Page 57 of Tackle

Being inside Emerson was everything Oz had imagined it would be.

And more.

Moving in and out, feeling her heat surrounding him, it took all his effort not to come within the first few seconds of being within her tight walls. He gritted his teeth.

He wouldn’t allow himself release.

Not until she came.

But it was a close thing.

Fingers digging into the flesh of her ass, he pumped harder. Faster.

Sweat tickled his brow and his heart raced, his muscles straining with each powerful thrust. He wouldn’t last much longer.

Reaching between them, he felt for her clit and was rewarded. Her thighs tightened around his hips and her head flew back. He watched the long arch of her throat as her sex clamped around his dick. That was his undoing. His balls tightened—hell, every muscle in his body went tight. And then his orgasm hit. He tipped his head back and planted himself deep as wave after wave of sensation drained him.

Collapsing to his elbows, he planted his face in Emerson’s neck, his harsh breaths coming back to smack him in the face, pelting him with bursts of moist, hot air.

Emerson’s hands landed on his back and drifted up, causing goosebumps in their wake. He gave her neck a kiss, nuzzling the soft skin. She smelt like some type of flower—he wasn’t sure which, only that it smelled delicious. She was warm and soft and he could lie just as he was forever.

Time ticked. Either had yet to speak. Oz wasn’t huge on words to begin with, though he was trying with Emerson, but he wasn’t sure how to express what he was feeling. How did one explain to another how drastically their world had just shifted? How did one express such intense feelings? So he said nothing and let his pounding heart do the talking.

Emerson wiggled beneath him, and he rolled to the side, assuming he was too heavy. He assumed wrong. He knew that when she turned her head on the pillow to look at him. The serene expression he expected to see wasn’t in evidence. Instead of half-mast, tranquil eyes, he got turbulent blue orbs.

His girl was not happy.

“Don’t move from this spot.” He got up and went into the bathroom, disposing of the condom.

Crawling back in bed, he situated himself against the headboard and pulled Emerson onto his lap. “You’re still upset.” He didn’t want it to sit and stew. He wanted to spend the rest of the evening making love but knew that wouldn’t happen until they cleared the air. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Hair tousled and looking sexy as hell, she tipped her head to look up at him. “I’m still upset that you let that girl kiss you.”

“First and foremost, I didn’tlether do anything. I’ll admit, I was a little slow on the uptake, letting her get so close.ThatI should have known better and for that, I am sorry. But as soon as her lips touched me, I shoved her away.ThatI was not slow about. I want to make that perfectly clear.”

She was silent for a long moment and then she softly said, “I need to apologize to you too. My insecurities got the better of me and that rarely happens. I wish you’d have given me time to process, maybe the whole fight could have been avoided.”

“Emerson,” he took her hand and placed it over his heart, “you have nothing to be insecure about.”

“Idoknow that, but that woman… And then seeing your name tattooed on her, and her saying she’d always have a piece of you… It took me by surprise how much that hurt. It felt like she had a bigger piece of you than I did. Then my head went off on a tangent. Were we taking things slow or were we at a standstill? And that led to wondering if you were even still interested.”

He internally groaned. Him and his damn slow-down plan. Cupping her neck, he rubbed his thumb along her jaw. “I’ve always been interested. I knew you were special from the first moment I laid eyes on you. It was me with the hang ups and insecurities. But never doubt, I’ve always wanted you. And for the record, Holly doesn't have a piece of me. She can’t. Because you have the only part that matters—my heart. I’m not a groupie chaser, never have been, hell, being with you is the first time I’ve had sex in four years.”

“Wait,” she interrupted him. “You haven’t had sex in four years? But you had a condom in your wallet.”

“Yeah, and I hope like hell that thing was still good. It’s old as fuck.” He tried a small smile which, thank fuck, she returned.

“Seeing Holly again really threw me,” she admitted.

“I honestly never expected to see her again either.”

Emerson pondered that for a moment, something working behind her eyes. Finally, she asked, “Do you think we need to be worried about her?”

Oz had been asking himself that same question. He didn’t want to worry Emerson, but he also didn’t want her to be caught unawares. “I’d like to say no, but honestly, I’m not sure.”

“Maybe you should call the police.”

Oz shook his head. “There’s nothing they can do at this point. I will call my agent though, let him know what’s going on.”

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