by Tessa Teevan
“No. No hands, Cohen,” she whispers in a sexy, breathy tone. “Just you. All I want is you.”
Right now, she could ask me anything in that voice and I’d comply. Pulling my hand back, I lean down until our chests are pressed together, our faces only inches apart. My hands find hers, and I intertwine our fingers before placing them over her head. The position feels raw and primal as I continue to thrust into her, the increasing pace causing our bodies to get slick with sweat.
The only place I can look is down, straight into Andi’s eyes, and when I do, that’s when I know that what I feel is real. We’re moving together in perfect harmony. The room is silent, filled with nothing but our panting breaths, her moans, and the sounds of our bodies as they come together in unison. I’d originally planned for background music, but this happened faster than expected and I didn’t get a chance to turn it on. But that doesn’t matter because I now realize that the sounds in this room could be on the soundtrack to my life and I’d happily play it on repeat over and over again.
As I continue to rock into her, I roll my hips to create friction on her clit. Her legs tighten around my waist as she urges me to go faster, harder. My hands tighten on hers, and I rock into her at a frantic pace, knowing that she’s not far from coming. I can feel her pussy begin to tighten and clench my dick. She cries out as I drive my hips forward, burying myself inside her before pulling out just to thrust back in even harder. She’s so damn close. I can feel it, and I work that much harder to bring about her sweet release.
My heart is racing as every muscle in my body aims to please her. With everything in me, I rock against her, in and out, until I can feel her finally reaching the highest peak of her ultimate pleasure. Her entire body tenses up momentarily, and her pussy clenches me like the world’s strongest vise, causing my dick to jerk as I release into her, groaning as I feel her milking my dick for every last drop.
Andi sinks back into the pillow, sated and satisfied. I watch as she bites her lip, and the look on her face ignites a passionate fire deep within me. I can see the pink flush on her cheeks in the soft candlelight, and she looks completely and utterly spent. And well fucked. I’ve never seen her look more beautiful than she does right now, and I’ve never felt my heart so full.
Leaning down, I cover her mouth with mine, giving her a slow, long, languid kiss. When I pull back, she smiles up at me with half-lidded eyes, causing my heart to tighten. This is a sight I never want to forget and one I want to replicate over and over for the rest of my life. Her arms circle my neck, and she tries to pull me back in. I bring my forehead to hers and look directly in her eyes. It’s now or never. And if I don’t get this out now, my heart may just burst.
“I’m falling in love with you, Ruby.” The words rush out in a deep whisper.
Her eyes widen, and I can’t tell if it’s with panic or surprise or something else. I knew she might react this way, and I’m prepared for it. She starts to speak, but I bring a finger to her lips.
“Shh. You don’t have to say anything, babe. This was amazing, you’re amazing, and I couldn’t go another minute without saying what was on my mind. I don’t expect you to respond—I just wanted to let you know.” I press another kiss to her lips, and she nods up at me.
Andi might not be ready to say that she loves me, and yeah, maybe I’m too much of a coward to listen to her platitudes. I know she cares about me. Sure, it might not be love yet, but I can be a patient man. She’s always been worth the wait, and if that wait is just a little bit longer, I’ll handle it. But at least now she knows the truth of how I feel.
OH GOD. My toes are curling. Electrical currents are causing my entire body to shiver. I’m not just seeing stars from that orgasm. No, the Northern Lights have somehow appeared on Cohen’s ceiling, and I’m not sure this is a high I’ll ever come down from.
Sex with Cohen is amazing. He’s attentive and loving, and I have never felt so cherished than I do right now. I could kick my eighteen-year-old self for not sticking around for this, and I could also kick present-day Cohen for making me wait two months for him to send me over the moon with nothing but his penis—something that’s never happened for me before.
As we both come down from our orgasmic highs, I lazily grin up at Cohen, ready to ask when we can go for round two, but the look on his face stops me. He’s gazing down at me with what I can only call complete adoration, and it’s completely endearing. And then it happens. He drops the bomb, causing my heart to nearly stop before it quickens and begins to race.
