was wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold him close as he buried his face in my neck and his big, strong body shook against mine.
Water sprayed over us from different angles, but all I could feel was his tears against my throat. All I could hear was the muffled sounds of his labored breaths. All I wanted was to heal all the pain and torment and misery swirling inside him.
“I love you.” I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed his temple as he held me tight. “Only you, Luc. Always you.”
His shaking slowed, and against my neck, I heard him sniffle. Then very slowly he drew back and looked up at me with wet and glistening eyes and the faintest tear tracks down his cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so so sorry—”
“Shh.” I brushed the tears away from his eyes and skimmed my fingertips down his cheeks. “No more being sorry.” Very softly, I pressed my lips against his. “No more apologies.”
“But—”
“No more buts either.” I kissed him again. This time just the slightest bit harder. “None of that matters anymore. All that matters is this.” I tipped my head and kissed his soft lips once more. “All that matters is us.”
My lips met his again, and this time he opened to me. And when his tongue slid into my mouth and I tasted him, I groaned and kissed him harder, wanting him to feel everything that was in my heart, in my soul. Every single thing that had only grown stronger over the last week.
Breathless, I eased back from his mouth and slid my hand down between us to find he was still hard. Hard and huge and bare—everything I ached to feel inside me.
“I need you,” I whispered against his lips, stroking him from base to tip. “I need to be close to you. Now. Right now.”
He groaned as he stared up at me with damp and very heated eyes. Then, his fingers tangled in my hair, he pulled my lips close, and he kissed me. “Ti desidero disperatamente.”
But his other hand dropped to my waist, preventing me from moving over him so I could take him in. And when he broke away from my lips, his voice was strained when he said, “But... we shouldn’t.”
I moaned and kissed him, positioning the blunt head of his cock at my entrance. “Yes, we should.”
Both of his big hands landed on my hips, and he pushed me back, shifting away at the same time. “I can’t, Natalie. I want to, but I-I don’t have any condoms.”
There was just enough panic in his voice to cut through the desire fogging my brain. I stilled above him, and with my weight braced on my knees, I lifted my hands to his jaw and tipped his face up to mine. “Look at me, Luc.”
He swallowed hard. Blinked. Then slowly lifted his gaze to mine. And in his eyes, I saw exactly what was holding him back.
I leaned down and kissed him, very softly. “I love you.”
“Ah, Dio, angioletto.” His eyes softened to sweet silver swirls and filled with tears. “I love you too. So so much.”
“Then show me. Right here.”
“I-I want to. But—”
“You’re perfectly healthy. Felicity ran all the tests you asked her to run.”
His eyes slid closed again. “I know, but—”
“There’s nothing wrong with you.” I kissed him again. Softly. Sweetly. “You’re not dirty. You’re not stained. You’re perfect.”
He sucked in a breath.
“You’re handsome,” I whispered, sliding my arms around his neck. “You’re so incredibly sexy.” I inched closer and lowered my weight to his lap, feeling his erection slip through my wetness, right where I ached to feel him most. “And you’re mine. Mine and no one else’s. I’m not giving you up. I’m not giving any part of you up. And this...”
I watched his face as I flexed my hips, rubbing my sex against his straining cock until his muscles tensed, and pleasure darkened his features. “This is mine as well. Mine to touch and lick and suck and swallow. And mine to fuck, whenever I want, as often as I want, however I want. That was implied in our vows.”
My words drew a reluctant laugh from him, but when I rocked against him again, he groaned.
“Dio. Sei irresistibile.” He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, struggling, I could tell, to keep from thrusting up hard and deep inside me. “Natalie...”
I brushed my mouth over his. “No more excuses. I want you bare, Luc. Nothing between