Page 69 of The Loneliest Number
I tip my chin, our gazes clashing.
“I want to try,” I tell him, relief rushing through me as I admit it out loud. My bottom lip wobbles as I try to work out what to say next. “I don’t have a fucking clue what I’m doing, but I want to try with you.”
Tears well in his eyes as he lifts me off my feet and spins me around with utter joy. “You’ve made me so happy. We can try. We can figure it out as we go.”
“But so help me, Cam, if you intend to serve me your heart on a platter, then you better never snatch it back because I will fight you for it.”He’s mine, and I’m ready to claim him.“Take me to bed,” I demand.
He lets out a growl as he flips me onto his shoulder and I relish in his inner caveman being set free.
Chapter thirty
Abby
If I had to guess how this would go, I would have said it would be frenzied and desperate. That we’d come together quickly to work through this milestone that we’ve reached.
But it’s not like that. Not at all.
He takes the lead, throwing me onto the bed, but then he slows the pace. I wait for my usual impatience to hit as he lies, facing me, his hands brushing up my side and drawing me closer while he kisses me. Instead of the jitters, peace drapes itself over me like a comforting blanket.
There is no rush.
He’s not going anywhere.
Neither am I.
And,fuck,the joy that brings warms me from the inside out better than any shot of whisky.
His hand is on my arse, cupping me through my jeans, pulling me close until there’s no air between us.
It could feel like drowning; but instead, a warmth of tenderness floods through me as I press myself against him. I lose track of how long we stay like that, entwined together on the bed, but when we draw back, his lips are puffy and full, and my own tingle with overuse.
His smile is soft and mirrored in the creases at the side of his eyes. His eyes twinkle with the evidence of his contentment.
One of his hands threads through my hair, and I lean into his palm. He presses a kiss onto the end of my nose and I can feel the curve of his smile as he does.
“Okay, love?” he asks with a low murmur.
I nod, worried my voice will be hoarse with feeling if I try to speak. The emotion is all sitting there, right in my chest. It’s not painful, but I am aware of its presence and it makes this intimate moment feel so much more real.
He moves away to stand beside the bed and I kneel up, shifting to the edge to stay close to him.
He reaches down to the hem of my t-shirt, lifting it over my head. His hands run over my exposed skin like he’s trying to map it all with the pads of his fingers.
I manage to pull his top off, throwing it behind him so I can copy his movements. Our mouths must get jealous of the touching because they are drawn to each other once more.
He unfastens his trousers and pushes them down, along with his boxers, before removing them. He stands tall, naked, and I drink him in. His cock juts proudly from his body, pointing in my direction, which tips the corners of my mouth into a smirk.
I place my hands on his hips and smooth them up his rib cage, enjoying his shaky breath at the soft touch before hopping down from the bed.
“May I?” His voice comes out in a croak, exactly how I imagine mine would sound if I tried to talk. His hands come to the fastening of my jeans, and he dips his head to meet my eyes. It’sthen that I realise that checking for consent doesn’t just have to be sensible and the right thing to do; it can also be an expression of love.
“You may.” The words come out rough and I swallow to try and lubricate my dry throat. “I’m all yours,” I add, although it sounds no smoother.
His eyes shine with joy at that statement and his teeth bite his bottom lip as he draws in a deep breath. He begins to undo my jeans, kneeling to draw them down my legs. Once they’re discarded, he presses a kiss to my mound that’s still covered by my knickers. His warm breath radiates through the material, causing my thighs to clench.
He looks up at me, from his knees at my feet, as he takes off my underwear. I am developing a solid appreciation for the way Cam offers himself up to me so openly. He holds nothing of himself back, and his doing so helps me crack open the defensive wall I’ve kept around myself. He makes me feel seen in a completely different way to anything I’ve encountered before. He’s known things about me that I hadn’t even admitted to myself.He wants me just as I am.
He grasps my bum with his huge hands while pressing kisses over my belly and rib cage. His hold makes me feel cherished.