“I’m falling in love with you, Ruby.”
Oh. My. Heart. Shock, elation, surprise, incredulity, awe, and complete, utter happiness all sweep through my body, and the sensations of it almost make me feel like I’m riding another orgasm wave, the high sending my endorphins through the roof.
“I’m falling in love with you, Ruby.”
My inner romantic folds her hands under her chin, sighs and possibly swoons. Seven sweeter words have never been uttered in the existence of all mankind—or at least not in my existence. I replay them over and over in my head until I’m aware that Cohen’s looking down at me. Hey, dumbass, he’d probably like a response!
Just as I’m about to reciprocate those words back to him, he holds his finger up to my lips and stops me as he gives me some song and dance about how I don’t need to say anything. Wait? What? No! Say it back, Andi! Say it back! My brain is screaming at me, but my mouth won’t move.
He gives me a quick kiss and then shifts off the bed. I watch as he heads into the bathroom, and I wonder if he’s trying to get away from me. Oh God. What if he didn’t mean to say it? What if he has some mild form of Tourette’s that has him declaring his love whenever he comes?
Okay, I’ve gotten him off with my mouth and he’s never done that. But still. What if it was like word vomit, spewing at the most inopportune times, and that’s why he didn’t want me to respond? Jesus. Shit. Fuck. Christ on a giant freaking pretzel. My emotions are overwhelming, and even though I knew I’d been falling for him for some time, it wasn’t until he said the words that I knew they were true for me, too.
I love Cohen Wellington.
Cohen Wellington loves me.
We just had amazing sex—the best sex I’ve ever had, really—and I’m still sprawled out naked in his bed, unable to move because my limbs were just fucked into temporary paralysis. No. That’s wrong. That wasn’t fucking. It was too intimate to be labeled that. That—I realize—was lovemaking.
He told me that he loves me. Or well, that he’s on his way there.
And then he took off for the bathroom.
My heart’s having a war with my brain when Cohen comes out of the bathroom with a wet cloth. My eyes watch him as he climbs on the bed and tenderly cleans me up.
I thought I was ready for this. I thought I was ready for him.
But holy freaking crap.
For the first time in my life, I’m in love, and I don’t know how to tell him. Or if he even wants to hear it. I’m still racking my brain when he gives me a goofy grin and settles in beside me, drawing me up into his arms.
We spend the rest of the night in bed, lazily drinking wine and watching movies. Okay, so the movies are on in the background and, for the most part, we’re too busy fooling around to pay attention, but I don’t mind. Cohen makes good on his promise of all-night lovemaking, and it’s honestly the best night of my life to date. I’ve never felt so cherished, desired, or cared for.
The entire night, however, his earlier confession is in the back of my mind, yet he doesn’t mention it again, and there’s a lump in my throat every time I try to muster up enough courage to bring it up. Eventually, Cohen wraps his arms around me and I curl up against him, reveling in the warmth of his naked body surrounding mine. Closing my eyes, I let the effects of the wine and the hours of lovemaking take me off into a dreamless sleep.
THE NEXT morning, I wake up tangled in Cohen’s arms. I burrow my face in his chest, inhaling his scent. It
’s a heady mixture of sweat and man, and it gets my juices flowing as I remember the feel of his slick chest pressed against my own as he made me come while he was inside me. A huge grin spreads over my face, and I have to bite my lip at the memory. And then I remember what happened after.
“I’m falling in love with you, Ruby.”
My grin falters, and I groan inwardly. Pressing my forehead down on his chest, I squeeze my eyes shut, worried that he’s going to regret saying it. Last night, it was easy to let it go because we were much too preoccupied on making up for lost time, but now, I wonder if it’s going to be a huge elephant in the room until we talk about it or if it’s just going to be ignored.
