Chapter Forty-Five
Forty-Five
Elsie
When my eyes opened, I lay there, staring at the curtains that were keeping the room dark, although I could tell it was daylight from the smallest sliver of light peeking through the edges.
I realized I was smiling as last night’s events began to replay in my thoughts.
Forge’s arm was draped over me, and his knee was slightly pushed between my legs.
I could hear his heavy breathing as he slept peacefully.
After he’d washed not only my body, but my hair last night, then dried me off and brushed it, he’d brought me back to his bed. This was the position we’d gone to sleep in, and apparently, we’d been so exhausted that we hadn’t moved.
I hadn’t dreamed at all. No nightmares. A full night’s sleep with no waking up. How long had it been since I’d been able to do that? Since the last time he’d slept in bed with me. It seemed he had the power to keep the monsters away.
If I hadn’t already been in love with him, after last night, I would be.
I’d imagined my first time over the years.
Tried to tell myself that building it up in my head would make it a disappointment when it happened.
Losing your virginity wasn’t a romantic thing.
Or I had been convinced of it at least. Sure, it had hurt at first. Extreme pain.
I winced, thinking about the teeth marks I’d left on his chest. He had refused to let me doctor it after the shower.
Other than that, last night had been the most magical night of my life. It couldn’t have been written any better. I’d do it again without question. It had been perfect. Better than anything I’d imagined.
The warmth of my memory spread through me, and I sighed, happy. Content.
As much as I wanted to relish in it all, I needed to get up and go back to my room before anyone caught me leaving this one.
Anyone more specifically being Calvin. He might come looking for me and find my unmade bed and empty bedroom if I lay in here too long.
I didn’t want to wake up Forge though. I also wasn’t sure I could find my pajamas in the dark.
I had no idea where he had tossed them. He hadn’t let me put anything on when we came back to bed, and I’d been willing to do whatever he asked of me at that point.
I bit my bottom lip to keep from giggling. God, I was giddy. I didn’t even recognize this girl. Okay, back to the issue at hand. I had to get to my room. Hopefully, it was still early, and Calvin hadn’t come looking for me.
Starting with my lower half, I slowly scooted away from his body and then stilled to be sure he hadn’t woken up. When his breathing remained the same, I slipped away from his arm inch by inch, pausing and waiting before every move.
Once I was no longer touching him and he hadn’t stirred, I figured I’d been successful and began to move toward the edge of the bed. I’d barely registered the movement and dip of the mattress before I was being hauled back by his thick, corded arm that he’d hooked around my waist.
I let out a small squeal as he pulled me against his chest and buried his face in the curve of my neck.
“Mmm,” he grunted and tightened his hold.
With my bare breasts flattened against his solid wall of muscle, I was slightly breathless. A tingle ran through me.
“Trying to leave me?” he asked in a thick, sleepy voice.
I ran a hand through his messy locks. “Not exactly. I just didn’t want to be seen sneaking out of your room.”
“Then don’t sneak,” he grumbled. “Keep your sexy ass where it belongs. In my bed.”
A laugh bubbled out of me, and he began to nuzzle my neck, making an appreciative sound in his chest.
“Fuck, you smell good.”
As did he. I wished I could bottle it up and carry it with me everywhere I went.
He slid a hand between my legs, and I tensed up.
“Sore?” he asked, lifting his head to look at me.
I nodded. “Yeah,” I admitted. I hadn’t really paid attention to it until now.
A slow, predatory smile spread across his face. “Want me to kiss it and make it better?”
Yes. No! I’d make noises, and people would hear us. They could walk down the hall at any time.
“Better not. People are awake,” I replied.
He ran his finger along the slit. “Hmm, you sure?” he asked when he found how wet I already was down there.
“Positive,” I croaked.
Leaning closer, he kissed the corner of my mouth, then moved across my jawline toward my ear. “But you know how good I can make it feel,” he whispered huskily.
My hips rocked against his hand, not caring that this was a bad idea.
“Mmm, that’s my girl,” he said, then began to move down my body.
I closed my eyes, letting him open my legs. The pulse of need was already throbbing throughout me, not caring about anything but the pleasure that he would bring.
I gasped, my eyes flying open as he swiped his tongue over my entrance.
A low chuckle vibrated against me as he continued his intimate kissing.
This wasn’t going to take long. I was already close.
The rough brush of his unshaven face made me shiver as his chin ran over my upper thigh.
If I looked down at him doing this, I knew I’d orgasm.
Reaching over, I grabbed his pillow, then dropped my gaze to see his shoulder muscles flexing as his head moved with each long lap of his tongue. Just as the crest hit, I covered my face with the pillow and let out a scream. Shaking as the pulsing of my release took over.
“Fuuuck.”
I heard his raspy voice as his hands gripped my inner thighs almost painfully. He began sucking and growling like he was the one getting off and not me.
“Give me more of that,” he demanded.
I was still riding my high longer than normal. My hips bucked, and he buried his face further against me as his tongue shoved inside.
I was screaming God’s name, his name, and several other things into the pillow, not sure this was going to end and hoping it never did. When the descent finally came, I was sucking in air and tossed the pillow aside so I could get a full breath.
Holy crap. Panting, I stared at the ceiling. What had just happened?
“Goddamn, baby, just when I think I’m fucked, you go and do something like that and put a nail in it.”
I had no idea what he was talking about, but I needed to get my heart rate back to normal first. He was beside me again, pulling me into his arms. I went like the limp rag doll I was.
“You do that on my cock, and I may fucking die from ejaculation. I went off like a motherfucking hose last night, but that … Jesus,” he muttered, pressing a kiss to the side of my head.
