Rushed (Adventures in Love 1)

“Tanner.” I wrap my hand around the side of his neck, and his eyes open as his ragged breath brushes my lips.

“Give me a minute, baby,” he says, and I lift my hips, listening to him groan right before his fingers dig into my thigh. “I’m really trying not to lose myself, but you’re hot, and tight, and you, which means if you move, there’s no guarantee this won’t be finished before it’s even started.”

“Sorry.” I bite my bottom lip and will myself to stay still, not sure I’ll be able to—not for very long, at least, and the fact that he wants me so much is making me powerful. I’ve never had anyone crave me the way he does, and it makes it all the more clear that what Galvin and I shared wasn’t what it should have been. Thankfully, I don’t have to wait long, because he pulls out slowly, then slides back in, the sensation causing the muscles in my lower belly to tighten and my core to pulse. It shouldn’t be possible to orgasm from just this, from just having him inside me, but just like that, I’m close once again.

“Cybil.” My name sounds like a curse right before his mouth crashes down on mine, and his tongue slips between my lips. I kiss him back, willing my body to keep from flying over the edge as his thrusts speed up, his hips pounding into mine.

My legs wrap around his waist, and I dig my fingers into his ribs as his mouth leaves mine and travels, nipping and licking down my neck until he reaches my breast, where he pulls my nipple into his mouth. He sucks hard, causing my core to tighten almost painfully as I fight off my orgasm.

“Let go, Cybil,” he orders, and I shake my head, not ready to lose the feelings coursing through me—not yet, not when it feels like I’ve waited my whole life for this moment. “Yes.” His hand slides between us, his teeth nipping my chin then bottom lip before he kisses me once more.

Completely overwhelmed, I let go without a choice and cry out his name while he growls mine, his hips jerking once, then twice, before he stills deep inside me. With my heart pounding and feeling his beating just as hard against my breast, I pant for breath and wrap my arms around him, accepting his weight as he collapses on top of me. Tears fill my eyes as my body continues to pulse, but I fight them back, not wanting to have to explain why I’m crying, when I don’t even know.

“You know”—he pulls back after a moment and locks his gaze on mine—“I keep waiting for something, anything to show me that this—you and I—are not going to work, but I don’t think it’s going to happen,” he says gently, making my stomach bottom out as his eyes roam my face. “We’re gonna need to talk about what happens after you go back to Oregon.” His fingers smooth down my jaw before they trace the lower edge of my lip. “Not right now.” He covers my lips with his finger when I open my mouth to ask what he wants. “Not now, but before our time is up, we’ll figure out what we’re going to do. Because I’m going to want to see you for more than a week every few months. A whole lot more than that.”

“Okay, we’ll talk about it and figure it out.” I move my hand to his chest, over his heart, wondering if his hurts like mine does right now at the thought of me leaving. I want to say I’d stay if he asked me to, but the truth is my whole life is somewhere else. My friends, family, and everything I’ve ever known are in Oregon, but I’m starting to see that there’s more to life than my small town. And a good thing is I can work from anywhere, which makes this situation a little less complicated.

“How about a bath?” He runs his nose across mine.

“I don’t think I’ve taken a bath since I was a kid,” I say, and without a word, he slowly pulls out of me, then pushes off the bed and reaches out for my hand.

When we get into the bathroom, he lets me go just long enough to deal with the condom. Then he turns on the tub that looks like it could fit three people comfortably and dumps in a glob of something from a blue bottle under the faucet. As the smell of mint fills the room, he lifts me off my feet and places my naked bottom on the counter, making my breath hitch.

“Sorry, just wanna get you wrapped up.” He takes my hand and deftly puts on one of the plastic gloves he stole from the hospital and tapes around my wrist. “All done.” He lifts me down. “I’ll be back.”