Stoking the Fire (Salus Security #1) - Teodora Kostova Page 0,68
hard. “But I never cheated on you when we were together. I need you to know that.”
“I know,” he says with absolute certainty.
He brings me in, and I curl against him. When he kisses the top of my head, my eyes fill with tears of relief.
“So, what happens now?” I ask.
Alec’s chest rises and falls as he sighs. “Now, we stay here, and we get to know each other again.” I tilt my head back to look at him. “You’re not the only one who’s changed, Zach. I’ve been working through my issues. Getting help.”
I push off to prop myself on my elbow and stare down at him. “I know. Evie told me.”
He nods slowly, no surprise in his eyes. “I figured she might tell you,” he says with a wistful smile, no accusation in his voice. His fingers trail lazily down my arm as he collects his thoughts. “I never saw a therapist after I left the army. I thought I was doing fine, that it was normal to feel the way I felt. That I didn’t need any help and I could handle anything on my own.” He smiles sadly, running his palm over my arm as if he can’t stop himself from touching me, but his eyes remain apprehensive. “Turns out, I wasn’t doing as fine as I thought.”
“Is that why you didn’t sleep much before? Because of your nightmares?”
“Yeah.” He grimaces and closes his eyes for a moment. “I thought the solution was simple—if I sleep less, I won’t have as many nightmares. Seems logical.” His self-depreciating smile lingers on his lips. “I discovered a lot of things about myself in therapy. It was like getting to know myself all over again.”
I lean down and kiss him, slowly and thoroughly, letting him know without words that I’m proud of him.
“You know what?” I say when our lips finally separate. He hums, eyes glazed over, fingers clutching at my bare skin. “I can’t wait to get to know you again, Alec.” His smile’s wide and happy, not a trace of a shadow passing over it. “And I have a really good idea to start with.” I waggle my eyebrows and he laughs, but then his smile dims.
“Shit. We never went to the store today. We don’t have condoms.”
I groan, flopping back down on the mattress in frustration.
“I wanna fuuuck,” I whine.
Alec props his body on top of mine, his eyes twinkling.
“When was your last test?”
It’s like a lightbulb goes off. “Last month. At my annual physical. I got the all clear, and I haven’t been with anyone since.”
Alec slides a hand up my chest, lightly wrapping it around my throat, his gaze growing hungry. “I had a full physical before I flew out here. The results came in a few days ago, and it’s all good.” He raises an eyebrow, leaning down to kiss me. It’s too sweet and too quick, and I moan in protest when he pulls away.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” I ask, breathless with the need to feel him inside me. “You wanna fuck bare? Like we used to?”
Alec nods. “I really do.”
He is the only man I ever trusted enough to let him fuck me without a condom. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he’ll never put my health at risk, no matter how much I fucked up.
“I need you to be sure.” He nods again. “Really sure, Alec.”
He bends down and kisses my nose. “I’m sure.” Then my cheekbone. “Really sure.” Then my forehead. “Really, really sure.”
I giggle. “Okay, if you’re sure sure—”
I don’t get a chance to finish speaking before he flips me over on my stomach and covers my body with his. He kisses my neck, then licks a trail to my ear, biting the lobe.
“I can’t wait to feel you again,” he growls, making goosebumps erupt on my skin. “I haven’t fucked anyone else without a condom. Just you.”
With a strangled moan, I buck my ass up, feeling his hard dick between my ass cheeks.
“Me neither. Nobody else, Alec. Just you.”
The growl he lets out is more animal than human.
I tremble in anticipation. My cock’s so hard I’m about to come if it rubs against the sheets.
Alec’s weight on top of me disappears, leaving me bereft. I look over my shoulder and see him rummaging through a toiletry bag.
“You got lube?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“Hurry up then.”
He tsks. “Patience, darling.” He smirks as he takes the bottle out and flips it open.