We Were Once

Reaching for a condom, he doesn’t bother with words, but the pressure of his hand on my stomach keeps me from drifting too far away. Every touch to my body, every kiss, lick, and bite is filled with confidence, building my anticipation.

When he’s covered, his muscles are tense as he moves over me again. Dragging the tips of my fingers over the dips and peaks of his biceps has me breathing deep, ready, so ready to have him inside me. I close my eyes—

“Look at me, Chloe.”

I do only to be greeted with an intensity that he’s barely holding on.

“Stay with me,” he murmurs.

The light in the room drowns in his soulful eyes, and my heart squeezes under the weight. If I couldn’t feel every millimeter of where his body touches mine, I’d believe he was holding my heart in his hands. Taking ownership, possessing me.

He pushes, enough to cause my mouth to fall open and suck in a breath. Kissing me again, his hips push forward, his body one with mine again as he steals my breath like he stole my heart last night.

The stretching.

The burning.

My heart racing toward an imaginary finish line.

I’ll take it all if I get him in the end. I was worried about pain, but it’s different than I expected. I welcome the burn, wanting to feel all of him.

Strong fingers run along my jaw, followed by kisses. “Breathe, Chloe.”

The soothing tones of his voice calm me, and I find a rhythm with him as our breath mingles and our hearts pound. Everything is felt in the gentle thrust, his whispers coating my skin like a sin being washed away. I tilt into him, letting him claim parts of me—body and soul—that were made for him, waiting for him.

Joshua Evans marks every inch of me—inside and out—with a tattoo of my choosing that will remain long after tonight.

With my arms around him, I lift my hips, meeting his. With one thrust, he steals my breath and heart away. But who cares about those things when I think I’ve died and gone to heaven?

“You feel too good,” he whispers against the shell of my ear before kissing my shoulder. “I don’t know if you’re an angel sent to save me or a reckoning for my sins. I only know that it doesn’t matter. You do. This between us does.”

I’m so close to giving him every piece of me, the parts that others don’t see and the ones that only exist for him. I need this acceptance, to drown in his words, his arms, and be pulled under with this bliss. I need him like he needs me. The headiness has me wanting to feel this way forever.

Thrust after thrust has us holding on together until his hand dips between us, and he rubs me so right that I fall under his spell again. Another kiss is placed on my neck as the fullness overwhelms me.

The soft light that dips in through the window gives me the gift of him when I open my eyes. A vein in his forehead revealing the intention he’s seeking. Tightening my hold around his neck, I press my cheek to his and angle my middle.

“So good, Chloe,” he pants with a jagged breath.

With every move, thrust, and kiss, I enjoy his passion for me and revel in mine for him. His moans gather as our bodies push and pull, tease, and pleasure. His groan of completion drags me from my release in time to catch his—his head dipping and the stubble scraping my skin. Our bodies are covered in a sheen of sweat when his weight releases down on me.

I hold him, loving the feel and tucking my head into the nook of his neck. I’m caught between sleep and the aftermath of giving my whole soul to this man, and my heart confesses—I love you.

14

Joshua

She could easily become an addiction . . . she has already.

The fading scent of perfume lingers on her skin—citrus and flowers—mixed with sweat and sex. I take my time to appreciate her lips properly—how they feel against mine, moving with me, against me, making me crave her in ways that might not be the same as a nice guy.

I try to be nice for her. She deserves that, and don’t I deserve something good? Someone like her? If I’ve done anything right, I hope it’s gaining her trust. I kiss her until we’re wrapped up in each other again. But the night’s been long, and we’ve earned some rest as exhaustion sets in. She curls into the nook of my arm.

She’s so small in my arms that I have to fight against my Neanderthal urges to protect her because she’s capable of taking care of herself. She’s proven that time and again, so I don’t understand why I’m suddenly wanting to do it for her. “I’ve never met anyone like you, someone I want to spend every minute of every day with and can’t stop thinking about when I’m not with you.”