered, her hips lifting without permission, seeking him.
He paused, and the wait was torture, the stretch of anticipation so tight she thought she might unravel. “Please what?” he murmured, his breath ghosting over her most sensitive skin. “Tell me what you want, Nova.”
Her body answered before her mind could catch up, a moan slipping free as he kissed her inner thigh.
He looked up at her, his blue eyes full of desire. “Do you need my mouth on this pretty little pussy?” The crudeness of it should have shocked her, but instead it hit her like a spark, her body responding with a jolt she could not hide.
Holding her gaze, he lowered his head again, his tone dropping into something possessive that made her stomach flip.
“I’m going to make you come on my tongue.
Then I’m going to fuck you until you come again all over my cock.
And fair warning, sweetheart, I already know once isn’t going to be enough. ”
Holy shit! His words should scare the hell out of her. But Nova was at a loss for words because that sounded so fucking hot.
“Please, Gabe,” she whispered.
He gave her that sexy grin. Then he gave her exactly what she had been begging for.
He lowered his head between her thighs. The first stroke of his tongue through her folds tore a cry from Nova’s throat. Her hands flew instantly into his hair. But it wasn’t nearly enough.
A low hum vibrated against her, his approval unmistakable, the sound sending a deeper tremor through her body. His mouth found her clit, circling it with firm, practiced pressure before closing around it in a slow, teasing pull that made her hips jerk upward.
“Oh, God…” The words broke apart on her lips, barely coherent, swallowed by the rising intensity.
He then slid a finger inside of her, the intrusion welcoming and drawing another moan from her. He added a second, and then curled them upward immediately, finding that sweet spot inside her like he already knew her body better than she did.
It didn’t take long until she shattered, her vision flashing white-blue as her muscles clenched tight around him.
“That’s it,” he murmured against her, his lips brushing her clit as he spoke, every word vibrating straight through her. “You feel that?” His voice dropped lower, rougher. “So wet for me… so tight around my fingers.”
His pace didn’t let up. His tongue was relentless as he drove his fingers deeper, curling again and again, building something she couldn’t stop even if she tried.
“I can’t wait to feel you wrapped around my cock,” he added.
It hit her like another wave. Her thighs trembled violently, muscles tightening, shaking under the strain as the pressure inside her climbed higher. Her back arched off the bed as every inch of her was drawn toward that breaking point.
“Gabe…I’m…” Her words faltered. “I’m going to…”
She didn’t finish.