Almost Loved

by Mira Toria

  “I – there’s nothing to laugh about,” she said, fumbling through her words. Seeing his smug grin fuelled a part of her and she narrowed her eyes. “Besides, I said I was ticklish and not – ” The rest of her sentence was lost on her when Hale slipped his fingers between her folds.

  “You’re still unbelievably cheeky even when you are evidently turned on.” He stroked her gently, not hurrying his pace even as she squirmed beneath him for more. “Cheeky and impatient.”

  “You’re not playing fair at all,” she whimpered.

  “You weren’t doing me any favours by laughing earlier.” He pressed a finger in and her mouth parted as she dug her nails into his shoulders. “It might help if you say you’re sorry.”

  “I can’t just stop being ticklish!” Her resolve thinned as he started moving inside her. It was as if liquid heat flowed through her and just as she was about to be tipped over the edge, he stopped. “Hale,

  she gritted.

  “Sorry, were you in the middle of something?” He casually slipped a second finger in her and watched as she moaned again.

  “Don’t – ” She nearly cried out in frustration when he stopped again, just seconds before she was about to fall. “I – hate – you,” she panted. “This is just cruel.”

  “Two words, babe.” He moved faster now, circling him thumb on her clit and apply just enough pressure for it to be rough.

  “No.” She tried not to scream out in ecstasy as he toyed with her. It felt unbelievably good what he was doing and no matter what she wanted, her body betrayed her by reacting so strongly to his touch. It was as if he knew exactly what to do to send her mind into a frenzy.

  “No?”

  “I’m not giving you what you want.”

  “Babes,” he leaned over and ran his tongue over her nipple and grinned. “One of us will give up tonight.”

  “It’s not going to be me.”

  He took a nipple into his mouth and Lyris’ legs tightened around his hand as his tongue moved around her. He pulled slightly and she jerked upwards, crying out as pleasure filled her mind.

  “Giving up?” he asked.

  “It’s going to take a lot more than that, babes.” She grabbed his pants and ripped his belt off. “And two can play at this game.”

  She watched his eyes glaze over when she slid into his boxers to run her hand along his shaft. She hadn’t known how worked up Hale even was until she felt him, and she relished with knowing he was as affected by her as she was by him. He grew with her touch and she gripped him slightly when he lost his own control for a second and slipped his fingers further inside her.

  “Are you going to admit it?” she gasped. Just holding him now made her wonder how good it would feel to have him inside her.

  “I’m not finished with you yet.” He placed a hand on the small of her back and kissed her roughly, demanding her response without apology.

  Her head was spinning in the best way possible and when he pushed two fingers in her again, she completely forgot about why she was being so stubborn. One hand was working her core, the other was massaging her breast and his mouth was locked on hers. She was doing poorly in this battle, but she didn’t care.

  It couldn’t have been losing if it felt so right.

  “You win,” she conceded. “I’m sorry.”

  The second the words left her mouth, he grinned, reveling in his win. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  “You’re the one that’s hard.” She tried to grin, but her breaths got shorter and her vision started blurring as he moved fast inside her. She whimpered and held onto him as she started to reach her orgasm.

  “Hale.” She repeated his name over and over again, unable to say anything else as she got closer. It was coming to her in waves, again and again.

  “Look at me.” He forced her head up and held her in place. “Look at me.”

  She’d only met his eyes when she felt the orgasm flit through her. She was blinded by white noise and she wrapped her legs tight around him, refusing to let go. The wave of her orgasm crash into her and she felt it run through. It was only when she was catching her breath did she realise he came with her.

  “You’re such a stubborn girl.” He kissed her on the nose as she took her hands out of his boxers.

  “It wouldn’t be very fun if I wasn’t, would it?”

  He got up, shaking off his jeans and offered to take her to the bathroom to clean up.

  “Hold on, I need something to wear.” It felt silly to say something that when he very clearly could see her, but she felt a little bashful. Grabbing his shirt, she pulled it over her head and kicked off her panties.

  “It’s troubling when you look almost as good with that on as you do naked.”

  “Yeah?” She grabbed a towel to dry off her hands. “Why?”

  He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her neck. “I might not want you to ever leave.”

  Days turned to weeks and Lyris couldn’t remember imagine how she managed to stay away from Hale as long as she did. Their days turned to weeks and they fell into a comfortable rhythm, learning to adapt their schedule to find time for one another.

  One night, Lyris heard her phone vibrate and she reluctantly reached for it to see what Hale was texting about.

  Unknown: I need to talk to you. You think Hale’s being honest with you, but he isn’t. You have to believe that I want what’s best for you.

  Bile rose in her throat as she read the message. Several thoughts flashed in her mind at once, each one as desperate as the last.

  There was only one person who could’ve sent her a message like this, but that wasn’t possible. She had changed her number. Her and Hale promised one another they would give their best in this relationship and she wanted to keep her promise by making sure she cut all ties with Bradley.

  It wasn’t just the fact that he had her number that shook her. He somehow knew she was with Hale, and it sounded as if he also knew who Hale was.

