by Morgan James
My palm rested on her stomach, and I skimmed it upward, over her flat tummy to the soft swell of her breasts. I stroked the underside of one with my thumb, and Jules rolled toward me again, her lashes fluttering as she woke from her deep sleep. Burying my nose into her hair, I inhaled deeply. She was the sweetest thing I’d ever smelled, and I’d bet she tasted even sweeter.
I palmed a firm, round breast, delighting in the way the tiny tip peaked immediately for me. She let out a sexy little gasp as I tweaked and pinched, her hips writhing against mine. She needed to be filled—she needed to come. But I knew she was too sore. I rolled her to her back and kissed each nipple, laving and suckling before working my way down her body.
She sucked in a breath, her back arching as I put my mouth on her hot center. Fuck, I knew she’d be sweet. Her juices slipped over my tongue like the finest honey, and I lapped them up like a starving man. I took the little bundle of nerves in my mouth and sucked, flicking it gently with my tongue. She went off like a rocket—faster, actually. No warning, Jules came on a scream, her hand fisting in my hair, holding me to her one moment, trying to shove me away the next. I smiled against her pussy as I continued to eat her, her pleas of “stop” and “more” and “oh, God, yes!” the sweetest things I’d ever heard. She came a second time, almost as quickly as the first, her entire body trembling under the force of her orgasm. Deciding to give her a brief reprieve, I kissed her little nub once more and moved over her.
I kissed the slope of each breast before making my way up her neck and dropping a kiss at the corner of her mouth. Grabbing my head, she guided my lips to hers. Our teeth clashed as the kiss grew frantic.
“Eric!”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Please, I want... I need...”
I knew exactly what she needed—I needed it too. Maneuvering so I was settled between her thighs, I stroked my fingertips over her cheeks. “Look at me.” Her eyes flickered open, startlingly green even in the dim light. “You sure?”
She nodded and licked her lips but didn’t say anything else. I loved her shyness, loved that I was the only man who’d ever been inside her. Slipping one hand between us, I gently prodded her folds with the head of my cock. “Tell me if I hurt you.”
She nodded, teeth cutting into her lower lip, eyes closing in bliss as I slipped inside her. Hot and wet, she was tight as fuck, still swollen from our lovemaking only a few hours before. I took her gently, slowly, drawing out her orgasm until she came on gasping cries, calling out my name, raking her fingernails down my back.
My cock swelled further, and my balls drew tight with my impending release. I thrust deep one last time, then fisted my shaft as I moved over her. My cum splashed over her stomach as I gave a couple quick tugs to my cock. I couldn’t help the slight swell of disappointment each time I had to pull out. I wanted to come inside her, with her hot, tight body wrapped around mine.
Exhausted, wrung out, Jules lay there, hair fanned out over my pillow. I swore I’d never seen anything so beautiful. I grabbed the box of tissues off the nightstand and hastily cleaned her, then slid in beside her. As if she was the positive charge to my negative, she immediately moved into my arms, melding her body to mine. I never felt more whole than I did with her by my side.
“Are you okay?” I whispered the words against her hair, and she nodded.
“Yes.”
“Sore?”
She shifted her legs. “A tiny bit.”
I kicked myself for not taking things more slowly with her. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have been so rough earlier. Goddamn it, baby. Why didn’t you say anything?”
Her lashes fluttered, and her teeth sank into her lower lip before she answered. “I wanted you to be my first. I was afraid you wouldn’t do it if I told you the truth.”
I barely held back a snort. No fucking shit. Her first time should’ve been with the man she would settle down with, have babies with. I swallowed hard. The thought of another man touching her made me see red. I didn’t want another man looking at her, let alone touching her. Worse, I couldn’t help the warm flow of satisfaction that flooded my heart, making my chest feel tight. I was her first—she’d chosen me. It was an honor I didn’t deserve but wouldn’t take back even if my life depended on it. The possessiveness I felt for her was unnatural. I wanted her all to myself for as long as she would allow, whether it was until next week or a year from now.
