Her eyes filled with tears. “I love you too,” she whispered, and my heart flooded open with such love, I couldn’t believe it. “I think I have for a while now.”
I pulled her to me, kissing her with all the emotion I couldn't put into words. I kissed her softly, and she pressed harder. I tasted her lip gloss on her and slid my tongue out for alittle taste. She smiled as she parted, allowing me to slide in. Her body was warm and perfect against mine, and she draped a leg over mine, sliding her hand under my shirt.
That contact. That burn.
Every cell in my body ignited. I rolled us so she was beneath me, my weight braced on my forearms as I deepened the kiss. She arched against me, making a soft noise in the back of her throat that drove me wild, and I slid my tongue across the ribs of her mouth.
I trailed kisses down her neck, my hand sliding up under her nightdress, feeling the silky skin of her thigh, her hip, her waist.
“Don't tear it,” she murmured, laughter in her voice.
I grinned against her skin. “I've learned my lesson.”
Instead, I slid the fabric up slowly, savoring each inch of skin revealed. She raised her arms, allowing me to pull it over her head. The moonlight through the window painted her body in silver and shadow, and goosebumps rose on her skin as the cool air touched her.
“Beautiful,” I whispered, bending to press kisses across her collarbone, down to the swell of her breasts.
I unhooked her bra, drawing it away and letting it fall beside the bed. Her breasts were perfect—full and soft, the nipples hardening as I gazed at them. I took one into my mouth, sucking gently, circling the sensitive peak with my tongue. Her hands tangled in my hair, holding me to her as her back arched off the bed.
While my mouth attended to her breasts, my hand slid lower, fingers tracing the elastic of her panties before dippingbeneath. She was already wet for me, and I groaned at the feel of her.
“Elena,” I murmured against her skin as I slid her panties down her legs. “My Elena.”
“Yours,” she whimpered and arched as I stroked her slowly and watched her face as pleasure overtook her. The way her lips parted, the flutter of her eyelashes, the flush spreading across her chest—it was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen.
When I could feel how ready she was, I positioned myself between her thighs, the tip of my cock pressing against her entrance. I entered her slowly, both of us sighing at the sensation of becoming one. God, she felt like a glove I always needed and never knew.
I began to move, setting a languid pace, wanting to savor every second. My cock got harder, lengthened, with each slow roll of my hips. Her hands roamed my back, nails scraping lightly over my skin as I continued.
Suddenly, she planted her hands against my chest, pushing me onto my back and twisting until she was straddling me. The new position sent me deeper inside her, and I groaned.
“Getting frisky, are we?” I grinned up at her.
She smiled down at me, her hair falling around her face like a curtain. “You were too slow,” she said, beginning to ride me at a pace that had me gripping her hips.
God, she was magnificent like this. In control, confident in her own pleasure. Her breasts swayed with each movement, her curves accentuated by the moonlight and shadow. I couldn't take my eyes off her.
“You're so beautiful,” I told her, my hands sliding up to cup her breasts, thumbs brushing over her nipples. “So perfect.”
I gripped her ass, guiding her movements as I began to thrust up to meet her. The change in angle made her cry out, her head falling back, exposing the long line of her throat.
We moved together faster now, the room filled with the sounds of our pleasure. I could feel her beginning to tighten around me, her movements becoming less coordinated as she chased her release.
“That's it, baby,” I encouraged, one hand sliding between us to where we were joined, my thumb finding her clit. “Let go. I've got you.”
She came with a cry, her inner walls fluttering around me, her body tensing and arching above me like a bow. The sight of her coming undone, combined with the sensation of her clenching around me, pushed me over the edge. I thrust up hard once, twice, before my own release crashed over me, my vision whiting out with the intensity of it.
She collapsed onto my chest, both of us breathing hard, sweat-slicked skin pressed together. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close, never wanting to let go.
“I love you,” I whispered into her hair, feeling more at peace than I had in years.
“I love you too,” she mumbled against my skin, already half-asleep.
As I held her, listening to her breathing even out, I thought about the future we might build together. A family of our own, perhaps. A life free of hatred.
For the first time since Adriana died, I felt truly hopeful. Whatever came next, we would face it together. And that was all that mattered.
Epilogue - Elena
