The other thing? She’d always taken the lead. Now, I was determined to top her. I loved what Eliza had given me so far, but today, it was more than time to turn the tables.
When I pushed her down on the bed, she seemed to understand and acquiesce. Our mouths met in a tumble of limbs, fitting together perfectly. I wanted to remove every item of her clothing, but I also wanted to take my time. Every other instance we’d come together naked, it had been fast and furious, as if itwould never happen again. At one point, I’d been sure that might be true.
Now, I gazed at her silver St Christopher necklace that hung down past the mole on her right breast, drinking her in. A few moments later, my gaze climbed back to her full, pink lips, and I shook my head.
She’d been right under my nose all my life. I’d avoided her because of stupid pride, and then our lives had gone in separate directions. In a roundabout way, my mum’s death had brought us back together. If I was looking for a sign from the afterlife, surely this was it?
But now, I wasn’t going to think about my mum, my gran, or Voss Watches. I was going to focus all my attention on the way Eliza’s eyes burned with want when she looked at me. The way the edges of her mouth turned upwards when I slowly unbuttoned her blue shirt. The way her toned muscles flexed as she shook free her bra. The way she moaned when I took her nipple into my mouth and sucked.
Long minutes later, after I’d peeled away Eliza’s clothes and then my own, I settled my naked body against hers. The first touch of skin to skin pulled matching gasps from our throats: that moment when pretence fell away and you’re left with nothing but each other.
My mouth found hers, and we kissed like we were drowning, like each press of lips could anchor us to something real in a world that felt so uncertain. Every time she arched into me, something cracked open in my chest: not breaking, but blooming. This wasn’t just desire; it was something that made me forget every reason I’d had for keeping my distance.
When she came up for air, my hands roaming her arse, she took my hand and placed it over her core. “Please,” she begged. “I need to feel you.”
But I wasn’t going to be that easy. I wanted this to be memorable, just like Eliza was to me. Always had been. I skated my fingertips around, up and over, never quite getting to the point, and Eliza moaned in my ear.
“That’s it,” I whispered right back. “I want you wet and ready for me.”
That pulled another moan as I pushed her legs apart, playing with her until she squirmed and her eyes sprang open, breathless.
“If you’re trying to kill me, please don’t. I want this orgasm before I die.”
“I promise to keep you alive just long enough.” I circled her a few more times, before slipping just the tips of my fingers inside.
She screwed up her face and lifted her hips off the bed.
I grinned, teased her a little more until she hissed, then slowly eased myself back in, slid between her legs, and began to fuck her.
And honestly? I could wax lyrical about the noises she made. The agony and ecstasy on her face. The way her hips thrust against me as heat rose up her body in faint pink streaks. She sat up halfway through, her eyes wild as I fucked her some more, wrapping an arm around my neck and pulling me to her.
Her follow-up kiss was intense. And when I slid my thumb over her clit, we both groaned at how ready she was.
Fucking her like this, kneeling together, her begging for release was the greatest privilege of my life. It only took another couple of seconds for everything to topple, and Eliza Carpenter to come in a rush all over my fingers. To come so hard, she squirted over my hand.
When she did, her eyes sprang open. I didn’t let her dwell on it. Instead, I brought her to climax again, and when she pushed me away, spent, and fell backwards, I kissed my way up her body, finally placing a hot, wet kiss on her mouth.
She was still getting her breath back a few minutes later when she opened her eyes. “Check you out being all masc.”
I gave her a tiny smile. “I can turn it on when I want to.”
“I’m well aware.”
Her eyes never left me when she spoke.
“That was incredible, by the way. I might be dead, but I’m happy.”
I turned up my smile. I was still caught in her Eliza forcefield and resistance was futile. Her declaration earlier had freed up something inside me, something that made me want to show and tell Eliza what I wanted. I’d done the first. Now, with my true feelings swirling around my body with abandon, I had to do the second.
“I want you to know, I’m falling for you, too.” I kissed her lips one more time. I couldn’t keep away. “Completely, utterly, totally.” I stared into her bright eyes, and she gave me the sexiest, surest smile imaginable.
“I’m super-glad, because it would have been really awkward otherwise.” She paused. “One caveat, though. You think we can stay here forever?”
“I’ll check with Margot and Fiona. I’m sure they’d be down with it.”
CHAPTER 30
The notification sound on my laptop had been going off constantly for the past hour. I’d given up trying to keep track of individual orders and was just watching the numbers climb on the dashboard.