“If you’re going to think so loud, do you mind waiting until after the sun comes up?” Cohen’s sleepy voice breaks through my thoughts and my inward groan is suddenly vocalized.
Looking up at him, I see that he’s looking at me with an expression that’s amused, but at the same time, his eyes are full of concern.
“It’s after ten a.m., Cohen. I’m pretty sure that the sun’s been up for a few hours.”
“Yeah, well, it’s the first day of spring break and we should be sleeping till noon.” He shifts until he’s sitting up with his back resting against the headboard and then pulls me into his lap so that I’m straddling them. His hands come to the small of my back, where he caresses my skin with small circles. “What’s going on in the pretty, red head of yours? Is this about what I said last night?”
Jesus. I’ve been awake less than five minutes and he’s already going there? I need at least two cups of coffee before this conversation happens. Biting my lip, I revert my eyes away from his, concentrating on the dark wood of the headboard.
“Look, Cohen, you don’t have to repeat it. I know things get said in the heat of the moment, and things have been intense between us ever since we started dating.”
I can feel Cohen’s chest rumble with laughter, and he brings a hand up to my face and tilts my head until I’m looking at him. “Oh, Ruby. What am I going to do with you?” He leans in and brushes his lips against mine in a small, whisper of a kiss before placing his forehead on mine. His green eyes gaze into mine, and they soften. “Baby, it wasn’t the heat of the moment. And I most certainly didn’t tell you I was falling for you because I’d just come harder than I ever have before.”
Swallowing hard, I pull back from him and study his expression. He’s no longer amused, and a sincere, almost reverent look is on his face.
“You didn’t? But you didn’t let me say anything and then immediately took off for the bathroom. I thought you regretted it as soon as you said it.”
He gives me a playful smile with a shake of his head. “No, baby, that wasn’t it at all. I didn’t want you to feel like you had to say it back just because I did. That’s all. I could tell I’d shocked you. But I meant every single word. I didn’t say it because we had sex. We had sex because I was ready to say it.”
Holy crap. I suck in a deep breath, and Cohen continues.
“The reason I was finally ready to take things further last night was because of how I feel. Call me old-fashioned or whatever, but I wanted to do things right this time around. Like you said, things have been intense for us from the very beginning, and I knew sleeping together would have a profound effect on me and how I felt for you. Call me crazy, or possibly a pussy, but I wanted to make sure we were really ready so we didn’t complicate things. Most people probably would think it’s dumb, but like that stupid saying, when you know, you know. And I know, Ruby. That’s why I was ready. Because I was your first. And if I have my way, I’m going be your last.”
Warm tears are streaming down my face now, and Cohen brings his thumbs up to wipe them away. “This is crazy,” I whisper, unable to say anything else as my brain—and my heart—process everything he’s just said.
A soft laugh fills the air, and Cohen gives me a breathtaking smile. “I won’t argue with that. Call it fate, kismet, destiny. I never believed in any of those things until you. And I know it’s soon, but I couldn’t go another day without you know how I feel.”
My heart is racing, my blood’s pumping, and my lady parts are so on fire because apparently a guy talking about things like kismet is a major turn-on. I want throw my arms around him, tell him I love him, too, and then curl up under the covers and not come up for air for the rest of the weekend. Instead, I take a deep breath and meet his eyes.
“I get it, Cohen. There’s no explanation for things like this, right?” I shrug and give him an impassive look, biting back a grin when his eyebrows furrow. “Maybe it’s intuition. And, you know, some things you just don’t question.”
His eyes widen, and I know he gets it. This is part of why I love him. He cups my jaw and picks up the song. “Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant?”
As I nod, tears continue to stream down my face. “I’m pretty damn sure I found my best friend. And it might sound more than a little crazy, but I believe…”
We both break out into the first line of the chorus at the same time. “I knew I loved you.”
I start laughing through my tears. As I wipe them away, I come down from my Savage Garden high and look at Cohen, who’s studying me. I can’t read his expression.