  “Impossible,” she whispered. “This is just another one of your games. You’re just trying to trick me again.”

  Wishing it would be as easy as erasing the message on her phone, Lyris shut her eyes and willed herself to forget about what Bradley said.

  The next day was a normal night. She was leaning on Hale and trying not to fall asleep as they watched the movie. She had spent the early part of the movie pointing out that Hale had a tendency to leave the volume on at an even number, even when it would be either a tad too quiet or loud. He insisted that she was crazy, but when she would change it, Hale wasn’t able to resist changing it back to an even number. After fooling around, the exhaustion of waking up early in the morning in combination with the comfort of Hale’s hand drawing circles on her arm made it difficult for her to keep her eyes open.

  “If you fall asleep, I get to pick the next movie,” he taunted.

  “It’s not the movie,” she said, catching his eyes and grinning. “I think it has to do with the company.”

  His mouth twitched but otherwise he remained completely still, watching her intently like a predator ready to catch his prey. “You think I’m boring?” he asked, in a low, gravelly voice. “That’s rather insulting.”

  “You look like you’re about to eat me.” Her laughter ceased when she saw him still staring at her unblinkingly. “Hale,” she warned, catching the glint in his eyes. “No, don’t, don’t –”

  Lyris shrieked as he tackled her to the floor.

  “You really have a tendency to ask for trouble.” Hale placed his hands on her waist and started tickling her.

  “Stop, stop!” Lyris gasped between her squeals of laughter and tried unsuccessfully to swat him off.

  He stopped and let her catch her breath. “Are you still bored?” he asked, toying with her t-shirt.

  “I may ask for trouble, but you don’t have to indulge me by actually getting me in trouble.” She sat up and tried to put her hair back in place.

  “You’re mine to indulge.�
� He kissed her on the forehead, coaxing her to lie back down. “Mine,” he kissed her cheeks. “To,” he kissed her on the nose. “Indulge.” He stole the last of her breath with a languid, unhurried kiss.

  It felt so natural for her to be in his arms. For him to kiss her like he could never get tired of tasting her. For him to touch her like he still hadn’t memorised the curves of her body. The kiss was only broken when she pulled the t-shirt over him and when he threw her shirt and bra across the room.

  “You’re always so soft,” he murmured, planting open mouth kisses down her chest. “Beautifully sweet.”

  “You sound like you’re describing cotton candy,” she laughed.

  “Hmmm, if you still have time to laugh, clearly I’m not doing a good enough job.” He bit her waist, sending a cut of pleasure through her. “You should be out of your mind when I’m kissing you.”

  He pulled her jeans off with her panties and she tried to cover herself up when he sat up to look at her.

  “You’re doing that thing,” she said, her voice thick with embarrassment. “Where you’re just staring at me and I have no idea what you’re thinking.”

  He eased her hands to the side, his lips moving against her as he spoke. “I think you look too beautiful to be mine.”

  She felt her body warm from his words. “Now you’re just lying.”

  “I wouldn’t ever lie about this.” His hands tangled in her hair. “As if I could lie about something like this.”

  Something in her snapped and she pushed him back. Searching his eyes, she waited for the realisation to hit him. For him to regret what he said.

  She couldn’t find it. Not a single sliver of regret surfaced. Feeling overwhelmed, she threw herself at him, kissing him hard and giving everything to him. She could feel the rumble of approval beneath her fingertips as he touched the small of her back.

  “I need it off.” Clumsily, she unbuckled his belt and pulled his pants lower. She didn’t want anything between them.

  It was her turn to look at him. She’d touched him before, but they were sitting face to face with one another that night, making it hard for her to see anything. He said she was too good to be true, and she could’ve easily said the same for him. He was lean and cut. Quietly muscular and perfect for her. She put her hands on him, running them down the length of him in even strokes and watching as it grew under her hands.

  “Lyris.” He groaned roughly and stopped her by sitting up. “This wasn’t my intention.”

  “I’m not scared,” she whispered. “I want you. I want all of you.”

  The tension in the room changed the second she said that.

  They were sitting face to face, baring themselves to one another before he leaned in and kissed her tentatively like a question.

  “Are you sure?” He pulled back and Lyris knew right then nothing would change between them if she said no.

  Taking his hands, she kissed his fingers one at a time, whispering ‘yes’ after each one.

  Everything happened slowly. He used his free hand and caressed the underside of her breasts, making her arch her back for more. Holding her in place, he kissed the peaks of her breasts before putting one into his mouth and sweeping his tongue around her over and over again until she whimpered his name senselessly.

  His hand slipped between her thighs and travelled up before he slipped a finger inside. He dragged it at an unbearably torturous pace until she bit him hard on the shoulder for more.

  “You’re an impatient one.” His eyes were hazed with shock and lust. “I might want to drag this out.”

  “Don’t you dare.” She put her hand on his, unable to process what would happen if he pulled away from her.

  He slid a second finger in her and pressed on the spot that made her quiver with pleasure. Taking her nipple into his mouth again, he pulled and teased her until she cried out. He kissed her mouth, hard, as she held onto him and let her orgasm wash over her.