I slipped one hand into her hair and pulled her against my chest. For now she was mine—only mine. I kissed the top of her head, cuddling her close. Her head was pillowed on the space between my shoulder and chest, and I hitched her thigh over mine. Every inch of us was sealed together all the way down to her cute as fuck little toes where they skimmed my calf.
This—this was where we belonged. I’d fought it for so goddamned long, and I was tired of it. I didn’t know what it was about her, but I needed her by my side. She made me feel whole in a way I hadn’t for the past three years. Yes, she had her secrets, but I had mine too. Maybe one day we’d be brave enough, comfortable enough, to open up to the other. I prayed she stayed long enough for that to happen. If I had any say in it, she wasn’t going anywhere—not for a long damn time.
Chapter 29
Giuliana
I woke draped over Eric, legs tangled together, my cheek pressed to his chest, the soothing beat of his heart pulsing next to my ear. My body was deliciously sore from last night, and it was still strange to think of it having been invaded so fully. It should have been awkward, but being with Eric was as natural as the sun rising in the eastern sky, spilling its golden glow throughout the room. The softness of his skin stretched over hard planes of muscle, the heat of his flesh seeping into mine... This was my safe space—exactly where I belonged.
I swept one hand over the chiseled muscles of his chest. The springy dark hair tickled my nose as I turned my face into him and breathed deeply, drawing the very essence of him into my lungs. I needed his touch like I needed air; I wasn’t sure how I’d ever existed without him.
One hand rested at the small of my back, and his fingers curled ever so gently into my flesh, letting me know that he was awake. I turned my head and placed a kiss on one sculpted pec.
His hand coasted up my spine, then back down to cup one rounded globe of my bottom. “Morning, beautiful.” His voice was thick with sleep, rougher than normal, and it brought a smile to my face. “Coffee?”
“Oh!” My eyes popped open at the reminder, and I bolted upright. “I completely forgot. The kitchen is a mess—”
“C’mere.” Eric’s strong arm stopped my movement, and I allowed him to pull me back to him. “I need to apologize.”
“For what?” I leaned back to see him better. His gorgeous hazel eyes were filled with remorse, and I couldn’t help but reach out to him, placing my palm on his cheek. He turned into my touch, closing his eyes briefly before speaking.
“I’m sorry I was an asshole about dinner. You have no idea how it made me feel to see you’d done that for me.” He paused, looking unsure and abashed. “I thought staying away was best for both of us. I resisted you for so long, and that nearly put me over the edge. I’m sorry, baby. You’ve been nothing short of perfect, and I’ve been a complete dick.”
“Not completely,” I whispered.
A tiny smile touched his face. He brushed a strand of hair off my cheek and tucked it behind my ear. “I was, and I’m sorry. Can we have a do-over? I’m off all day, and I want to spend it with you.”
“Okay.”
He lifted one thick eyebrow. “Just okay?”
I cracked a self-conscious smile. “I’d like that.”
“Good.” His lips brushed my forehead. “I don’t know about you, but I need some caffeine.”
He gently shifted me to the side, and I grasped the sheet, yanking it up to cover my chest as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. In the heat of the moment with a blanket of darkness enveloping the room, it had
n’t bothered me. Now I felt on display. It was still new despite the fact that he’d explored every inch of me at length last night, and I was embarrassed to show myself to him.
Eric had no such compunction. He stood, showing off every chiseled, well-endowed inch, and I watched shamelessly. His back muscles rippled as he stretched his neck from side to side, and my gaze traveled downward to his ass. Tight enough to bounce a quarter off, toned flesh covering the sinewy muscle. His legs were thick and hard, the bluish tint of his veins standing out in relief. He was absolutely fascinating.
I blushed when he turned toward me, catching me ogling him. “Like what you see?”
I bit my lip and averted my gaze, completely embarrassed at having been caught red-handed.
He leaned forward and pressed his hands to the bed on either side of me. I clutched the fabric of the sheet between us like a shield, and his gaze dropped to it for a moment before meeting my eyes again. “I like what I see, too.”
