opened her folds with his fingers. "This what you like, baby?"
She nodded. He removed his fingers. But the whimper died in her throat. He aligned himself with her opening, wetting the soft crown before plunging all the way inside. Her walls clamped around him, trying to draw him deeper.
He thrust from behind, his pelvis slapping against her ass. She choked out a gasp, arching her back. Cradling her to him, he pumped in a steady rhythm that drove her insane. Unhurried, so that every glide of his shaft filled her more and more. It wasn't the frantic pace he'd set before. It was a slow build. Tension knotted her muscles, seeking release.
Just as she was about to beg, to cry for mercy, he pressed a finger to her clit and she exploded. Lights burst behind her lids. The binds on her wrists cinched as she shuddered. Air trapped in her lungs. Tucking her chin, she screamed his name as wave after wave unfurled through her. He soon followed, pumping twice more before going rigid. Mouth wide on her shoulder, he roared through his orgasm.
She was still trembling when his shallow thrusts ceased. He moved behind her, stretching. A hand came down over her wrists and released the tie, freeing her. He lifted the other from her eyes.
Then, without a word, he drew his arms around her and hauled her closer, as if wanting to crawl inside her. He wrapped his leg around hers, caging her in. He didn't seem to breathe for several moments, until finally, he relaxed his vise and nuzzled his face in her hair.
***
By the time Monday rolled around, Noah seemed to have a tangible hold on his rioting emotions and could at least look at Raven without remembering Max shoving her to the floor. Most of the time. They'd stayed the weekend and hung out with Aubrey, decompressing. Raven's gallery was still in lockdown until the forensics team was through, so Noah did some work from his laptop at home to keep her company. They'd called the hospital to check on Max about fifty times per Raven's request, and their bodyguard was recuperating nicely. McCannon thought it unwise to visit the hospital until they could get more on Soreno. Max was set to be released today anyway.
From the kitchen alcove, Noah eyed Raven pushing her dinner around her plate, having barely eaten any of the baked chicken she'd made. She'd been quiet most of the day, too, only speaking when asked a direct question.
After they'd made love at the castle, she appeared to relax, but now he was worried about her depression. For years, she'd fought it, winning. She was the strongest damn person he knew. But that didn't mean he couldn't be concerned. It was like she'd crawled inside him, where every action, thought, or mood resounded through him, so that he was right there with her. Stupid as it sounded, they felt like one damn person. As her best friend, he'd known how to reach her when she'd gone dark, but as her lover, he had no idea if he was holding on too tight.
He set his fork down, losing his appetite. "What's on your mind, Raven?"
Her lips twisted in thought. She picked up her wine and took a sip before answering. "Do you want to get married?"
Forcing the wine past his throat, he set the glass down before he dropped it. "Was that a proposal?"
Smiling, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I mean in the general sense. You never struck me as a forever guy." Her gaze leveled on him. "We haven't discussed??he future. You said you wanted us to stick, but??
"But you don't know what that entails." He nodded, the clamp around his chest easing. Raven was a planner by nature, always needing to know what came next. The organizational side of her, the one that needed control in all things, had to be going batshit inside her skull. Neither of them had been in a long term relationship. She didn't know what to do, and it was obviously making her crazy.
Leaning forward, he took her hand, linking their fingers. "I'm not against the idea. I love you, and I can't stand the thought of this ending, so marriage seems like the next logical step. But we don't need to rush things." Hell, she hadn't even said she loved him back yet.
Staring at their linked fingers, she sighed. "What about kids? Do you??ant them?" This particular question had her the