Page 64 of Floored

"Beautiful," he whispered. Jude planted his fists on the bed and prowled up over me like a great big cat, stopping only to drop a gentle kiss on the curve of my belly.

Inexplicably, tears pricked hot in my eyes at that kiss.

No, whatever this moment was between us, it wasn't stupid, and it wasn't a bad idea.

I'd go to my grave remembering him like this. That was the thought in my head when he took my mouth in another searing kiss.

That was the thought in my heart when he brought me up over the crest for the first time with his hand. Then he whispered into my ear that my pleasure was perfect, that I was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life, and he couldn't wait to feel me again. How he'd dreamed of it night after night.

Part of me wanted to reverse our positions, so I could sit up over him and watch as he got his pleasure. Where I could—eyes wide open—see the moment on his face when he let go of all control.

But when he gripped my thigh tight in one strong hand and pushed inside, I lost my breath. I lost any idea that wasn't this one.

Jude moved so slowly at first that I almost screamed at him, almost raked my nails down his back, almost exploded again from unspent frustration.

He whispered things into my skin that weren't clear, things I couldn't make out behind the rushing and roaring in my ears. I arched up, my hands stretching up over my head until I’d braced my palms flat against the headboard. He lifted his head and stared down into my face for one breathless beat.

Jude looked stupefied. He looked confused. He looked like someone had knocked him flat with a two-by-four.

But instead of making some pleasure-loaded confession, I saw the moment he was ready to stop prolonging whatever tight-rope he was walking. His jaw clenched, a muscle popping behind the dark scruff on his face, and oh, oh, he began to move.

By the time I was flung past the second peak, I was practically sobbing, his back slick with sweat and his eyes boring into mine with an intensity that might have scared me if I didn't feel so amazing.

I arched into one particularly brutal snap of his hips, and he yelled my name.

He was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

Jude slumped over me after a few more slow movements, and I curled my arms around him, tightened my thighs around his hips, and kissed his shoulder.

"Whoa," I whispered, my heart pounding in a jittering, jangling beat behind my ribs.

He lifted his head and grinned again, and it was such a dopey grin that I burst out laughing.

Jude laughed too, rubbing his hand up and down my back.

After we cleaned up, I snuggled underneath the covers next to him, and the sigh of relief that came from deep within his chest made me smile again.

It was no wonder that sex became an addiction for some. The sense of power, the relaxed euphoria that I felt lying next to him was unparalleled. The ultimate high that I hadn't even known existed.

"Stay the night?" he asked.

I turned slightly, laying my head on his shoulder. "I don't know, my small bed in my small flat sounds so appealing right now."

He tickled my side, and I laughed into his skin.

Jude was quiet for the next few minutes, doing nothing more than running his fingers through the ends of my tangled hair. When he spoke, I could feel the rumble of his voice underneath my ear.

"Care to take a little holiday this week?"

I grinned happily. "Yeah. You can get away?"

"I can, yeah. We have international break next weekend. No matches."

Propping my chin on his chest, I rubbed my fingertips along the scruff on his jaw. "Where should we go? There's a lot I haven't seen yet."

"You had to leave Haworth early, yeah?"

"Yeah. Someone's unborn child made me pukey, then I saw that same someone on the cover of a newspaper and cut my trip short to come home and take a pregnancy test."

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