Page 157 of As the World Falls

I walk to my dresser and pull out a pair of sweatpants, then I drop my towel and look at her again, amused by how her eyes widen. She quickly redirects her gaze and practically stares a hole into her book.

“You can look, babe.”

“You’re drunk. It would be like taking advantage of you.”

I felt mostly better after my shower. I could think and speak clearly. I just felt a little off balance—nothing I couldn’t handle. If I chugged three bottles of water and housed two rib-eye steaks, I’d probably feel one hundred percent again.

“You could never take advantage of me. Look all you want. Touch if you need to.”

She presses her lips together in an attempt to hide her smile. “I’m okay.”

“Such a pity,” I remark. She rolls her eyes as I shrug my sweatpants on. Then I go to the end of the bed, planting both hands on the mattress as I stare up at her.

“What are you doing?” she asks curiously,

“Stalking my prey.”

“What?” she questions just as I lunge up the bed like a lion, closing in on her. Her eyes flame as she watches me and sets her book aside on the nightstand. “You could have let me tell you to crawl for me. It’s much sexier that way.”

I grab hold of her ankle and tug her down under me. “I can’t give you all the power now, can I?”

She tilts her head, her mouth hitching in the corner. “I recall you once telling me I have all the power over you.”

“When we are in this bed, and I’m inside you, making you scream my name, it’s me who has all the power, babe.”

“Must be an impressive power to overtake me.”

“You say it as if you don’t believe it.”

She bites her lip as her eyes flick up to mine, so full of need and excitement. “I’m not sure if I do.”

I slowly run my fingers over the chest of her robe, moving down to the tie around her waist and slowly tugging the knot loose. “Looks like I’ll have to prove it to you then.” Her robe comes undone and falls to her sides, exposing the center of her flat stomach and the inner swells of her breasts. Just this small glimpse of her drove me crazy, and I couldn’t wait. I needed to see all of her. I needed to have all of her. Right now.

Her heart was beating so hard that I could see it shaking her chest, and I leaned down, dropping my mouth over where it lay. She gasps at the contact, and I move my tongue over the spot, dragging it up her breast. I drag my hand down her body, burying it between her legs and carefully caressing her.

“Do you feel okay?” I ask her.

Her voice is breathy and deep as she speaks. “Feel…pretty good right now.”

I glance over to the gauze taped under her left ribs, knowing there was more on her back where the knife cut straight through her to the front. My stomach rolls at the memory, but I don’t stop my movements. Her excited moans and the way her skin is becoming so hot only spur me on.

“You’re not in any pain?” I ask again to make sure.

“Only if you stop.”

I grin, continuing my pursuit. She shakes beneath me like it was our first time ever, like she couldn’t wait. My fingers dip inside of her, and a moan rips from her. “Fuck, you’ve been needing me so bad, haven’t you?” She nods vigorously, and I drop my mouth to her neck, kissing her there. “It’s okay. I’m going to make it better now.”

“James,” she pants, her voice small and needy.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to prove me right already?”

“I’m so close. I can’t help it,” she murmurs as I pump my fingers in and out of her.

“You’re not coming close to anything until it’s my cock you feel inside you.” She pouts as I pull my fingers from her, but when I rise on my knees and slide my sweatpants down around my thighs, her smile perks up again. My cock bobs above her, and I take hold of it, stroking it as she watches with damn hearts in her eyes. Anxiety is flooding my chest for having her so close to me when she was once ripped away so suddenly, but my need for her is so visceral it overcomes it, and I can’t do anything but feel her wrapped around me.

I push myself into her tight opening, groaning at the feel of being so fucking close. So fucking mine. “Yes,” she cries as I slowly bottom out. My teeth grind together as I pull back out, achingly slow, and then thrust back in again.

“God, I love you. Love feeling you. Your heartbeat. Your tight pussy taking every inch I have to give you.”

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