Dropping a chaste kiss on my chin, he scoots down my body and caresses my tummy with his tongue, licking around my belly button in sure, careful rotations. I smile on the inside, aware that he’s using my condition as an excuse for his own need to be careful with himself. I can’t take it away from him. My body goes lax, my mind clears, and I hum in contentment, bringing my hands up to the headboard and holding on to the bars.
‘That’s good.’ I sigh, feeling his finger hook into the side of my knickers and draw them down, his lips following their path and kissing their way down my legs.
‘So good,’ he agrees, working his way up, teasing around my inner thighs. ‘Smells good, too.’ His tongue meets my slick opening and laps straight up the middle. My grip on the bars tightens, my body arching gradually as I moan. ‘God, I’d forgotten how sweet you taste.’ Gentle kisses are rained over every tiny piece of me, and I start to writhe on the bed, squirming and groaning and yanking at the bars above me.
‘Theo,’ I pant, my clitoris kicking consistently. ‘Theo, please.’ Sitting himself up, he reaches to the bedside table and pulls the drawer open, taking out the cuffs, and I watch closely as he gestures for my hands.
He takes ages, his sore body moving slowly as he restrains me, and when he finishes, he spreads himself all over me, nudging my legs apart with his knee. ‘Where you should be,’ he whispers, lifting his hips and falling to my opening, slowly pushing his way inside me.
‘Oh . . . my . . . God.’ I surrender to the feeling and melt into the mattress, the gradual sensation of him filling me, taking me off into a blissful state of appreciation. He gives me time, lets me gradually become accustomed to his girth again, circling and easing his way to filling me completely. Our eyes are glued together, his mouth nearly touching mine. The love and need passing between us is potent. So powerful. So needed.
‘Okay?’ he whispers.
‘Perfect,’ I reply, absorbing his first plunge on an inhale. ‘You?’
‘Better than perfect.’ His forehead meets mine, slippery across my skin. ‘You’re a miracle cure, sweetheart.’
He starts a tender rock into me, his grinding slow and his momentum steady. Pleasure is licking up and down my spine, my body rolling in waves to match Theo’s moves flawlessly. The friction is divine. The pressure delicious. Having him taking me so worshipfully and lovingly is needed. My condition has nothing to do with his pace and handling of me. And I can’t help thinking that Theo’s condition doesn’t, either, though it’s an obvious handicap. This is a reunion, not just of our more fragile bodies, but of our souls, too. It’s slow, it’s careful, and it’s devoted. He’s refusing to break our eye contact as he works us both into a calm fever. He’s growing within me, and the pressure is building in my core. He nods at me, pushing his lips to mine and kissing me achingly slowly, taking us both to the pinnacle of pleasure. My world goes hazy as my climax ripples through me, and Theo starts to groan, increasing the pressure of his mouth on mine when he joins me. Our wet bodies rub and slip, hardening in unison as we strive together to maintain our kiss.
And the flow of pleasure subsides only when Theo’s body softens, his rolling tongue leading the way and slowing to a stop. ‘Wow,’ he whispers against my lips, brushing from side to side.
I sigh my reply, feeling utterly replete. ‘Are you hurting?’
‘I’ve never felt more alive.’ His eyes close and his face disappears into my neck. ‘Thank you.’
‘What for?’
‘For not giving up hope. For never deserting me, even when I wasn’t here.’ He kisses his way up my cheek to my nose, pulling back a fraction to be sure he has my eyes. I wish I could stop them from welling up, but it’s a battle I would never win if I tried, so I don’t bother trying. He smiles, taking a fingertip and gently wiping under my eye. ‘You’re stronger than me, Izzy.’
I frown, not grasping how he’s come to that conclusion. He’s a beast. ‘But—’
Lips press to mine quickly, quieting me. ‘Let me finish,’ he mumbles, biting my bottom lip in light warning. ‘I’m not talking about physical strength; I’d crush you.’
‘Please don’t,’ I beg jokingly, encouraging a beam of epic proportions to break out, his dimple raging. His dark blue eyes shimmer beautifully.
‘I’m man enough to admit that I’m nothing without you. I’m man enough to admit that I’m so frightened that I’ll hurt you again.’ He flicks his eyes up to my restraints, misery replacing the happiness of a moment ago. ‘I’ll get past this,’ he vows. ‘There will be a day when you can have free rein over me.’ His eyes come down to mine, pleading with me unnecessarily. ‘For you and our baby, I can do it.’