With a swift, hard kiss, he pushed away from the bed and strode to the closet. My heart raced at the sight of him, at the multitude of new emotions welling up inside me.
Eric passed me a shirt with a sinful smile, then took his time stepping into a pair of dark sweats. He gestured with his chin to the shirt in my hand. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
I watched him exit the bedroom, thinking bemusedly that there was a wealth of meaning behind those words.
Chapter 30
Eric
Jules sat up and stretched, long dark waves falling nearly to her waist. I swore I’d never get tired of looking at her, feeling her skin next to mine. We’d spent the entire day together, and it constantly amazed me how much I enjoyed my time with her. I wasn’t nearly ready to leave her and go back to work tomorrow; I wanted to lock the doors and block out the world so it was just the two of us.
After lunch, we’d fallen back into bed for another round of lovemaking, then dozed off. Now the sun had begun its descent, the last few rays of light illuminating her perfect form. Arms stretched high over her head, she arched her back sensually, showing off sleek muscle and smooth skin that I couldn’t wait another second to touch. Looping my arm around her middle, I pulled her down to me. “Come here, gorgeous.”
She allowed herself to be pulled down, twisting to face me as she did so. I stared down into those gorgeous green eyes that swallowed me every time. Not just green—a hundred shades mixed expertly together to create a masterpiece unique only to Jules.
“What?” Her brow furrowed, and I smoothed the tiny wrinkle with the pad of my thumb.
“I could stare into your eyes forever.”
Oh, Jesus. Did I really just say that out loud? I mentally cringed, waiting for her reproach. It never came.
“Yeah?” One eyebrow hitched up, along with the corner of her mouth. Her expression, bemusement mingling with disbelief, made me want to vanquish all of hers doubts, soothe her fears.
I managed a nod. “They’re beautiful. Like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
My gaze swept upward from her eyes, over a sleek, dark eyebrow that was currently ratcheted toward her hairline. She relaxed her expression as I ran my thumb over that very same eyebrow, circling one gorgeous green eye to outline the plump roundness of her high-set cheeks, her olive complexion glowing a soft gold in the afternoon sunlight.
“Everything about you is absolutely...” Was there even a word for how beautiful she was? “Exquisite.”
Her eyes widened with surprise and pleasure and... hope? “Better watch saying things like that, Sheriff.”
I brushed my thumb over her full lower lip, and it quivered under my touch. “I mean everything I say, Jules.”
Quit while you’re ahead, dumb shit.
“I know.” Her words came out on a shaky whisper.
Had I ever felt like this before? I didn’t think so. There was some indefinable quality here, and Jules and I just... fit. She was made for my body. She was sweet and strong and independent. I wanted to know the story of her past, of what made her her. And I wanted to help write her future.
I ran my hand down the column of her neck, over the curve of her shoulder, along the dip of her waist, and around her hip. She trembled beneath my touch, but her gaze never wavered from mine. Her legs shifted restlessly, and I slipped one knee between hers, hitching her thigh over my hip. My fingers splayed over her bottom as I sealed us together from hip to chest, wanting to feel every inch of her. “Stay with me, Jules.”
Her lips tipped up in a tremulous little grin. “I am staying with you.”
Beneath the nonchalant words, I heard the faint strain of nervousness and anticipation. I skimmed my fingers over the sensitive skin of her bottom, and she shivered in my arms. She knew what I was asking—she had to. Still, I had to know. I had to get it off my chest. I wanted her here with me just like this every day. I wanted to crawl into bed every night and pull her close, then wake next to her and kiss her perfect, sweet lips each morning.
“Not because you have to. Because you want to.”
She studied me for a moment, as if gauging my sincerity. Then she threw me completely for a loop. “Sometimes you scare me.”
I jerked back, the words dousing me like cold water. “What?”
She shook her head and ran a hand over my chest, her touch light and soothing. “Not like that. But because, like this”—with barely a breath of space between her skin and mine as she snuggled back into my arms—“it’d be so easy to fall for you.”
