Page 33 of Finding Gwen

“You have nothing to apologize for, luce mia,” I reassured her.

“I hate this feeling, Anthony. I hate feeling so out of control,” she whimpered, her eyes wandering down to my lips and back up. “Will you help me feel something different?” She brought a hand to my chest, the warmth sending electrical pulses straight to my heart.

“No, Gwen.” I shook my head as I spoke, trying to hide the evident desire in my voice. “You’re in no position. I will not take advantage of you right now.”

She pulled away from my chest, straddling my lap as she ran her hands over my chest. Her soft skin set mine on fire. I wanted her.

“Please,” she softly begged. “I want to forget.” The sadness in her eyes turned to lust as she pulled on her bottom lip with her teeth.

Fuck, this woman had my entire soul. All she had to say was, please.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Gwen

When I woke up from reliving my worst nightmare and found myself curled up against Anthony’s bare chest, something inside me shifted. After everything that had happened between Matt and that stupid masked man, I should not have wanted Anthony’s hands on me. But he was different. Only he would be able to erase the horrible memories, filling the pain in with beautiful pleasure.

I brought my hands to his chest. The light speckling of hair was damp, which confused me. As I shifted my body to straddle his lap, taking in even more of him as I ran my hands over his chest. His sharp intake of breath had me looking up, his face twisted in an almost pained expression.

“Please, I want to forget,” I begged, my voice threatening to break. His face was undecipherable, his brows pulled together and lips in a thin line.

Pulling away, I shifted to get off his lap. This was too much to ask of him. I read the signals wrong. Great fucking job, Gwen. The overwhelming urge to scream at my fucked up emotions had me wanting to punch something. Anthony’s hands found my face. My body froze between the bed and his lap, then his lips were on mine. I melted into his hold on me as he pulled me closer to him, our chests touching.

He leaned back, just enough so I could look into his eyes while keeping our bodies pressed together. “Gwendalyn, are you sure?” His voice was hoarse but gentle. I nodded my head, pulling at my bottom lip with my teeth. I wanted this man more than words could ever express. “Words, luce mia.”

“Please, Anthony. Help me forget,” I whispered.

He was on me before I could take my next breath. Taking his time, he kissed me in the most rough and passionate way. I had never felt this way before. My skin was on fire, begging for his touch. His hands moved; one going behind my head, fisting my hair at the base of my neck. The other was on my upper thigh, tugging me toward him until I was once again straddling him with my legs wrapped around his waist. His kisses became desperate, as if he was running out of air and I had the last of the oxygen.

I don’t know how long we stayed like that, chests pressed together and desperately clinging to each other. When his lips left mine, I groaned at the loss. Using the hand in my hair, he tilted my head to the side, nipping at my neck with his teeth before kissing the skin and soothing the pain. Over and over, his mouth travels from the base of my ear to my collarbone, leaving a wet trail in its wake. Every inch of my skin was crawling, demanding more contact. I barely registered my head resting on the pillow as he leaned over me, his hand moving from under my head.

“Anthony, please…” I begged, not recognizing my own voice. “I need you to touch me…”

“Grab the headboard, luce mia.” He commanded, the low growl sending electrical pulses through my body. “If you let go, I stop. But you’re going to be a good girl and tell me when things are too much, aren’t you?”

“Yes…” My answer was breathy, trying to push my body up into his. He pulls away, smirking down at me as I stick out my bottom lip. I stretch my arms above me to grab onto his headboard, my legs falling from Anthony’s waist to rest on his hips. His hand moved down to the hem of my shirt, pushing it up until my breasts were exposed. He quickly palmed them and I moaned when his thumbs brushed my nipples.

“I love the way you respond to my touch, luce mia.” His praise sent a flood of arousal between my legs as his mouth latched on to one of the peaks. Sucking it into his mouth, his fingers trailed down my stomach, his touch sparking a fire in my core.

When he reached my hips, my breath hitched, and I pushed into the mattress away from his touch.

“Anthony…” I whispered, not wanting to let go but needing him to pause. His hands quickly left my body as my mind started spiraling. The bruises. I hadn’t seen them since yesterday, but I knew they wouldn’t have just disappeared. What if this changes things? A tear escaped from the corner of my eye as I took a deep breath to re-center myself.

“Luce mia, are you okay?” His voice was calm and gentle. My chest tightened at his concern as the emotions flooded my body.

“I’m okay. I just needed a minute. The bruises…” I trail off, not knowing how to explain what I was feeling. As if reading my mind, one of Anthony’s hands brushed over my hip. I lifted my head, watching as Anthony leaned back on his heels.

“Gwendalyn, I said it last night and I will say it again. These bruises do not define you.” His hands snaked under my ass to the waistband of my pants while he talked, working them down my legs until they were off and on the floor. “You are no less because of what he did to you. When you leave my bed, it will only be when you understand how extraordinary of a woman you are. I will worship your body for however long it takes.” His lips found my exposed hip, nipping at the skin in the same way as before, my skin once again on fire. As he made his way around the bruise, my body responded to the sensations, warmth pooling in my center.

“Anthony…” My head fell back once again, my eyes closing and a moan escaping my lips. My legs tried to straighten and Anthony’s lips left my skin, his hands pressing on my thighs, spreading my legs.

“Do you trust me?” He asked, lust coating his words. I nodded my head, certain he could see me from his position in between my legs. When he didn’t immediately restart his assault on my skin, I lifted my head to see him glaring at me in warning.

“Yes, Anthony. Of course, I trust you,” I answered, offering a small smile to encourage him even more. My heart skipped a beat watching Anthony look down at my body, desire consuming his features. His middle finger ran through my center, gathering the wetness that had dripped down my thighs from his earlier admiration of my body. Slight discomfort pulsed between my legs as he gently slid a finger inside me, slowly moving back and forth. My brows pinched together at the intrusion, willing my body to relax. This was Anthony. I trusted Anthony.

“Gwendalyn, look at me,” he urged, my gaze finding him. “Good girl, luce mia. You can do this.” My face relaxed with his praise, my tense muscles following suit. Anthony leaned down, planting a kiss directly above my exposed clit as he added another finger. I gasped, trying to push up into him for more, but his hand on my thigh tightened, keeping me against the bed. His head moved, his beard scratching against my hip. I started to ask what he was doing when I got my answer. Pain radiated through my body as his mouth bit down on my bruised flesh.

“Fuck. Anthony…” My voice came out as a strangled moan, my hips instinctively bucking against Anthony’s hand as he pumped his fingers faster and the pain morphed into pleasure. His thumb grazed my clit, an orgasm quickly building. My nails dug into the wood of the headboard, not wanting to accidentally let go. “Please, Anthony, don’t stop,” I groaned, my body begging for more.

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