rose up and up and up until stars exploded behind his eyes and the rest of him followed suit.
Dodge groaned, loud and low and guttural, as he almost came apart. He buried himself in her as his release roared through him, moving jerkily in and out until all the tension and strength drained out of him. He collapsed on top of her, though he managed to land somewhat to the side. The only sound in the room was their panting.
His thoughts splintered and tangled until the world reordered itself. The center of the universe changed, shifted until it was Persephone who was his shining star, his true north. His world revolved around her. He’d thought it before, but being connected to her, feeling her body against his, tasting her sweat and the most secret parts of her body... He was lost.
He rested his palm against her ribs, waiting for her breathing to calm, and kissed the back of her shoulder. He didn’t want to break the silence. He didn’t know what to say anyway.
Persephone lifted her head from the pillow and faced him, though her eyes were closed. A smile played across her lips, just begging to be kissed. “I take it back.”
He tensed. What the fuck did that mean?
She sighed and stretched, though her hips stayed pinned under his and his half-hard cock still filled her. “That you have no finesse in bed. I take it back.”
Dodge snorted and lightly smacked her hip. “You’re just asking for a spanking, girl.”
She arched an eyebrow and gave him a coy look over her shoulder. “I would certainly never...”
“Nice try,” he muttered, and slid his hands up her sides to find the ticklish spots that made her squirm and gasp for breath.
Somehow they ended up nose to nose, prone on the bed, and Persephone gazed up at him with such trust that it scared the shit out of him. How the fuck would he ever be the kind of man she deserved?
Her hands wandered and slid over his back. His renewed interest pressed against her hip, so there was no way she could miss it. Persephone smiled and lifted her chin to kiss him. “Really?”
“Baby, as long as you’re interested, I’m ready.”
Persephone’s smile went all slow and sultry, like she was already thinking dirty thoughts. He swallowed a groan. She had no idea what she could do to him with just a look, just a single word. He retreated, though, and moved away so he could deal with the condom and clean her up a bit first. She watched him, more curious than anything, but her eyes softened when he returned from the bathroom with a warm washcloth so he could wipe her thighs.
He got a little distracted with swiping over her slit and teasing her clit with the rougher texture of the washcloth. She squirmed and sighed and her legs fell open in invitation. Dodge grinned and climbed on the mattress over her, already thinking of the new ways they could join. There weren’t enough hours in the night to feel complete or sated, but he’d do his best to wear her out and make sure she knew how much he loved her.
Chapter 27
Percy
I lost track of how many times I came. It was like being in bed with a machine. I could glance in his direction and he was immediately hard, even if he’d just finished a few minutes before. I could hardly move, limp and exhausted from orgasm after orgasm, by the time we dozed in a tangle of damp sheets.
Dodge curled up around me, a warm and slightly sweaty blanket, as I sank into a deep sleep.
No dreams bothered me, but it was too soon that a phone rang and Dodge answered with an annoyed growl. He listened for a while, then dropped the phone without another word. I tried to sit up but my abs ached from the workout they’d gotten over the previous few hours. I rubbed my eyes and yawned, wanting to curl back up and get more sleep. Or maybe tease Dodge into an interlude in the shower, since we both needed to get clean. “What is it?”
He rolled toward me and flopped an arm and leg over me, dragging me under him. He nuzzled into my hair and exhaled a huff of air. “Evershaw. Detective has something to talk about.”
“Then, uh, should we get up?” His arm was a dead weight across my chest. I might as well have had a tree trunk