Chapter Fifty-Seven Joshua / Aurora #3
Her voice wasn’t loud. It was broken around the edges, as if she was still learning how to use it again, as if every word cost her something. “Don’t be sorry, Josh. Ever.”
My breath stuttered.
“I didn’t mind,” she continued, barely audible. “So why are you sorry?”
That did it.
I finally looked at her.
And fuck—her eyes.
They weren’t scared. They weren’t angry.
They weren’t guarded. They were soft and open and so devastatingly genuine that it knocked the air straight out of my lungs.
She was standing right in front of me, like I hadn’t shattered her, like she wasn’t the one who walked away bleeding while I stayed behind pretending it was the right thing.
My body reacted before my brain could catch up.
I wanted her.
God, I wanted her so badly it hurt. Five weeks without her. Five weeks of empty mornings and sleepless nights, and convincing myself she was gone for good. I never thought she’d come back. Never let myself hope she would.
And now she was here, looking at me like this.
I leaned in, my forehead nearly touching hers again, voice dropping to a whisper so fragile it scared me. “Aurora… please.”
Her breath hitched.
“Please stop me,” I begged. “If you don’t want this—if you don’t—just tell me. Please.”
My hands hovered at her sides, not touching, not daring to. My whole body was tight with restraint, with fear, with want.
She didn’t pull away.
She didn’t tell me to stop.
She stayed.
I leaned in slowly, my lips brushed hers first, barely there, testing, asking without words.
She answered by tilting her head.
That was all the permission I needed.
I kissed her again, gently, lingering, as if I was memorising her. Like I was afraid this was a dream, and I’d wake up alone again. Her lips were warm, soft, moving against mine in a way that made my chest ache.
I took a step forward, guiding her with me, my hand settling at her waist as if it belonged there. She followed without hesitation, back meeting the wall softly as I leaned her into it, never breaking the kiss.
She sighed into my mouth, and that sound almost broke me.
My hand slipped lower, along her side, down her thigh, fingers tightening just enough to ask. When I lifted her, she went willingly, legs instinctively wrapping around me for balance, her forehead pressing briefly to mine like she needed a second to breathe too.
I carried her to the couch as if she weighed nothing.
Lowered her down slowly. Reverently.
I stayed over her, bracing my hands on the cushions on either side of her hips, holding myself there, keeping space even though every nerve in my body screamed to close it. Our mouths met again, unhurried, mouths moving together in a way that felt achingly familiar.
Her hand came to rest on my shoulder.
Not gripping. Not pushing.
Just there.
Grounding me.
The kiss deepened before I realised it had.
Not rushed. Not frantic. Just… heavier. Like my body was finally catching up to everything I’d been holding back. I melted into it without meaning to, my chest pressing closer, my breath stuttering into hers as if I’d forgotten how to breathe anywhere else.
“Tell me,” I murmured against her lips, barely pulling back enough for the words to exist. “Tell me to stop.”
My voice shook. My hands stayed where they were, braced hard into the couch, knuckles white like anchors. If I moved them, I didn’t trust myself to stop moving them.
“Please,” I breathed, forehead brushing hers between kisses. “Aurora… just—tell me. Tell me I don’t deserve this.”
She smiled softly against my mouth, breath warm, voice slipping into the space between us, broken but sure.
“You do,” she whispered.
Not loud. Not dramatic.
Just enough. Then—
“I—I trust you to not hurt me again.”
Again…
Again.
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening.
“That’s…a lot of trust.”
Her fingers curled into my shirt. “I know.”
I searched her face one last time, making sure… really making sure.
“You trust me?”
She nodded. Once. Sure.
“Say it,” I said, wanting to hear it. “Say you want this, tell me you want me, Aurora.”
“I want you.”
That was all it took.
I captured her lips with mine; they were trembling from the earlier words she was able to utter to me, but she didn’t pull back. I devoured her this time, tongue sliding past her lips, tasting every gasp, every whimper that she let out.
