T-Bone - L. Wilder Page 0,31

Still in a haze, Alyssa looked up with wonder in her eyes. Damn, I’d never in my life seen a more gorgeous sight. Unable to wait any longer to have her, I stood up and started to remove my jeans. “Do you ... um ... have protection?”

I didn’t answer. I simply reached into my back pocket and took the condom out of my wallet; as soon as I’d rolled it on, I lowered myself back onto the bed. My breath became strained as I hovered over her. She looked so damn beautiful lying there beneath me, and I couldn’t imagine wanting her more than I did at that moment.

“You sure about this?”

“Yes,” she whispered as she brought her hands up to my face. She pulled me towards her, pressing her mouth against mine, kissing me. I knew she was ready, and I gently slid deep inside her. She inhaled a deep breath, holding for a moment as she adjusted to my size. I stilled, listening as she exhaled slowly, and after tilting her hips forward, she was ready for more. I started to rock against her body, slow and steady. Fuck, she felt so damn good—so tight and warm and wet. I had to pause for several breaths just to get a grip on myself before I exploded right there on the spot. “You’re incredible, Alyssa—every fucking inch of you.”

“Beckett,” she whispered.

The longing in her voice as she said my name spurred me on. I started to move once again, driving into her until I found steady pace. I watched her every move, listened to every moan and whimper, making sure that I was giving her exactly what she needed.

The muscles in her body grew rigid, her chest stilled as she held her breath, and I knew she was close again. I increased my pace, just enough to push her over the edge, and soon after, her fingernails dug into my back as her entire body grew taut. Seconds later, I heard the sound of air rushing from her lungs as she fell limp in my arms.

I continued to drive into her, the tight grip of her body bringing me closer to climax with every thrust until I finally came inside her. I took a moment to catch my breath, then lowered myself down on the bed and pulled her over to me. The room stilled as she nestled into my side and rested her head on my shoulder.

Our breaths started to slow, and just as the lustful haze began to fade, Alyssa looked up at me with tears in her eyes as she said, “I didn’t know it could be like that.”

“What’s with the water works? You okay?”

“I’m more than okay.” A soft smile crossed her face. “In fact, I’ve never been better.”

A sense of peace washed over me as she laid her head back down on my shoulder and curled up next to me. Feeling better than I had in weeks, I closed my eyes and listened to the soothing sound of her breathing, and it wasn’t long before we both drifted off to sleep. It was early when I woke up that next morning, and a smile crossed my face when I found Alyssa still nestled up against me. She looked so damn sweet lying there, and I hated the idea of leaving her, but I didn’t have a choice. If I was going to talk to Riggs before work, I needed to get moving. Doing my best not to wake her, I eased her off of me and onto the pillow before slipping out of the bed. I gathered my clothes from the floor and quickly got dressed. I stepped back over to the bed and kissed Alyssa on the forehead, then turned to walk out the door. I hadn’t gotten very far before I heard her say, “Sneaking off so soon?”

“Not sneaking off, babe. I’ve gotta get to the garage and didn’t want to wake you.”

“Oh, okay.”

I walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. “I want you to know that what happened last night is going to stay between us. I won’t say a word about it.”

“I know, Beckett. I wouldn’t have asked you to ... you know, if I wasn’t sure that I could trust you.” A strange look crossed her face as she sat up in the bed. “Do you regret it?”

“Regret what?”

“You know ... being with me. Did you do it because you wanted to