"You were really young," he said quietly. Ren moved toward me, much like I imagined the panther on his back would've if it was stalking prey. Stopping in front of me, he plucked up a curl that brushed my cheek. He tugged it straight as his gaze swept over my face. "It's a good thing—a powerful thing to see a female you like wearing your clothes. I'd forgotten that until now."
Heat traveled down my neck. "Oh."
"Yeah." Letting go of my hair, the curl bounced back into place. "I'm guessing you've never worn a guy's clothes before?"
I shook my head as my gaze dipped to his throat. The leather string of the necklace was entirely too tempting against his golden skin. "Shaun and I . . . we didn't get a chance to get to that point, I guess."
His head tilted to the side as he curved his hand around my cheek. "So that's his name. You've never said it before."
"I haven't?"
With a shake of his head, he trailed his thumb along my cheek. "You really haven't been with anyone since him?"
"No." Why would I lie about that?
He smiled faintly then lowered his head, dropping a kiss against my forehead, eliciting a shaky breath from me. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right out."
He left me standing there as he disappeared into the bathroom, and I tried to make sense of what just happened. All I knew was that the punch-in-the-chest sadness that came whenever I thought of Shaun wasn't there. And I didn't know what to make of that.
Or anything.
Taking a deep breath, I put my clothes on his dresser and all but dashed into the bed, and good Lord, the mattress was comfy! I scooted to the middle and froze, having no idea what side he slept on or if he had a side. I totally had a side—always the furthest away from closet doors because I was a dork. Straightening the shirt out so my undies weren't saying hi to the world, I tugged the blanket up to my hips and lay flat on my back.
I so needed an adult to explain to me what the hell I was supposed to do from this point on.
There wasn't much time to stress over it because Ren returned from the bathroom. His ever-present half grin spread as he saw me. I clutched the blanket, my breath caught in my throat. My heart pounded so fast that I wondered if I was going to have a heart attack, and God, wouldn't that be embarrassing. I swallowed nervously and willed my heart to slow.
Turning off the lamp, shadows fell around Ren, but when he faced me, I could tell that he'd frozen. I couldn't make out his expression as he bent, taking a hold of the covers on his side.
"Ivy?"
"Hmm?"
He slowly edged the covers back from his side and climbed in, and although I couldn't make out his eyes, I knew he was watching me. "I'm happy that you're here."
My fingers eased off the blanket.
As he stretched out beside me, my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, and I could see that he was smiling. "Are you?"
"Yeah," I whispered.
"Good. That's all I wanted to hear."
Wow, the warmth that flooded my chest could've turned me into a puddle of goo in that bed. I waited for him to make a move on me, but seconds ticked by. He seriously was behaving himself. I dared a quick peek at him, and found I could not look away.
Ren lifted his arm closest to me, and a heartbeat passed. I hesitated for a moment, and then, my heart pounding even more, I slid over until my leg brushed his. He curved his arm around my waist and drew me up against his side, guiding me down until I was nestled against his warm, bare chest. Another moment passed and then I lowered my cheek, and the simple pleasure of lying like this nearly broke me right open.
Neither of us spoke after that, and I thought I'd never fall asleep as I felt every deep, slow breath of his. In the darkness and the quiet, I closed my eyes against the tears that rushed me. I never thought I'd feel this or that I would ever lay in another boy's arms and be thinking only of him.
~
I wasn't sure what dragged me awake, but I woke up with a ball of molten lava simmering low in my stomach and the blankets pulled aside. Lips brushed the curve of my cheek, my chin, and then down my throat as the hand at my breast mercilessly teased the hardened tip.
Slowly, my eyes opened as my hand fluttered to the back of Ren's head, my fingers slipping through the soft strands. "What . . . what are you doing?" My voice was raspy, strange to my own ears.
"Waking you up." Ren kissed me, nibbling on my lower lip, and, still half asleep, I gasped. He took advantage, deepening the kiss, replacing the cobwebs of sleep with those of hazy desire.
His hand was under my shirt, his fingers against my bare breast, kneading my flesh, and then his hand slid down below my belly, between my thighs. "You were all tangled up with me when I woke up," he said in the space between our mouths. Rubbing his fingers against my center, he drew a low moan out of me. "Your arms around my waist. Your leg in-between mine."
"Yeah?" I said, barely knowing what in the world he was talking about. Sleep fogged my brain. All I could concentrate on was how he was dragging his fingers. My hips moved of their own accord, rolling up to meet the slow glide.
He inched down my body as he pushed the shirt I wore up. Cool air washed over my heated skin. "I like it," he continued, pressing a kiss between my breasts. "You're a cuddler."
"Nuh-uh," I murmured, and then my back bowed off the bed when his mouth latched on to my breast, sucking hard and deep. Curling my fingers through his hair, I cried out.
"Oh yeah. You're like a little monkey when you sleep." His kisses went lower, and I opened my eyes, watching him in a daze as he kissed just above my navel then circled it with his tongue before plunging in.
My toes curled as an unexpected blast of pleasure rolled through me. "Oh my . . ."
Ren chuckled against my stomach. "You know what that did to me?"
Swallowing hard, I had to catch my breath. "No."
He was below my belly button, trailing a new path of kisses, and my fingers slipped from his hair. He gripped the sides of my panties as his gaze flicked up to mine, his green eyes deepening to a forest green and full of wicked fire. "It made me so fucking hot for you. I couldn't help myself. I had to kiss you—touch you." His voice sharpened. "Lift up."
With my brain somewhere in la-la land, my body was on autopilot. My hips lifted, and Ren cursed swiftly as he tugged my panties off. "God, you're fucking beautiful." He placed his hand between my thighs. "Everywhere."
Ren lowered his head, dropping his mouth to the tattoo on the inside of my hip. He traced the lines with his tongue, and I felt every stroke all the way to my core. Then he kissed the insides of each of my thighs, moving closer and closer. Self-conscious and unnerved by the intensity of the feelings growing inside me, I tried to close my legs, to scoot back, but his hands clamped down on my hips. He lifted them, and my pulse skyrocketed.
His eyes met mine for a second and he said, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to taste you."
Then he kissed me in a way I've never been kissed before. My chest heaved as he parted me, and he drew every moan, every whimper, and every cry with each lap of his tongue. I didn't know if I could take it. The tension built to a point that was almost painful.
I reached for him, to either push him away or pull him closer, I wasn't sure, but I didn't get the chance. He let go of my hips, catching my wrists and holding
them against my belly with just one hand. I could barely breathe as he grinned and slipped one finger inside me.
Body jerking, my fingers curled helplessly. "Ren."
"You like that, don't you?" His breath brushed the damp curls between my legs. "More?"
I nodded.
"Say it, Ivy."
God, seriously? His hand stilled. He was totally being serious. "More," I gasped out.
That smile was pure sin as he worked another finger in. "How about that?"
The pressure increased, but then he hooked his fingers