her cheeks. “Do you think you could stay the night with me?”
“Yes.” Dear Lord, yes.
She scoots back up the bed, giving me a glimpse of those fair legs and a hint of purple panty, and then she disappears under the covers. I slide in behind her, and I don’t hesitate for a second in reaching for her.
She settles into the crook of my arm with a soft sigh. “I’ve missed this,” she breathes.
I run my hand over her silky hair and try to focus beyond the warm weight of her body against mine. Months, Bella. It’s been months.
“So have I.”
I wrap my other arm around her, bending my head to rest it against the top of hers. She smells like my soap, having used my shower today. It makes me inordinately pleased.
Her hand smooths over my stomach and every muscle in me locks in place. “I knocked on your bedroom door the last time I was here.”
“You did?”
“Yes.” Her voice is abashed. “I’m sorry. I just wanted you to hold me, and I couldn’t fall asleep. But you already had someone in your bed.”
“Evie?”
“I couldn’t tell if it was her or Haven.”
I grip her tighter. “I can hold you now.”
She turns her face toward my chest, her lips grazing over my skin. I stare up at the ceiling and force myself to stay relaxed. But her lips continue up to my neck, and it’s impossible.
“Kiss me good night?” she murmurs, a hand on my chin, and dear Lord…
I kiss her and I do it properly, coaxing her warm mouth open, my tongue sweeping in. Perhaps goodnight kisses should be chaste, soft things, but there’s nothing chaste about this.
Bella kisses me back, her hands on my bare chest. She lifts one of her legs to drape it over me and oh fuck, the pressure on my aching, hard—
She pulls back.
“Ignore it,” I say. Can she hear the desire in my voice? “I know you’re not ready yet, that we’re taking it slow. I can wait.”
In the darkness, I can’t make out her expression. But then her hand moves downwards, over my chest, my stomach, beneath the elastic band of my boxers.
There’s not a part of my body that could have stopped her, and least of all that one. I hiss out a breath as her hand closes around me.
“I don’t want to ignore it,” she says. “Silly man, I’ve been waiting for you!”
“Waiting for me?”
“To feel like you trusted me again. I didn’t want to rush you.”
I open my mouth to respond, but the words die as her movements speed up. For a long few seconds I can do nothing but breathe.
“You have no idea how that feels,” I murmur. “Or how long I’ve wanted you.”
“The second one I know pretty well.”
I wiggle my T-shirt out of the way and up her body, and she stops stroking long enough to slip out of it. There’s brief hesitation in the air as I put my hands on her. “Bella?”
“My body is different,” she says, voice soft, almost apologetic. “I know that.”
“Yes, it is.” I weigh her full, firm tits in my hands, bending my head to take a nipple in my mouth. The soft swell of her belly against me is wondrous. “You’re even more beautiful. It’s not fair, really.”
She laughs, but the sound dies as I use my teeth, transformed into a gasp. “I remember some things,” I murmur.
“So do I.” Bella shifts so she can stroke me at the same time and I damn near come right then, her soft breast in my mouth and her hand on my cock.
Proudly, I exercise restraint, reaching into depths of character I didn’t know I had. And when she finally begs me to, when I reach into her panties, she’s the kind of wet that I know I’ll dream about for years.
“Ethan,” she murmurs. “Please.”
I run my hands over her naked body, wondering how to do this best, how to not hurt or harm. Finally, I settle behind her, lifting her leg and keeping my arm around her. “Just like this, baby,” I murmur, guiding myself. “I can’t wait to be inside you…”
Pushing in is like coming home—there are no other words for it. She twists her head to kiss me, my hand between her legs to ignite her own pleasure, my hips thrusting… the idea of there being space between us is laughable.
I always want her this close.
I grip her as tight as I dare when I shatter, my body curved around