43. Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Rina
I wake up overheated.
Attempting to roll over proves useless, as there is a heavy limb over my stomach. When I peek over my shoulder, instant comfort hits my soul.
Everything from the past twenty-four hours runs through my head, and I know I should probably be more freaked out, but the only thought I can focus on is what Arlo and my future looks like.
Last night gave me a glimpse, and I want more. He let me have space last night when I needed it. He didn’t push me but supported me. And he changed my sheets when he knew I didn’t have the energy to do it, even though it bothered me. The little things he does mean everything to me, and now I’m determined to create a life together that we both love.
If the events of last night and what happened to Lennox don’t show the glaring reason to not let the past rule you and to hold on to the good things with both hands, then I’m not sure what will.
Life is short and uncertain. Having Arlo in my life makes me happy, and I feel like this is the life I should be living. A dream I gave up on so long ago is now in the palm of my hand, and I refuse to ever let it go again.
Shifting slowly, I turn to face him. He looks calm and so fucking beautiful. It’s almost painful. My anger toward him all these years was out of hurt, yes, but also out of self-loathing that I couldn’t find a way to keep him. On some level, I blamed myself for failing in our marriage.
Last night made me aware of how quickly everything can change. Holding on to the past and pushing Arlo away is no longer how I want my life to be. I want to support him the same way he’s supported me. I want to help him heal and work through his injuries, and remember small details that bring a smile to his face.
My fingers barely brush against the scruff along his jaw. His lips are so tempting that I don’t even bother to restrain myself. Leaning forward, I press a soft kiss to them, savoring the way they feel against me. When gentle pressure pushes back against me and his arm tightens around me, I know he’s awake. I pull back and let him wake up a little more.
“That is one hell of a way to wake up.” His sleep-roughened voice is so fucking sexy I could jump him right this second.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “For last night. You have no idea—” I suck in a breath, trying to hold the tears in. My emotions are on a hair trigger, but I want him to know how I’m feeling. “Last night, you let me process and still took care of me without smothering me. You understand me on a level no one does, and I meant what I said about burning the divorce papers. Stay married to me … please.” I whisper the last part and hope that we’re both on the same page.
The smile that blooms on his face could bring light to the darkest days.
“No takebacks,” he murmurs before kissing me again. This time, it’s not soft and sweet. No, he’s claiming me, marking me as his .
He rolls us so he’s on top of me, never releasing my lips. His tongue trails against my bottom lip, and I greedily open for him. My legs wrap around his waist, heels digging into his ass, desperate for him to be closer.
He rips his lips from mine, looking down at me with concern in his eyes.
“Are you sure you’re okay? I won’t ask again after this, but I need to make sure you’re okay after yesterday.”
“Will I probably want to talk through everything at some point? Yes, but right now, if you don’t fuck me, I will actually scream.”
“Well, I would never want to leave my wife unsatisfied.” He leans back on his knees and slides his hands up my thighs, gripping my panties in his hands and ripping them from my body. If I wasn’t so hung up on him calling me his wife, I might care that he just ruined a pair of my underwear, but right now? An overwhelming feeling of rightness sits heavy in my chest. His wife. All that I’ve wanted since I was eighteen was to be this man’s wife. Through all the years, I never put effort into finding anyone else because, deep down, I always knew it was Arlo or no one.
His thumb finds my clit, circling it softly to give me just the hint of pleasure, but I need more.
“You’re so fucking wet for me already, Emmerdeur.” He groans as he notches his cock at my entrance. He doesn’t thrust, just sits there as he teases my clit.
“Arlo,” I groan, arching my back.
“That’s right, beg me.” He adds pressure, making me moan.
“I need you inside of me, please,” I plead .
His thumb dips down to where his dick is, gathering my arousal around him, and it’s something so erotic my clit pulses as his thumb returns, getting me worked up and right at the edge.
“I’m so close,” I whimper.
“I know. You’re right there, aren’t you? I can feel you pulsing and clenching against me. Do you want to come?”
“Yes!” I scream. I need more, and the fact that he’s teasing me and withholding it from me is making me crazy.
Right as I’m about to crest, he slams into me, triggering my orgasm instantly.
I’m floating in pure pleasure. Every nerve ending is hypersensitive, and he holds still and lets me ride the wave.
