to keep from alerting the whole house as Shadow’s mouth and hand rode out my orgasm. Even as I floated down from my finish, he licked my flesh and placed soft kisses on me before withdrawing his hand.
Looking down at him, his grin even looked a bit smug as he leaned against my thigh again. “Well, how was that?”
“Fucking shut up and come here,” I laughed breathlessly, holding my arms out to him.
He only managed a few kisses on his way up my body before I tugged impatiently at his hair, laughing huskily as I drew his mouth up to mine and wrapped my arms around his back.
Twenty-Two
SHADOW
I wasn’t a complete stranger to sex. But I’d never had this before—a woman flushed and panting underneath me. Breathless and smiling because of me.
From how she kept pulling me down, Mari seemed to like my weight on top of her. Her legs hugged around my waist, arms banded around my back, clinging to me with every kiss. As much as I was dying to sink into her, I was still worried about crushing her, with how fragile she felt underneath me.
“Again?” I mumbled through a kiss on her shoulder, my hand drifting down her body.
“No!” she laughed, nipping the side of my neck with that pain and pleasure mix that made my cock jolt. “You’ll spoil me and make me selfish.”
“I’m not sure that’s possible.” I rolled her breast in my hand, watching to see if she’d relent and let me make her come again.
And again.
And again, just for good measure.
Instead she glared at me playfully, tapping my arm. “Roll us over. I want to be on top.”
I scooped my hands under her back, taking her with me as I rolled to my side and then my back. She straddled my legs, running her hands over me while sitting straight up. That touch and the view of her gave me a jarring sense of deja vu.
“What are you thinking?” Mari seemed to notice right away, fingers stroking over my abdomen before gliding back up to my chest.
“That we’ve been here before,” I admitted.
“We have,” she agreed. “Under very different circumstances.”
I skimmed my hands up her thighs, taking my grip across her hips and behind to feel the curves of her ass before continuing on to her waist.
“I wanted to touch you like this so badly back then.” Her small ribcage felt so fragile, like a bird’s, against my palms. My touch reached her breasts, her nipples already tightening from the contact. “I was terrified of scaring you. I already felt guilty enough for—”
“I would’ve let you.” She drew one of my hands up her chest, to her neck and face, turning to kiss my palm. “I thought about kissing you, wondered how you’d react to it.”
“Probably not well. Just because I never let anyone get close to my face.” I watched her bring my thumb to her lips, biting lightly over the tip. The pressure and light tinge of pain from her teeth made me swell underneath her.
“I like your face, Shadow. I have since I first saw it.” She released my thumb, leaning over me with her hands braced on my chest. Her hair tickled my skin before her lips made contact on my sternum. “I like all of you, what’s inside and outside.” She sucked at the edge of my ribcage, no doubt leaving another dark hickey on me as the sweet tingles of pain expanded from the spot. “You’re mine, and I’m happy to keep reminding you of the fact.”
“Yours,” I groaned, my breaths coming shorter as her kisses moved downward.
My cock was positively aching since she’d first planted herself in my lap, but I expected nothing from tonight except to learn from her. I was painfully aware of being behind the curve when it came to a woman’s body, and would’ve been content to spend the night studying every square inch of Mari. But after only making her come twice, and now that her lips were trailing below my navel, it seemed she had other plans.
“What are you—mm!”
She rubbed the front of my jeans, my length jumping at the pressure of her touch, as if seeking her out.
“Making tonight a little less one-sided.” I heard the smile in her voice as she pulled my zipper down.
“It’s not one-si—mm, fuck. Mari, you don’t have to.”
“I know.” Her finger dipped into the waistband of my boxer briefs, planting a kiss low on my hip. “But I’d like to, if you’d