My heart is racing, my choppy breathing is the only sound in the otherwise silent room. There are no sounds coming from down the hall, nothing but a faded hum from the bustling city outside our high windows. There is only Xavier and I, alone in the heavy darkness of our bedroom.
Slowly I draw my legs up onto the bed and scoot, creating a small distance between us. I’m going to run from him. I can’t shake the feeling that he wants me to, needs me to. He needs to catch me, to dominate me, and I know that I equally want to be chased and dominated. Held under him. I want him to own me, to use me for his pleasure, the way he did on our wedding night. In spite of my fear that night, I have never felt so wanted, so necessary to someone else, as I did that night. His unrestrained passion unleashed something in me that I had only suspected. I want him to hold me down and slake his lust in my body. It makes me feel beautiful.
Even more than that, it makes me feel wanted. No one has ever really wanted me before, not even my mother. Definitely not Vince. Now that I know he won’t walk away after having me, I feel so loved. For the first time in my life, and I want to give that back to him.
A bubble of happiness bursts free inside me, and I giggle, retreating across the bed to stand on the other side, my breasts heaving with every excited inhalation. My eyes devour the sight of my husband standing there naked in front of me. His brow is furrowed, in either annoyance or confusion, at my retreat. His broad shoulders block what light is behind him. His wide chest and narrow hips capture my attention, and I can’t stop my eyes from drifting lower to where his hardness is pointing right at me. I trace the tip of my tongue over my suddenly dry lips and can’t stop my self-satisfied smile when his rumbling growl vibrates between us.
Xavier takes a step closer to the bed, bringing his knee up to rest on the mattress. My eyes lock with his I take one step backward, maintaining my distance as I bring my hands up to cup my naked breasts, tempting him. My eyes flutter closed with pleasure as I playfully stroke my nipples with my thumbs until they tighten in response to the featherlight touch. The mattress dips under his weight as he climbs atop it, moving toward me.
“Analise,” he rasps, “You little tease.” His voice is dark and husky. He doesn’t sound upset anymore. That is what I was hoping to accomplish, well that and ultimately orgasms. So winning.
When he moves toward me, I glide back another step so that he doesn’t get any closer. I know I won’t get away with playing this game for very long, I will either run out of room to retreat, or he will lose patience and come for me. Either way, I’m ready for him.
Smiling, I edge further away, approaching the sliding glass door to the small balcony. I was sitting outside enjoying the night air earlier, since I couldn’t sleep. The smallest movement of air against my bare legs reminds me that I forgot to close it and that quick the idea forms in my head.
Turning as quickly as I can, I slip through the gap in the draperies and onto the balcony. The lights from the street below barely reach up this high, so I give only the briefest thought to the fact that I’m outside completely naked. The thud of Xavier’s feet hitting the floor follows me, and I spin to face him. Unrestrained lust burns in his eyes as he stalks toward me until my back presses against the wrought-iron balustrade.
“No more running away, sunshine.” he rumbles, stalking closer and closing the distance between us. His hand stretches out toward me. Knowing I’m caught doesn’t stop me from smiling up into his handsome face as I dance away from his outstretched hand and back toward the door.
“Analise,” there is laughter ringing right beneath the frustration in his voice as he reaches for me again. Our fingers tangle together, and with a tug, he pulls me against the muscled expanse of his chest. My breasts flatten against him, and there is nothing more natural in the world than for me to wrap my arms around him and hug him as tightly as I can. His stubble catches the silvery strands of my hair as he nuzzles against my ear.
“Is someone being a naughty girl tonight?” His voice is low, the conversational tone so at odds with his sexy words that it sends an electric thrill through my entire body.
“Maybe?” I breathe, waiting to see what he will do next.
“Definitely.” Straightening, his eyes roam over my nakedness, “Outside, without any clothes on. Running away from your husband.” He shakes his head and makes a small tsking sound.
“What am I going to do with you?” He asks, tipping my chin up with one unyielding finger.
Biting my full bottom lip, I return his steady gaze. “I don’t know Xavier,” I shrug one shoulder, “Punish me?”
His breath rushes out on a guttural groan. “Fuuck!” The swollen length of his cock lurches against me and he moves to step back. I squeeze his fingers and hang on tighter. I’m going to make him understand how badly I want him this way.
“You don’t know what you’re asking for, baby.” He groans, stepping forward and lifting me up until we are face to face, and I am able to wrap my legs around his lean hips. The roundness of my belly makes the embrace a little awkward, but I’m right where I wanted to be. Sliding my fingers through his silky hair, I lightly scrape my nails against his scalp, causing him to moan in pleasure.
“I do, X, I promise I know exactly what I’m asking for.” Leaning forward I press my open lips against his and taste him with a slow glide of my tongue. “Everything.”
A sound of disbelief escapes him, and I wiggle to be put down, annoyed that this is not going the way I had intended. With a huff, I turn toward the door and flounce back inside, making sure to twitch my ass invitingly as I go. A dark chuckle follows me, and I know I’ve won. He’s right behind me.
“Everything, huh?” his words are cautiously hopeful.
I keep my back to him as I pull back the covers on the bed. “Yes.”
“I hurt you. I never want to do it again,” His voice is thick with regret. “I wanted to apologize…” his words drift off as I turn to face him. This subject is closed, as far as I’m concerned, and I don’t want him worrying about it anymore.
He’s only inches away from me, his chest almost brushing against mine, but he’s holding himself back. There is a sadness in the rich depths of his eyes that I have never seen before. Wanting to soothe him, I stroke my hand over his stubbled jaw until I’m cupping the back of his neck, and we are pressed tightly together.
“Until you left me alone that night, you had nothing to apologize for,” I whisper as I stretch up onto my toes to press a sweet kiss against his throat.
His words are broken when he asks, “Then why did you run from me?”
The heart of the question. We have talked about it, but never this. Why did I ru
n? Anger? Stubbornness? Definitely those, but even more than that.
“I wanted you to love me.” I finally admit in the silence growing between us, “And I thought that after you had gotten what you wanted from me, that was all there would ever be. That one night that ended with you leaving me alone in your bed.”
“Fuck,” he mutters, understanding softening his gaze, “I never should have left you that night.”