out to her.
She takes them with a smile that melts my heart, then buries her face in the fragrant blooms. “Thank you so much. They’re beautiful.”
She steps back from the doorway, asks, “Would you like to come in?”
Something inside me relaxes, like I’ve been holding my breath for days and I only just realized it.
“I would,” I tell her, stepping forward. “But were you going somewhere? I don’t want to keep you.” Which is a big fucking lie considering I want to keep her forever, but now might not be the most opportune moment to bring that up.
It’s her turn to look from me to the flowers and back again. Then she takes a deep breath and whispers, “I was coming to find you.”
I’m so relieved to hear those six words that my legs nearly go out from under me. It’s like Christmas, New Year’s and every Super Bowl championship in history all rolled into one.
“Thank God,” I tell her as I step forward and take her in my arms. “Thank God.”
Chapter 24
Sage
His mouth comes down on mine and for long seconds Shawn is all I can think about. The way he tastes, the way he smells, the way he feels…God, the way he feels. It’s only been a few days, but I’ve missed this. Missed him.
Missed the way he holds me.
Missed the way he touches me.
Missed the way his body moves against mine.
He’s hard and hot and strong, so strong, that I can’t help melting against him. Can’t help giving myself over to him. Can’t help trusting him to catch me when I fall.
It might be stupid. Hell, I might be stupid. But right here, right now, when Shawn’s mouth is on mine and his hands are skimming over my shoulders and down my bare arms, nothing else matters but this.
Nothing else matters but him.
His hands come up to cup my face, to tilt my head back so he can delve deeper and I open to him like a flower to the sun. I am basking in the dark, protective warmth of him as he delves inside. As he takes me deeper.
He feels so good. This feels so good that I never want it to end. Never want to let him go. Never want to be as lonely—as cold and empty and alone—as I was these past few days without him.
I know this is wrong, know that we should talk first and make love later, but at this moment I don’t care about right and wrong. I don’t care about what happened in the past or what will happen in the future. All I care about is holding onto Shawn as tightly as I can. Giving myself over to him. Loving him in the only way I know how.
I wrap my arms around him, tugging at his simple white T-shirt until I manage to pull it free from his jeans. I want to feel him, want to put my hands on all that warm, golden skin. To slide my fingers over his strong, warrior’s body and feel him tremble in response.
He groans at the first glide of my fingers across his skin, starts walking me across the room until my back hits a wall. It’s my turn to moan as he presses into me, trapped between the unyielding wall and his just as unyielding body.
His cock is hard already and I whimper against his lips, my body straining against his. Straining to get closer. Straining to feel every part of him against every part of me.
He reaches down, wraps my leg around his waist and I swear I nearly come right there.
I fumble his shirt up farther, yank it over his head and throw it…I don’t know where. I’m too busy touching the hard muscled planes of his back, skimming my fingers over all those incredible muscles to pay attention to something as mundane as where his shirt lands.
He does the same to my shirt, then reaches between us, slides a hand down the inside of my yoga pants and starts stroking my clit. I see stars, my whole body going tight as a bow string as pleasure slams through me.
“Is this okay?” he asks, lifting his mouth from mine just enough that he can look into my eyes. And it’s just one more thing I love about him, one more thing I’ll never take for granted. The way he always checks on me, the way he always makes sure that I’m okay, that I’m with him every step of the way.
“Yes,” I manage to gasp out as I fumble with his belt. “Oh my God, yes.”
It’s all the encouragement he needs as he dives back in, his tongue stroking over the curve of my bottom lip before delving back inside. Then he’s thrusting two fingers inside of me as his thumb circles my clit. His other hand comes up to stroke my breast, my nipple, and just that easily I’m going over the edge, pleasure slamming through me like a freight train.
He groans again, his whole body going stiff as I come on his fingers. He strokes me through it, and then he’s lowering me to the ground.