I turned to look at him. “What was that?” I asked, sounding as breathless as I still felt.
His lips quirked. “You don’t know?”
Uh, that I just had some earth-shattering orgasm from the gods? I was well aware. I’d been there for it. I didn’t say that though. Instead, I just shook my head.
He seemed to know why it had been so strong.
“You squirted, sweet baby. You’re a fucking squirter.” He looked incredibly pleased about something that sounded very gross.
Squirt? Ew. I was afraid to ask.
I said nothing but continued to just stare at him.
He shifted and propped himself up on his elbow. “Do you know what that means?” he asked.
“No, but it does not sound pleasant.”
He threw his head back and laughed.
I waited, not finding the humor in this.
When he looked at me again, he leaned closer to my ear. “You ejaculated, and if your magical cunt wasn’t tender right now, I’d be pounding into it like a possessed man.”
I sucked in a breath. What?
“Females do that?” I asked.
“Only if a man is real lucky,” he drawled.
He liked it. That much was clear. The other thing that was clear was, I might be slightly horrified. Was it like a man’s … semen? No, I mean, it wouldn’t be like that, right? Semen had babies in it.
“It, uh, tastes … good?”
He grinned. “Yours was fucking sweet.”
There was a knock on a door, but it wasn’t Forge’s. I sat up before he could stop me, listening to see if it happened again. The only door someone would knock on would be mine. And if it wasn’t Forge, it was most likely Calvin. Shit!
The next knock, I could tell was coming from the direction of my room.
“What time is it?” I asked, crawling to get off the bed before he could stop me.
“It’s, uh, ten after nine,” Forge replied, then sat up to stretch.
I tore my eyes off him before I got distracted from the view and began scanning the floor for my pajamas.
“If you go rushing out there in your pajamas, all flushed from your orgasm, how’s that any better than not opening your door and him assuming you’re in here with me?”
I paused and blew out a frustrated breath. He had a point. Walking out into the hallway now might be worse.
“I don’t give a shit if he knows you’re in my bed,” Forge said as he tossed back the sheet and stood up in all his naked glory.
Good Lord, I’d had sex with that man. It was as if I had won the lottery. No, wait. I had to stop thinking about that. I had to worry about Calvin.
“He—he is …” I pressed my fingers to my temples and closed my eyes.
Focus, Elsie. “Calvin isn’t going to take this well.
And not because he has romantic feelings for me.
He will be worried. You’re … well … you.
And you’re in the Mafia, and he thinks you go around killing people all the time or something. Anyway, he’s protective of me and—”
Forge’s hands clamped down on my shoulders, stopping my rambling explanation. I dropped my hands and stared up at him.
“I do kill people, Elsie. I’ve already told you that. But it’s not a daily activity that I do for fun.”
I nodded. Still struggling to wrap my head around that. Not that it mattered anymore. I was in love with the man. I feared he could be a psychopath, and I’d still be in love with him. But Calvin wasn’t going to be that understanding. He was going to freak out.
“The only one who needs protecting from me is Calvin if he says anything to upset you.”
I blinked. This was bad. He was serious. How did I navigate this? I was in uncharted waters.
“He won’t upset me,” I assured Forge. “He will be the one upset. I need to talk to him, alone, where there are no security cameras.” Because whatever he said was not anything I wanted Forge to hear. For Calvin’s sake.
He started to shake his head, and I placed both my palms against his chest.
“Please,” I begged.
I watched as he ground his teeth, his jaw jutting out.
Finally, he nodded. “Okay, go talk to him.”
Relief washed over me. “Thank you.”
He stepped back, still looking tense and unhappy about it. But I would deal with him later. I had to go face Calvin. Turning, I spotted my shorts and went to get them.
“Wear this,” Forge said, and I glanced back to see him holding the shirt he’d had on last night.
“Uh, I don’t think—”
“You’re not walking out there in those tiny-ass shorts and top without a bra. In fact, wait a minute,” he said as he started for his closet.
I could hear Calvin knocking again and started putting on my shorts. I had to get out there.
Forge emerged from his closet, holding a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. “Put this on.”
“That’s going to swallow me.” I stated the obvious.
“That is the point,” he replied as he reached me. “Hands up.”
“Forge, seriously—”
“He’s gonna go in that room eventually. You want to hurry and get this on or argue with me? I don’t give a shit either way.”
I lifted my hands and let him slip the hoodie over my head. “Those sweats will not stay up,” I said as he held them out for me to step into like I was a child.
“Drawstring, darlin’. Drawstring.”
Frowning, I decided to just put them on to make the man happy.
I thought about pointing out that Calvin had seen me in pajamas much like the ones Winslet had supplied me with many times.
He’d also seen me in a bikini. The way Forge was acting, I feared he might lose his shit if he knew that.
I would be enjoying this jealous thing he had going here if I wasn’t worried about the talk I had to have with my best friend.
Once he had them pulled up to my waist, he tightened the strings and tied them, then took in my appearance and nodded. “Okay, you can talk to him alone now.”
I let out a small laugh. “Are you sure? Should you put a ski cap over my face just to be safe?”
The corner of his mouth lifted into a crooked grin. “Don’t tempt me, Pickles.”
I rolled my eyes and started for the door.
His fingers wrapped around my wrist, tugging me back before I could take a second step. “Don’t take too long,” he said.
He pressed his lips against my temple and ran the back of his fingers down the side of my neck. I shivered.
“I’ll do the best I can,” I told him. “But this may take a bit.”
“Don’t take too long,” he repeated.
The warning in his tone this time sent a small ripple of fear through me, but I shook it off. He was just being possessive.
“Okay,” I agreed.
He released me then, and I hurried for the door before he changed his mind.