Baby?
There’s no way he meant to say that out loud, but the word falling from his lips as he pounds me into oblivion undoes me. I dart a desperate hand between my legs to soothe my throbbing clit, but he catches my wrist. “Please…” I whine. “I need…”
“I saidno touching…” Chest pressed to my back, he kisses my shoulder and sits me upright in his lap, hard length still inside me. I bite my lip, moaning as pleasure courses through my body from his restrictive grasp. He’s fucked the rebellion right out of me, and I’ve never been this turned on. “Every moan”—thrust—“every shudder”—thrust—“is mine tonight…” My breath hitches when he rolls my nipple with his fingers, teeth grazing my ear as he whispers, “Who makes you come, honey bear?”
My eyes flutter closed as I settle against him. I wasn’t prepared for his mouth, in more ways than one. “You do.”
“You’re my needy little brat tonight, aren’t you?” he rasps. “Gonna leave a mess all over my sheets?” His lips suction to my neck, and I don’t even care if he leaves a mark. “Scream my name while I fuck you senseless?”God, yes. I nod lazily. “Open your eyes.” He loosens his grip on my wrist, his fingers pausing over my slick bud, waiting for me to comply. I flush at the sight of him stroking me slowly, just inches away from where he’s buried inside me. “Watch how I make you come.”
His fingers strum my clit, the sensation pulling his name from my throat in a desperate plea. My cries turn hoarse as he bounces me on his dick, plunging quick and deep, prolonging my orgasm for an eternity. Convulsing, I clutch his forearm, hardly recognizing my name hissing from his lips when he falls apart. One last shiver runs through me while we ride out the lingering waves of euphoria together.
When we collapse on the bed, he tosses the condom and rolls me onto his heaving chest, both of us a sweaty mess. He presses a quick kiss to the same wrist he restrained moments ago. “You okay?”
I’m too blissed out to respond with words, so I nod quickly, dazedly listening to the pounding of his heart.
His fingers trace my spine like he’s inputting a lock code on our newest memory. “Again?” he asks, hands smoothing over my thighs.
“I can’t…” I laugh breathlessly, my smile growing when he chuckles in my ear. He’s turned me seven ways to Sunday, and I’m still quaking from the razing his tongue performed on my clit earlier. I’m boneless. “I can’t do another one.”
We lie in his darkened bedroom for a while, just existing together while light streams in from the hallway. This close, I study the details of his ink. Keeping my head on his chest, I shift my legs from around his hips. “Tell me about this.” I trace over the expansive tattoo that snakes up Hunter’s left side and around his pec. I’ve seen it before, but it always felt too intimate to ask about. Since tonight is our chance to be vulnerable, I don’t hold back.
“It’s Atlas.” His fingers draw small circles over my shoulder.
“Like maps?”
“Yeah, kind of. Same guy.” He chuckles softly. “Atlas was a Greek Titan who waged war on Zeus but failed in the end. All the other Titans were sent to suffer in the underworld, but Zeus saved a special punishment for Atlas.”
“He’s the one that had to carry the world on his back, right?”
“Not the world. He had to uphold the entire celestial sphere, for eternity, to keep it from crushing everything below.”
I pop up on my elbow to see him straight on, and unease hits his eyes before they shift away from mine. “That sounds like a lot to carry,” I say, running my fingers over his chest.
“It was,” he whispers, and I know we’re no longer talking about Greek mythology.
“When did you get it?”
“At seventeen, in the middle of the custody battle for Artie. Everyone was busy with that, so I used my fake ID and dragged Chase to the tattoo shop with me.” He smiles at the memory, and I reach up to stroke his face.
“Did it hurt?”
“Chase puked just watching me get it done, so it probably wasn’t too pleasant.” He snorts, his fingers dancing lazy trails over my skin. I snuggle in closer and peck a kiss on his chest. “Naw, I don’t really remember. Everything was kind of numb back then.”
“We don’t have to talk about this,” I whisper, remembering how hard it was for him to relive it all a few weeks ago.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind telling you.” He shifts underneath me and rubs a hand over his curls. “You know, the worst part about that time wasn’t even the cheating. It was bad, but coming home from school to a note on the fridge was worse. She couldn’t even be bothered to use the grocery list notepad. Just a crumpled receipt on the fucking fridge saying she was taking Artie and moving to be with Nils in Europe. Then they were gone. No warning. No goodbyes or apologies. She took my five-year-old baby sister and left us.”
“That sounds like a nightmare,” I say, brushing my fingers over his jaw.
He nods as he stares up at the ceiling, lost to whichever memories are filtering through his mind. I hate that he’s had to deal with this all alone. Seeing him like this, knowing I can’t do anything to make it better, hits a spot right in my chest that makes me ache for him. I press a kiss to his chin, and he grips me around my waist, keeping me in place while he leans down to reach my lips.
We kiss without reservation, like we’ve been doing it for a lifetime. Touch as if the caresses will last forever. I allow myself to get lost in the fleeting feeling of being his, just for a moment. When we break apart, I’m left wondering if this thing between us could survive daylight. Lying in this temporary bubble of intimacy gives my mind permission to run wild, and I have to remind myself this is temporary.
This was reckless. I take one last draw on his lips, before rolling away.What were you thinking?
“Where do you think you’re going?” Hunter whispers in my ear as I try to slide out of bed. I squeal as he flips me around and pulls me against him, throwing the comforter over us. “The night isn’t over, and I’m not letting go of you until morning. That was the deal.”
“Is this about your cuddling thing?”
