Page 78 of Cloud Nine Love

“Fuck me,” she whimpered. “Hard.”

At her bold instruction, I pulled out and drove into her again and again with passion propelling my force. The pressure and friction of our intimately joined bodies rocketed me toward climax. I managed to hold my orgasm at bay until I felt her tight canal begin to spasm as her entire body shuddered in release.

My eyes stayed locked with hers as I thrust into her one final time. I tensed as my fingers dug into her thigh so tightly I wouldn’t be surprised if there was evidence of my hold on her skin tomorrow. The thought of marking her, of seeing proof of our coupling, served to surge my gratification to greater heights. I poured myself into her as her body milked every last drop from me. Once I was completely spent, I rolled onto my back, pulling her along with me so her head was lying on my chest and her leg was draped over my thigh.

We lay in silence, the only sound coming from our ragged breaths. As difficult as it had been for me to keep my distance from her and respect her boundaries, I knew if I hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here like this. She would have pushed me away.

“Did you keep the Coach Taylor costume?” she asked as her fingers trailed along the tattoo on my upper arm.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I did. Do you have scrubs at home?”

“I do.”

“I love you, Ana,” I whispered against the top of her head. “I think I’ve loved you since I saw you sitting at that bar.”

“I love you, too, Kyle,” she said softly.

It was strange, but it felt right that we were declaring our love to each other for the first time using the first names we’d known each other as. It was more intimate. It was more personal. It was more us than if we’d used our actual names. Taylor and Remi were common. Everyone knew us by those names. But Ana and Kyle were ours.

Well, with one exception.

My thumb rubbed lazy circles on her lower back as she melted against me. I figured now would be as good a time as any to break the news we had a Sherlock in our midst. “Just a heads up, Kenna heard us talking in the hall. She heard me call you Ana.”

The news caused Taylor to become stiff as a board, as if she were doing the mannequin challenge.

She swallowed an audible gulp as she asked, “She did?”

“Yes, and she sort of put two and two together.”

“She did,” she stated in a resigned tone as her body relaxed.

I wasn’t sure if the release of tension I’d felt stemmed from disappointment or acceptance. I had no clue where she stood on people knowing about us, but there was one way to find out.

“She did,” I confirmed. “But it doesn’t matter because I want to be with you. For real. No more sneaking around. Is that what you want?” I wondered if she could feel my heart hammering beneath her cheek.

“Yes,” she whispered as her head nodded up and down, and I exhaled a breath I might have been holding since the first time I saw her as I pulled her even closer to me.

She snuggled against me, and I could hear her breathing patterns begin to slow. I knew this might not be the best time, but I wanted, no, needed, her to know where my head was at and what my intentions were before she went to sleep.

“And since I know you don’t like surprises, I’m telling you now, I am going to ask you to marry me.”

Her eyes shot up to mine, and I could see the panic in them.

“Not now,” I clarified. “I’m just giving you a warning so your pretty little head can get used to the idea.”

The panic disappeared as a grin tilted on her full lips. She laid her head back on my chest.

“A year,” she said.

“A year?” I repeated.

“You have to wait a year to ask me to marry you.”

“Is that a rule?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Fine,” I agreed. I could wait a year. Hell, I could wait forever if it meant that she was mine.

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