“I don’t know,” she says slowly, her smile fading.
“Tell me what to do, Sophie.”
I feel raw and vulnerable, and Sophie could crush me right now with minimal effort. I let her see it. I let her see all of me, so she can judge for herself if I’m worthy of her forgiveness and affection. She wavers, looking lost and confused, but slowly her expression turns determined.
“You want a second chance.”
“I do,” I say, even though it wasn’t a question.
She holds my gaze for a long, tense moment. “Then kiss me.”
I don’t hesitate. I lunge forward, jerk her into my arms, and seal my mouth to hers. She melts against me, and it feels…amazing. It feels like coming home.
Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling roughly as our tongues duel and dance around each other. I bend my knees and pick her up. Her legs curl around my waist as I start to move, carrying her straight to my bedroom as we continue to devour each other.
I push Deuces off the mattress with one hand as I lay Sophie down, covering her body with mine. She moans into my mouth as my weight settles on her, telling me she feels it, too.
This is right. We are right.
“You’re everything to me,” I murmur as my mouth presses kisses along her jaw. “I’ll never push you away again.”
“I believe you,” she huffs between panting breaths, tilting her head back to give me better access to her neck.
“I feel like the luckiest man alive right now.”
She freezes, and I lift my head to meet her wide blue eyes.
“You don’t believe in luck.”
“Oh, Red,” I say, shaking my head. “I do now.”
I reach down to dig my hand into my pocket, pulling out a dull, scarred penny. I hold it up in front of her.
“I found this on the ground at the gas station this morning. It was on heads, and I felt the urge to pick it up. Now you’re here, in my arms, giving me another chance.”
“You have a lucky penny,” she says, her smile growing wide.
“I have a lucky penny,” I say, returning her smile.
“I love that,” she says.
I love you, I think, but I don’t say it out loud. I don’t want to scare her off or ruin the moment. She doesn’t feel the same for me. Not yet.
But she will, someday. I’ll make sure of it.
And I’ll start right now by worshipping every inch of her body. I’ll make her come so many times, she won’t have the strength to leave my bed for days.
I scoot down and push her shirt up to reveal the pale skin of her stomach. I press my mouth to it, kissing again and again as my fingers pluck at the button and zipper of her jeans. I climb off her, planting my feet on the floor as I peel the denim down her legs. Pausing to pull off her heels, I finish removing her jeans and toss them aside.
“Take off your shirt and bra,” I say firmly, and her eyes light with excitement before she complies.
I pull off my own t-shirt, then bend over her, swiping a finger beneath the waist of her underwear. She twitches and writhes, her body begging for my touch. I push my finger lower, swiping it through her wet, swollen folds before dipping just the tip inside her.
“You’re drenched,” I say, pumping the finger shallowly. “Tell me what you want, Red.”
“I want to come,” she breathes.
“Like this?” I ask, pushing my finger even deeper inside her. “Or like this?”