Who Falls Hardest (Clearwater University)

The truth I’ve known all along.

Emma wants to forgive me. Hell, maybe she even has.

And she wants to trust me too.

But how can she when she keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop? She trusted me once, gave me her heart and believed I wouldn’t break it.

I did though.

And now, despite all we’ve been through, despite the love I see growing in her eyes when she looks at me, some part of her is still waiting for the moment when it all comes crashing down.

And why wouldn’t she be?

If the sky falls once, only a fool thinks it will never happen again.

For a moment, it feels like all the breath, all the blood, all the life, has fled my body. I feel numb, locked outside of myself.

Then it all comes rushing back in a torrent. My heart slams hard and fast against my ribs, sending blood pouring through my veins. My cock stiffens as I release Emma’s wrists, grabbing her ass in both hands and hauling her against me, pressing her so tightly to my body that we both groan in pleasure edged with pain.

“You’re not my fucking sister, Ems. You’re not my enemy. You’re not my vendetta. You’re the love of my goddamn life, and I’m gonna show you exactly what that means.”

Her eyes widen as she registers my words.

Love.

The love of my goddamn life.

I’ve thought it more times than I can count, and now is probably the completely wrong time to say it, but I’m beyond caring. I need her to understand. I need her to not just know it, but feel it all the way down to her bones.

This is real.

It’s permanent.

It will not be shaken or swayed by anything short of death.

Hell, not even that.

She blinks rapidly, her mouth falling open slightly. I don’t think she knows quite what to say, but that doesn’t matter. I’m not done making my fucking point yet.

Palming the back of her head with one hand, I bring her in for another kiss, pulling her deeper into the room as I do. My other hand stays on her ass, and I half-walk, half-carry her across the room until we reach the foot of my bed. When I set her on her feet, I can feel her legs wobbling.

She’s not gonna be able to stay upright without help. But I can work with that.

My cock is hard as steel, pain and guilt and determination mixing inside me to create a heady cocktail of pure need.

Forcing myself to release her delicious fucking lips, I spin her around so her back is to my chest.

“Do you want me to show you, Ems? Do you want me to prove it to you? How I feel about you?”

“Yes.”

Her voice is low and husky, and I can feel her chest rising and falling hard as she sucks in deep breaths of air.

My hands drop to the button of her pants as my lips find the shell of her ear. She shivers, and the vibration against my body makes my balls ache.

“Bend over, then,” I whisper. “Hands on the bed. And don’t you dare fucking move them.”

Her breath hitches, but she does as I say without a second of hesitation.