Page 99 of Picture Perfect

"Thanks, Abuela," I say, putting just enough stress on my gratitude to convey urgency without tipping her off to the real reason I want to be alone with Addy.

I intercept her before she enters the kitchen.

"Chess?" Addy's voice is low, questioning as she sends a glance toward my family.

"Need you." My heart hammers as I step closer to her, lowering my voice. "It's important."

"Okay, then," she agrees with a shrug of slender shoulders, and I swear I could watch her forever, caught up in the simplest movements she makes.

I lead the way, acutely aware of her presence behind me, the air charged with something new, something that both terrifies and excites me.

I barely register the corners we turn, the family pictures that blur past us on the walls. My hand is firm around Addy's wrist as I lead—practically pull—her through the familiar maze of my home. The urgency pulsing within me narrows the world down to her presence, her heat, her quick breaths that tell me she's just as caught up in this current as I am.

The moment my bedroom door clicks shut behind us, the air shifts. It's like stepping into another reality where only we exist. I spin around, and without hesitation, my lips crash onto hers, a silent confession of the storm she's ignited inside me.

"Chess," she whispers against my mouth, a mix of surprise and something deeper, something that fans the flames.

"You have no idea," I breathe out, pulling back just enough to look into her wide green eyes, "how incredible you are, Addy." My hands find her face, thumbs caressing her cheeks with a reverence that surprises even me. "And I know—I know things are messy with me, Dre, and Saint."

Her gaze holds mine, the vulnerability there, the shield she wears so well, it starts to drop, and I see her—all of her. It's breathtaking.

"I don't want to put you in the middle, make you choose. I don't want to be just another complication in your life..." My voice trails off, the weight of my next words settling in my chest. "But damn it, Addy, after what you did for Carmen... I can't pretend I don't want this. A real shot with you."

She doesn't break our eye contact, not even for a second, and it's like she's seeing right through to the chaos of desires and fears tangled within me.

"Yes," she says, her voice stronger than the tremble of her fingers as they lace with mine.

"Addy, you're not just someone to me. You're—" The words jam in my throat because everything feels too big, too important, too much for mere words to hold.

She smiles and presses her lips to mine and I'm lost to the hunger once again.

My lips trail down from her mouth, across the delicate curve of her jaw, and I feel her pulse quicken under my touch. The scent of her, something floral mingled with the rush of adrenaline, intoxicates me as I continue to explore every inch of skin she's willing to bare. Her soft gasps fill the room, each one a melody to the rhythm we're creating.

"Chess," she breathes out, a whisper that sends shivers down my spine. I pull back just enough to look into those emerald eyes of hers, shimmering with an unspoken question.

"Fuck Addy," my voice thick with desire. But it's more than that—more than just physical need. It's Addy, all of her complexities and resilience, and I want to be part of her story in a way that neither of us will forget.

Her fingers find the hem of my shirt, fumbling slightly as she lifts it over my head. My hands are steadier, driven by a hunger I can barely control, as I peel away her clothes, revealing the goddess hidden beneath. Each barrier shed between us only fuels the fire that's threatening to consume us both.

I can't get enough of her. I want to memorize every inch of her skin, every curve and dip, every freckle and scar. I want to worship her body, show her just how much she means to me.

I manage to lay her down on my bed as my gaze roves over her body, taking in every inch of her. I brush a lock of hair from her face, allowing me to drink in the sight of her flushed cheeks and dilated pupils. My lips travel down her neck, leaving a trail of fiery kisses that elicit soft moans from her lips. My hands roam over her body, tracing the curves of her hips and the swell of her breasts. Addy's fingers tangle in my hair as I make my way down to the swell of her breasts, taking one hardened peak into my mouth while my hand gently squeezes the other.

“Fuck,” I murmur against her skin, feeling myself harden even more at the soft whimper that escapes her beautiful lips.

Her breath hitches as I move lower, kissing down the softness of her stomach. I elicit another gasp as I dip my tongue into her navel. Then, reaching the apex of her thighs, I take a deep breath as the scent of her arousal fills my nostrils—sweet and musky with a hint of something so uniquely Addy. It sends a jolt of desire coursing through me, making my cock twitch in anticipation.

I spread those pretty pink lips, and am greeted by the sigh if her glistening heat. I can’t help but lick my lips at the sight. She looks so damn delicious. I lick a strip from her core to her clit. Her taste explodes on my tongue—intoxicatingly sweet mixed with something tangy that makes me groan out loud. Addy arches off the bed, hands fisted in the sheets as she moans my name.

I tease her clit with feather-light flicks of my tongue, reveling in each involuntary shudder that racks through Addy’s body. She opens up for me like a flower blooming in spring, beautiful and breathtaking. With every moan and shudder I coax from her trembling body, I feel myself getting closer to losing control.

I’m so damn hard I’m surprised I haven’t drilled a hole straight into the mattress.

I continue to explore every inch of her, finding all the spots that make Addy squirm and gasp. When I finally slip my fingers inside her and suck her clit, she's already soaking wet for me. Her walls clench around me as I curl them up inside of her and she cries out in pleasure.

"Fuck, you're so tight."

With one hand exploring the depths of her body, I trace circles around Addy’s sensitive clit with my tongue. Her moans and gasps urge me on as she writhes beneath me. I press my other arm across her hips, pressing down to keep her still. Her moans grow louder and more urgent as she writhes against me, her body on the verge of release.

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