violently, his fingers replacing the ice and thrusting again and again into her pussy, curving just perfectly to hit the magic G-spot and setting off another chain of orgasms.
Tears leaked from her eyes. Beyond anything she had ever experienced, she began to shake, calling his name as the only anchor she had left in a world that had just shattered away.
“Fucking magnificent,” his voice growled. He surged up, over, and inside in one perfect thrust. “Fucking mine.”
The raw possession swallowed her whole, the punishing, greedy strokes of him driving into her body over and over, the dirty whispers in her ear as he claimed her.
Arilyn broke free, taking all of him, and felt the next climax gobble her up whole. He shouted her name, his hands gripping hers, his dark eyes drilling into her soul until they both came together, and fell into each other’s arms.
Mine.
The word echoed like a mantra repeatedly as he gently untied her, rubbed her wrists, and pulled her close.
Mine.
Yours, she whispered to herself. Then closed her eyes.
“WHY DID YOU STAY with him for so long?”
The dark was good for sharing secrets. With his arms wrapped around her, snuggled under the covers, his mouth against her ear, nothing seemed off-limits. “I thought I loved him,” she said simply. “He had this way of making me feel like the most important person in the world. The way he focused on me. Listened. Shared with what I believed was pure emotion. He seemed so honest and real. He was also my yoga teacher, so he introduced me to a spiritual practice that changed my life.”
“Was that the first time he cheated?”
She sighed and pressed a kiss to his palm. “No. It was the third. Each time, he explained that the others didn’t mean anything to him. Cliché, I know, but he made me actually believe it. He used to say men weren’t made for monogamy, that he was fighting his own nature, but he’d keep fighting because we were soul mates.”
“Damn. He was good.”
She laughed. “Yeah, he was good. It was also easier to continue because we were a secret. Think about it. Nothing really invaded the intimacy he claimed we had. No bickering parents, or in-laws, or coworkers. No friends or public events. It was just me and him on an island together.”
They lay quietly for a while, both sifting through her answer. “Do you still love him?”
Arilyn rolled over to face him. Stroking his beloved face, the rough, carved features, the silky scratch of his goatee, she shook her head. “No, Stone. I don’t love him anymore.” I love you, she ached to say. But it was too soon. He wasn’t ready, and Arilyn wondered if he ever would be. Still, she’d tell him one day, because he deserved to know.
“Good.”
She smiled. “What about you? Do you still think of your ex-wife?”
“Sometimes. But not because I miss Ellen or still love her. I think over where it really went wrong, which I think was straight from the beginning. I don’t think I was ever made for a long-term relationship. Once I accepted it, I seemed to do better by not expecting something from myself I can’t give.”
Her heart broke a little. Why couldn’t he see it? He was meant for a family and love. He was loyal and protective and deserved so much. “You’re wrong,” she finally said. “If you believe that, you’re just like my ex.”
He drew back a little. “Don’t ever compare me to him.”
“He didn’t believe he was capable of being monogamous. By allowing himself to believe such bullshit, he made himself into what he wanted. Ellen cheated on you, yes, but it wasn’t your work that drove her to it or your selfishness. It was both of you not wanting to work, or communicate, or fix the tears.” She blinked, refusing to get sloppy and emotional. “It’s the coward’s way out.”
“I’m being honest, not a coward,” he shot back. “Don’t get any ideas about who I could be, little one. I’ll only disappoint you.”
Her heart couldn’t take it. Anger replaced the pain, and she grabbed his cheeks, forcing him to deal with her. “How do you know?” she shot back. “You buried your head in the sand after your divorce and locked yourself in a world of limitations that don’t exist. Bullshit you can’t be in a healthy, committed relationship. Bullshit your work and cynicism will ruin everything. Bullshit to all of it, Stone Petty, because you’re just lying to yourself for