My hand slid beneath her shirt, fingers splaying across her stomach, feeling her soft skin between my fingers, not touching anything she wouldn’t want me to yet. My fingers travelled up her spine, feeling the way she trembled from my touch. Fuck me.
“Can I—” I muttered against her lips. “Can I take this off?”
She blinked, cheeks flushing deeper, then lifted her chin just a little before giving a small but certain nod.
I hooked my finger into the hem of her shirt, and when she didn’t pull away, I slowly pulled it up. She slightly leaned forward, lifting her arms for the shirt to slip off smoothly.
God—
“You’re so beautiful, Princess,” I said, placing a small kiss on her collarbone, then another, slower, letting my mouth trace a path downwards like I had all the time in the world.
Her eyes followed me.
I felt it. The shift in her, the quiet awareness settling in as she watched me pay attention to every inch I touched.
“You okay?” I murmured, barely lifting my head
She nodded again. The same shy, certain nod.
Her eyes dropped for a moment, fingers finding the loose strings at her waist. She hesitated for a second, then untied them slowly.
I went still, watching.
After she was done, she didn’t pull them down. Instead, her eyes found mine as if she wanted me to be the one to do it.
I held her waist, brushing my thumb along the waistband. “You sure?” I asked.
Her face burned crimson as she nodded.
I slowly removed the last barrier between us, dragging her shorts and panties down in one motion, completely baring her to me. She gripped the couch tightly, knuckles white. Her thighs were slightly pressing together.
I traced gentle, comforting circles around the sides of her thighs, making her eyes flicker up to mine.
“I’ll guide you, okay?” I said, feeling her legs relaxing a bit. “You tell me when anything feels wrong, hm?”
Her grip on the couch loosened, thighs parting enough for me to be sure she’s okay, that she didn’t feel any kind of embarrassment.
“Okay,” she whispered with a small nod.
I dropped to my knees in front of the couch, placing a kiss on her knee. “Tell me when to stop, okay?” I said while dragging my lips lower down to her thighs, feeling the way her legs were parting for me. “If you don’t like it, we’ll stop.”
Before she could overthink it, I buried my face between her thighs. The first taste of her made me groan; hot, wet, addictive. My tongue circled her clit slowly until she let out the softest whimper.
“Fuck, Aurora,” I moaned against her, sucking her gently. “You’re so sweet.”
Her hands fisted in my hair, tugging weakly, pulling me in just a little closer. Close enough for me to keep going.
I wrapped my arms under her thighs, holding her open, and devoured her properly, sucking, licking, tongue-fucking her until her thighs trembled around my face.
She gasped, head falling back, “A-ah—oh my God—”
The sound almost undid me. Hearing her moan for me, voice shaky but real. It was better than any fantasy I’d ever had.
I flattened my tongue against her clit, dragging it slowly before flicking it fast, relentless. Her back arched, a cry ripping from her lips as she came against my tongue, her first orgasm hitting her hard.
I groaned, licking up every drop, not stopping until she pushed weakly at my head.
“Too much?” I asked, licking my lips, face glistening with her. Her cheeks burned, chest heaving. She nodded, trembling, but her eyes, God, her eyes begged for more.
I leaned back and pulled off my shirt, tossing it aside, watching as her eyes wandered, rapidly blinking at the sight.
My eyes didn’t leave hers as I reached for the strings of my sweats, finger trembling as I worked the knot free, because even that felt impossible with her watching me with those damn eyes. My cock sprang free, hard, leaking, aching so bad it hurt.
Her eyes widened at the sight, lips parting slightly, cheeks flaming. I stroked myself once, groaning.
“Look what you do to me,” I rasped, leaning over her, kissing her swollen lips, letting her taste herself on my tongue. To let her know exactly what she tasted like. Mine.
I positioned myself at her entrance, but paused, pressing my forehead to hers. “Is this okay? Do you want to keep going?”