“Cohen, in case I need to spell it out, what I’m trying to say is I love you, too. It might be crazy. It might be too soon. The thing is, I know how I feel, how you make me feel, and no amount of time is going to change that.”
Cohen growls and leans over to grab a condom. He slides it on and then pushes me forward until my back’s on the bed and he’s settling in between my legs. I feel his hard cock pressing against my entrance, and I lift my hips up, wanting and ready to take all of him in.
“You just told me you love me by using a Savage Garden song.”
It’s a statement, not a question, and I nod up at him. “And you knew exactly what I was doing. If that’s not proof positive that we’re perfect for each other, then I don’t know what is.”
As he slowly slides into me, Cohen braces himself on his elbows and hovers just over my face. “There will never be anyone else for me, Ruby. You’re it. And I meant what I said. Your first and your last. I want to be your forever.”
You already are.
As he begins to make love to me, I remain silent even though the thought is in the back of my mind. There’s always been a question of the future between us, yet we’ve always managed to avoid the topic. Now that love is involved, however, I’m even more afraid to know what’s going to happen in the coming months.
Cohen must sense my apprehension, and his mouth comes to mine where he kisses me as ferociously as he’s thrusting into me, and it’s not long before we’re both sent over the blissful edge and all of my worries disappear.
“JESUS, KID. What’s with the grin?”
Looking up, I see that Knox has joined me in the kitchen. We’re at another Sunday brunch. Mom and Charlie stole Andi away as soon as brunch was over, saying something about wedding favors and decorations. I gladly let them disappear and went to the kitchen to get a drink. I was about to grab the orange juice when the maple syrup caught my eye, sending memories of yesterday’s breakfast catapulting into my brain.
After Andi had admitted that she loves me, too, I spent the morning showing her my appreciation. Eventually, though, her stomach growled and ruined the moment. Laughing, I dragged her to the kitchen, where I made her pancakes. As Andi took a bite of the fluffy cakes, her eyes rolled back in her head and she moaned appreciatively. And then, when I gave her bacon, she did the same. It was more than I could take, and I ended up taking her right here on the dining table. The syrup was too tempting to avoid, and even though I had to use extra work with my tongue to get it off her, after we showered the stickiness off, she promptly eighty-sixed maple syrup from our sexual experiences. My tongue is still tired from all that work, so I don’t mind taking it off the menu. Eyeing the chocolate syrup, however, I make a mental note of
its consistency and decide to pick some up at the store for future use.
“Dude, seriously. You’re freaking me out. You’ve got that creepy Cheshire cat look on your face again. Oh, shit. That can only mean one thing.”
I turn to Knox and raise my eyebrows. “What the hell are you talking about? It’s just a smile. I’m a happy guy.”
Knox shakes his head and leans his elbows on the kitchen island as he studies me. “No, that’s not just a smile. You’re grinning from ear to ear, and I’m pretty sure it’s so wide that I could count your teeth. The last time I saw you like that was when you were leaving me all alone to deal with Charlie. So again, what gives?”
I’m about to protest when Branson enters the kitchen and answers for me. “It’s written all over his face. He’s a fool in love with that hot little redhead he keeps bringing around,” he says matter-of-factly before reaching into the fridge to pull out a beer.
“Jesus, Branson. It’s not even noon yet. Do you have a drinking problem or something?”
Branson closes the refrigerator and pops open the beer, taking a long draw of it before walking towards the back door. “No, Knox. I don’t have a drinking problem. I have a remembering problem.” With that, he walks out the door, leaving Knox and me alone.
“I thought he was getting better. What was that about?”
Knox shrugs. “Who knows with him? He’s probably just still trying to figure his shit out until the divorce is final. But don’t try to change the subject. Was he right?”
Part of me wants to follow Bran out into the backyard, knowing that he probably could use someone to talk to, but I know Knox isn’t going to let this go. “Yeah, he was right.”