closed my eyes, drowning in the sensation. I lost all sense of time until his fingers ghosted down my belly and they brushed the sensitive skin right above my pubic bone. My eyes shot open.
“Do you feel my sucking down here?” he rasped close to my nipple.
His thumb lightly grazed the triangle of trimmed hair and I shuddered. I felt it there and everywhere. He set me aflame in a way I hadn’t considered a possibility.
His fingers moved lower, and finally I snapped out of my trance.
“No,” I said, sounding less sure than I wanted as I gripped his wrist. I’d let this go way too far already. When it came to Savio, I had such a hard time resisting.
“Why do you keep this up, Gem? I could make you feel good, better than you’ve ever felt. What do you want from me?”
I wasn’t sure, not right now. Not with his naked body so close, with his hungry gaze branding my skin, with his fingers so close to where I was aching. “I don’t want this to be a game for you. I want you to take this marriage as serious as I do. I…” I wanted him to trust me enough to share his darkest thoughts and fears with me, wanted him to love me like I’d loved him for so long, I could hardly remember how it was before.
His eyes softened. “I married you, Gem. That’s not a game, I fucking know that, okay? You make me laugh. You are the only girl who ever made me slack-jawed in the gym. You are the only girl I can watch cage fights with. You don’t screech or puke when you see blood. You are tough and soft, heaven and hell. You’re the full package. That’s why I wanted you.”
My lips parted in surprise.
“Only because I like to joke and play around doesn’t mean I don’t know what kind of responsibility I have now. I do know and it’s new for me. As new as all of this is for you. I’ve never had a relationship. I’m fucking winging it, and I’ll mess up over and over again, probably until we’re old and wrinkly, or Botoxed and face-lifted in our case.”
I allowed him that joke because his words before had been more than I had expected from him at this point. Standing on my tiptoes, I kissed him.
Maybe it was to get into my panties, probably, but his words were honest, I could see it in his eyes.
For a long time, we only kissed under the spray of water, then I pulled back and whispered shyly. “Can we get into bed?” Savio didn’t need to be told twice. He pushed open the door and grabbed towels for us, helping me dry off.
His eagerness was almost amusing, if I hadn’t been so nervous. He linked our fingers and led me into the bedroom. I lay down on the bed, feeling my heart slam against my ribcage. Savio stretched out beside me.
His eyes dilated with a hunger that sent a thrill through me as he cupped my cheek. His musky scent flooded my nose and sent another wave of moisture down my center. “This is your show, Gem. Whenever you say stop, I’ll stop. I’m a big boy, I can deal if you stop at any point.”
Why did he have to say things like this in moments like this and make me want to kiss him senseless? I curled my fingers around his neck and kissed him with so much enthusiasm that our teeth clanged. I cringed, embarrassed at my lack of skill.
Savio wouldn’t have it. He grinned. “Playing rough already?”
I laughed. Then I tried again, and this time our mouths molded perfectly. Savio propped himself up, leaning over me, never stopping the kiss.
His fingers stroked their way up from my ribcage to my breast again and soon I was a boneless heap, bucking my hips almost desperately. I couldn’t control myself. Savio pulled out of the kiss as his fingers traced down my abs to my triangle once more.
I sucked in a breath and gripped Savio’s bicep, tensing so much I was sure tomorrow I’d be sore as if I’d done a workout.
“Is that a stop?”
I shook my head jerkily.
Savio brushed lower, still not where I ached. His eyes held mine and then he dipped down, parting me, feeling how desperately my body longed for his touch.
He groaned deep in his throat. “You’re so fucking wet, Gem. I knew you’d feel