Her eyes locked onto mine, voice breaking, but she whispered the only thing I needed. “Yes.” Soft, quiet but sure.
I captured her lips again as I pushed in, slow, deep, stretching her inch by inch. She gasped against my mouth, nails digging into my back, her body clenching around me so tight I nearly came instantly.
“Fuck—you’re perfect,” I groaned, panting, kissing her neck as I bottomed out. “Does it hurt, Princess?”
Her moans were soft, breathy, as she shook her head frantically. “F-full. Feels so full.”
Holy shit—
I cursed under my breath and pulled back, sliding almost all the way out before pushing back in slow, deliberate.
The last thing I wanted was to hurt her, not even that, I wouldn’t want to even think about her in pain because of me, though I could feel my body physically shake from the fucking need to take her, claim her right here like a madman.
I set a slow rhythm at first, face buried in her neck, savouring every squeeze, every cry of my name. She felt fucking unreal.
“Joshua—” she moaned, throwing her head back.
The way she fucking said my name. No, not say it… she fucking moaned it. And I wasn’t one to believe in heaven, but that was it. The more she fucking did it, the clearer I saw it.
I grabbed her hips, flipped us so she was straddling me, my cock buried deep inside her as she sat on my lap. It was so fucking mesmerising to see her like this.
“I want you up here,” I said, caressing her cheek, “let’s follow your pace, so it’s not overwhelming for you, yeah?”
She blinked at me, face burned, shy, “I—I don’t know how to do this,” she whispered, embarrassment clear in the way her voice went just a bit quieter near the end that I almost didn’t catch it, and it was the cutest fucking thing I’d seen in a long time from her.
“That’s okay, baby. I’ll guide you,” I whispered back, soft, matching her tone.
My hands rested on her hips, eyes not leaving hers as I dragged them forward, grinding her against me. A small whimper left her lips as she dropped her head on my shoulder.
“How’s that? Does it hurt?” I asked, nudging the tip of my nose against her cheek.
She shook her head softly, “No, it’s n-nice,” she said, whispering the last part again, this time almost to herself. See? Fucking adorable.
“Here, hold my shoulder,” I said, guiding her hands. She sat up straight, tapping my shoulder once, confirming to herself that that was where they should be. I couldn’t help smiling a bit. “Good job.”
I dragged her hips forward again, grinding her against me. “Keep doing that, but—” I leaned up, nudging my nose against hers, making her gaze flicker up to meet mine. I whispered, low under my breath, “If you’re feeling bold, jump on it.”
Her face burned, shy, but she started to move on her own. Low and gentle rocks of her hips at first, palms steady on my shoulder. “Am I—am I doing it right?” she asked, voice shaking.
I groaned, throwing my head back. “Yes, Princess, fuck—you’re doing so good, baby.”
And that—
That must’ve snapped something in her because as I said that, her hands slid down to my chest and her movements got bolder, lifting and sinking, taking me deeper.
Oh fuck—
Shit.
Her moans grew louder as she bounced, her body clenching tighter with each movement. I could barely contain myself anymore. Keeping her on top, I thrust up to meet her, groaning, watching her unravel above me. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever fucking seen in my life.
“Joshua—oh my God—” She gasped, trembling as her hands travelled up, nails digging deep into my shoulder.
“Again, baby. Say it like you mean it,” I rasped, feeling her clench harder around me, telling me she was close.
She threw her head back, hair falling down her back, looking like a damn goddess. “Joshua—” she moaned, louder this time, sending a shiver of satisfaction down my spine.
“Good fucking girl,” I praised. “You’re mine now, Aurora. You hear me?”
She nodded fast, then shattered around me, her orgasm ripping through her as I slammed up into her, losing myself completely, filling her with everything I had.
Her body leaned forward, slowly collapsing right onto me, and my arms immediately wrapped around her so tightly as if she was going to disappear again.