His groan finally pulls me out of my haze, and I open my eyes to see his head tipped back, the tendons in his neck taught with restraint.
“Holy fuck, Rina,” he breathes.
I take advantage of his distraction and sit up on my elbows before shifting my hips and flipping us so I’m on top with him still inside of me.
His hands grip my hips as his eyes pop open in shock. Heat and need reflect back at me as I look down at him with a smirk.
“My turn.” I put my hands on his chest and shift my hips back and forth. Starting slowly, I want to tease him and make him wait, just like he did to me.
His hands grip my hips tighter, but he doesn’t take control. He breathes deep before sliding his hands up and taking my tank top with him. I didn’t even realize I still had it on, but he makes quick work of it, making sure I’m fully naked as I ride him .
His hands return to my hips as he smirks at me. “Show me what you’ve got, Marina.”
Circling my hips, I search out the spot that shoots me to the stars. Once I find it, I tuck my feet underneath me and start to bounce on him.
“God, you feel good,” I moan.
I keep my rhythm, determined to take the lead and give him the best orgasm of his life, even if it kills my thighs. His hands help me along when my pace starts to falter, and he starts panting. I can feel the tingle in my lower belly, but I don’t want to come yet, not when he’s this close.
He seems to sense my struggle because he uses his core strength to sit up, shifting my ass as close as it’ll get to him. Face to face, it’s more intimate and our pace slows considerably. I’d be upset, but the intensity and closeness heighten everything. My arms wrap around his shoulders as we grind together.
“I love you,” he whispers, pressing his forehead to mine.
“I love you too. I’m sorry it took this long to get back here.”
“We both were stubborn,” he adds, shifting his hips deeper.
“Fuck, you feel good.” I close my eyes and focus on how he feels.
“You’re my wife, Marina Hutton. Forever and always.”
“Steel,” I moan as I open my eyes. “Marina Steel,” I tell him.
I never took his name when we got married initially. There was a lot going on and we were keeping things quiet, so it just didn’t happen. But I wanted to. I dreamed of the day I could be Mrs. Arlo Steel.
Arlo’s eyes clench close and his teeth grit together, jaw popping. “You can’t say things like that if you want this to last longer,” he growls as he opens his eyes to look at me .
“You like the idea of me being Rina Steel? Yours for the whole word to see?” I smirk as I swivel my hips. I’m so close my legs are tightening on his.
“I fucking love it. Seems like you do too, judging by how wet you are. Are you going to come for me? Come with me?” He grunts as he thrusts. Well, as much as he can in this position, but it’s enough to send me over. My clit grinding against his pelvis, mixed with his movement, sends me spiraling. I vaguely hear him moan as he pulls me as close as I can get to him.
There isn’t an inch of space between us. Every bit of skin is touching, and it somehow still feels like I need to be closer. We collapse into each other, panting and catching our breaths.
“I’m going to need this as my wake-up call every morning,” he says seriously.
Laughter bubbles up out of me. “I’d never get out of bed and work if we started every day like this.”
“How about just the weekends?” he counters.
I sit up and look him in the eye. “I think we can make that happen.”
“So, we’ve established you’re my wife. How far are we taking this? Living together immediately? Working up to that and enjoying breakfast in bed on the weekends?” He asks the second part to bring a levity to his question. He still doesn’t want to push me but does want to know what all of this means.
“Well.” I smile. “Your house is pretty small. And my workshop is here. It would make sense for you to move in, right? Sell your house and turn this into our home?” I want him to know I’m all in. He could move in tomorrow, and I wouldn’t bat an eye. I can’t imagine sleeping alone after the last few months together .
“You’re serious?” he asks in shock.
“A thousand percent.”
He shifts, reaching over the side of the bed, fumbling with the nightstand. When he comes back to me with a familiar box, I don’t think my smile could get any bigger.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Marina Steel, will you continue to be my wife? The person I love more than anyone. Who I want to wake up next to every single day and never take a single moment for granted.” He opens the box, revealing the small diamond ring he got for me all those years ago.
“Yes, holy shit, yes!”
His kiss takes me by surprise, but no words are needed. We’re doing this for real, and we’ll never have to be without each other again.