lips as he thrust his way home, and his panting breaths, his bitten off curses in my ear, were enough to make my heart start pounding all over again.
His mouth moved against my skin with a feverishness that had heat prickling up and down my spine. He supped at me, supped from me as he let his lips travel, whispering over my throat and up to my chin and jaw, not stopping until all my nerve endings were on fire, and we could connect with a kiss. In time to each plowing motion, he plunged his tongue into my mouth as he fucked me.
His thrusts were slow at first. Letting me feel how thick and hard he was, how full I felt with him inside me. Then, as I felt his body shudder in reaction, he began to speed up.
It was urgent, frantic. Powerful. Intense.
It washed over me, drowning me in sensation, suffocating me in him, and fuck, I’d never wanted la petite mort more.
He groaned into me when he came, his kiss stealing my breath, my body accepting his seed.
I loved the feel of him inside me, the silky wetness that bound me to him in ways no one would ever understand, in ways that felt primal and right.
The feel of him, his slickness surging inside me, sent me soaring high again. I gasped, my heart stuttering as the pleasure washed through me, as ecstasy had me letting out a silent scream while I ran my fingers through his hair and gripped the locks hard enough to sting.
We groaned and moaned together, our sounds of love and pleasure better than a chorus, better than a choir singing hosannas to the heavens.
But then, wasn’t that what our cries of passion were?
A benediction?
As my pleasure began to wane, the soaring heights starting to drift away, I slumped into him, knowing he’d hold me, knowing he wouldn’t let me fall.
In this, I could trust him.
It was in everything else I couldn’t.
And if that didn’t break my heart...even as he glued parts of it back together again...nothing else could.
THEA
I squinted at Robert Ramsden, wondering if I was dreaming or something, because I was pretty sure what he’d just said was something from a bad trip. And I wasn’t talking the likes of The Hangover. I meant acid. LSD. Angel dust.
“Excuse me?” I repeated hoarsely. “You want to adopt me?”
His smile was tight. “I’m so sorry for what my son has put you through, Theodosia. As a family, we’d like to make amends.”
My brow puckered in confusion. “How... Why? You’re not to blame.” And he wasn’t.
Cain was.
I was almost ashamed of my oxygen-deprived brain for blaming Adam for hurting me, Adam who loved me. Who needed me as much as I needed him.
Cain’s evil had washed over me, and I’d survived. Barely.
Adam’s father’s mouth tightened as he scanned me over and looked at the hospital bed I’d been in for the last seventy-two hours, at the IV line that was still attached, and stated, “I raised him. Part of the blame has to rest at my door.”
I wasn’t sure if I liked that logic. “You want to adopt me because your son is a crazy person?” I asked bluntly, wondering if this was some kind of joke.
He flinched. “Yes.”
“I’m not a charity case.” Maybe I had more pride than sense, but dear God, no way was this happening.
It was like something from a fairy tale. But I didn’t trust in them, nor did I want to find myself in a starring role.
Usually, before the happily ever after, a whole fuck ton of bad juju came tumbling down on the poor, unwitting heroine—no way was I inviting that kind of mayhem into my life. If I hadn’t already, that is.
“No, you’re not, but the doctors have informed me of some...issues you’re having. Medically. I’d like to cover those expenses. It’s the least I can do.”
“You don’t have to adopt me to cover those costs,” I rasped, refusing to wince at the issues he’d mentioned. Like suddenly refusing to have a bath because that meant getting into water. I was apparently too weak on my feet to have a shower, which meant I was sitting here, stinking to high heaven, because one thing Theodosia Kinkade could be was stubborn.
I couldn’t have a shower, then I was just going to have to stink out the ward until they let me.
I didn’t doubt I’d get over it—I had no choice. The water was my home. But for the