  “We’re not done yet,” he whispered raggedly. “I said I would drag this out.”

  Her heart skipped and even though she’d just finished, she felt herself getting wound up again at the sound of the condom wrapper ripping.

  Wrapping an arm on her waist, he slowly slid in, watching her intently as if he were expecting her to tell him to stop. She felt her body move to adjust to him and it was heaven. When she didn’t think she could take anymore, he pushed in further and she gasped, the pleasure already rippling through her. He wasn’t even moving and already she was arching for more. Looking at her one last time, he thrust into her completely and she cried out, holding onto his arms for support. She couldn’t believe how good it felt having him in her.

  Hale held her hips, helping her keep steady and moving them in a slow rhythm, kissing her cheek as they moved in sync. He pulled her close to him and her breast pressed against his chest as he rolled her on her back.

  His hips rocked slowly at first, but then the friction between became too much and his movements became faster and faster. Heat raced to the bottom of her stomach, the intensity increasing as everything quickened.

  Her head tilted back and she felt him leaving light kisses on the crook of her neck before he turned her to face him.

  “Look at me.”

  It was a simple command and for once, she listened without complaint.

  Their breaths became ragged, uneven and breathy as they both reached their climax. She was leaning in close enough for him to softly kiss her lips and he did just that before she hit her peak. Her toes pointed as her walls tightened, pulling him deeper until her vision blurred and everything shattered in the most amazing way.

  Hale followed her, but continued to move, riding the aftershock until the both of them collapsed onto one another.

  They held onto each other, neither moving until Hale pulled back.

  “Stay the night.”

  She stilled at his words, unable to believe she had heard them.

  It seemed backwards that they’d just slept with one another, but had never slept in the same bed before. Hale had his own reasons for why he was so private about his home, and she never wanted to push him in a direction he wasn’t ready.

  She had never been sure if she was ready for it.

  “You want me to stay?” she repeated. The words sounded strange coming from her.

  “Yes.” He spoke like it was no big deal, but his eyes betrayed his awe. “I do.”

  “You don’t have to sound so surprised that you want my company,” she laughed weakly. The tension between the two of them would’ve been comical if this wasn’t a big deal for them.

  They dressed in awkward silence before he invited her to bed. Once under the covers, they laid side by side stiffly, like corpses, neither one speaking up first because they were lost in their own thoughts.

  Lyris wondered if there was someone else like them in the world. People usually had intimate issues with sex, but they worked backwards.

  “I – If this is weird Lyris, I can drive you home and pretend this never happened.” Hale turned to look at her. “I’m really sorry if you felt like you had to say yes.”

  “No!” Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “It’s just – I don’t know how to explain this. I just haven’t actually slept in a bed with someone since. . . since Bradley.”

  She had never known silence could be so deafening as it settled between her and Hale like a wall. The feeling of stupidity washed over when and she mentally screamed, unable to understand why she invited the topic of Bradley to bed with them.

  “Wait,” Lyris turned to Hale. “Was that your subtle way of telling me you want to take me home?”

  Now it was his turn to look as embarrassed as she felt. “I only offered because you’re acting like you’ll run off screaming murder if I touched you.”

  “Says the guy that’s sleeping like he’s trying to be the next Dracula!”

  They looked at one another for a moment before they both burst out laughing.

 
“Come here.” Hale pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her and settling his hands on her stomach. “If you weren’t acting as if I sentenced you to death, this would’ve gone a lot smoother.”

  “It’s been a while since I’ve shared a bed with someone like this,” she said quietly. “I’ve never been able to fall asleep next to someone I don’t trust.”

  He pulled her closer to him, like he was trying to convince her she could trust him. “I haven’t had a woman in this bed before.”

  “You haven’t invited anyone in your house before, silly,” she teased quietly. “Of course I know you’ve never had anyone in this bed before.”

  “I haven’t fallen asleep with a woman in any bed for a long time.”

  Lyris moved from his arms, turning so that she could face him. He was good at hiding his emotions when he spoke, but he wasn’t nearly as good with his facial expressions. “Really?” she asked.

  “The last time I did, I lost her.”

  It was as if the night had taken a more serious turn than either of them had expected. People usually spoke about how the night kept the darkest secrets and that the day revealed them to the world. Lyris always believed the opposite. The day allowed people to deceive with the masks they wore and the night was the only time they took them off. People became their true selves when no one was looking.

  Their masks were slipping tonight and old scars were resurfacing. Hale looked as if he expected her to run, his grimace evident under the dim light from the street.

  “Don’t look at me like that.” She reached out to him, but he flinched away. “Don’t look at me like you’re expecting me to do the same.”

  His voice was hard with old anger. “Aren’t you wondering why? What kind of psycho I’d have to be to have a girl feel as if she has to run away in the middle of the night? I do,” he laughed bitterly. “You have no idea how many fucking times I replayed that night over and over again in my head trying to figure out what I did, what I said, to make Annabelle run.”

  “I tried to run from you.” She reached out again and this time he didn’t back away. “But you made it so damn easy to fall. You can’t just tell me to run now, not when I’m in so deep. It’s not fair.”