I stared down at her, turning her words over in my mind, praying what she’d said was true. Was she serious? Those guileless green eyes only inches from my own told me yes.
Don’t do it, don’t do it, the voice inside chanted. I ignored the warning. “I wish you would.”
“Why?” She breathed the word, making my pulse race.
I’d never felt this way before, not even with my ex-wife. Jules made me feel like it was my first time, like the past slipped away, leaving only her and me. I wasn’t ready to let her go yet—maybe not ever. Ignoring the voice in my head screaming at me not to, I jumped. “Because I’m already falling for you.”
“Eric...”
My name on her tongue held a reverence I’d never heard and wasn’t sure how to deal with. She didn’t trust me—didn’t trust my words. I’d have to show her with my body just how much I wanted her.
Rolling to my back, I took her with me, settling her over my hips so her hot core pressed against my hard arousal. Moving both hands to her hips, I lifted her slightly until she was suspended over my cock. It jutted up eagerly, ready to sink inside her. I stared deep into her eyes as I lowered her onto me, both of us letting out a hiss as we made contact. Fuck, she felt so good. Her weight pulled her down, pushing me deep inside her I could feel every tiny tremor and contraction of her walls as she accepted me.
Pressing down on her lower back, I rolled my hips up to her, thrusting as deep as possible. This connection between us... it was fucking incredible. Like this, we were one entity; I had no idea where I ended and Jules began. Her chest still pressed to mine, I swore I could feel the beat of her heart beating in tandem with mine, both of us perfectly in sync.
I dropped my gaze to where her lips hovered just inches above my mouth. Her tongue darted out, wetting the flesh of her plump lower lip, and I closed the distance between us to steal a searing kiss. Her mouth parted, and I swept inside, my tongue tangling with hers as my cock surged into her sweetness once more. Her knees tightened where they pressed against either side of my hips, and she gently lifted herself over me, finding her rhythm as she rode me.
I couldn’t explain the profound feeling of possessiveness that swept over me. She’d never done this before, had never trusted another man enough. Only me. It made me feel... invincible. I was the only man who’d ever been inside her, and I swore on my life I’d be the last. In that moment, I didn’t care what had happened to either of us in the past. Together, we would overcome it; we’d beat the odds. She made
me stronger, better. And I... I was already falling in love with her. It should have sounded absolutely insane—but it didn’t.
Crazier things had happened. Falling for a woman I’d known for barely two weeks—who did that? But I couldn’t deny the feeling between us. For the first time in years, I let my heart lead me, and it felt fucking amazing. We’d begun first as strangers, then roommates. And, now, lovers. This was by far the best dynamic of our evolving relationship. I wanted to learn everything about her, prove to her I was good enough—I wanted to give her a reason to stay with me.
Hands pressed to the mattress on either side of my head, Jules sat up a bit, my dick sliding in and out of her in a slow, steady rhythm. Seemingly of their own volition, my hands roamed her body. Over the curve of her ass, down her legs where her thigh muscles contracted with each rolling thrust, back up to her perfectly rounded hips. I wanted to brand her, burn my touch into her flesh so she’d only ever feel me upon every inch of her body. She was mine. I was going to claim her so fully, she’d never want anyone else.
Chapter 31
Giuliana
His shaft was long and hard, and my breath caught each time he slid inside me. He rolled his hips again, pushing deeper, making me feel deliciously full. I’d never known this feeling existed, this connection between people. He kept his touch firm, almost possessive, as his hands skimmed over my body. I wanted them all over me—his large rough hands, his mouth. Once, I’d been held captive by fear; now his touch set me free.
Then something changed. The hand on my back slipped up my spine, pressing my body to his, sealing us together. The rocking of his hips slowed, turning sensual and passionate. Suddenly, it hit me, and my heart flipped over in my chest. This... this was making love.
Framing his face with my hands, I stared into those intense hazel eyes. The ones that said I was beautiful, special... worthy. Only Eric had ever made me feel that way—and I loved it. I’d never been comfortable in my own skin, but here, with him, I felt like I was exactly the way I was supposed to be.