Page 81 of Redeeming Melodies

He shut the door behind us, gaze steady and unblinking, like he was grounding himself on the moment—on me. My heart was a hammer in my chest, each beat daring me to believe this wasreal. And maybe he felt it too, because he gave me this soft smile that said he was just as lost, just as sure.

“Elliot…” His voice was rough, catching like he couldn’t get it all out. His hands found my face, fingers sliding into my hair, and I kissed him like I needed it to breathe. Like I’d never kissed him before, though my mouth knew his already, the taste of him, the feel of his lips soft and certain, leaving no doubt in my mind that this was right. This was home.

Clothes came off in slow, deliberate pulls, each one a choice, a promise. My shirt, then his, his hands lingering over each button as if he was learning me piece by piece, memorizing skin and bone and the way I shivered when his hand brushed my shoulder. I ran my fingers over his chest, felt the warm expanse of muscle and heartbeat beneath, grounding me. Real. Here.

We took our time, but there was a certain clumsiness to it, a trial and error as we moved together. We were both figuring it out, feeling our way through every new sensation, every moment of hesitation giving way to laughter or soft curses when hands went in the wrong place, when kisses missed their mark. But we kept at it, taking it slow, savoring every bit of skin, every touch.

And then he was beneath me, and I was filling his hands, his mouth, his world. His cock against mine, hard and sure, sending jolts of need through me until I could barely think straight. Until my entire world was narrowed down to where he touched, where he wanted me, where he needed me. I gasped as he pulled me closer, fingers tangling with mine as we found a rhythm, my mind a blur of heat and skin and the raw, heady weight of him.

“Jake…” I could barely get his name out, my body already knowing what I wanted before my mind had time to catch up. And he looked at me, eyes full of everything we’d never said.

The room felt impossibly close, holding us together in a silence so thick you could drown in it. Jake's hands lingered on my face, fingers tangling in my hair, his gaze steady andsearching like he was memorizing me. I felt bare, exposed in ways that went beyond the shirt I’d just pulled off and the jeans that followed. He held my gaze, the kind of look that demanded honesty.

“God, Elliot… you don’t know what you do to me,” he murmured, voice rough with all the things he couldn’t quite say. His hand traced the curve of my shoulder, down my chest, a touch that left a trail of heat everywhere it landed. His fingers paused on my ribs like he was holding himself back, and I could see the question in his eyes even before he asked it.

“You good with this?” His voice was soft, but the look in his eyes was anything but. “Because… if you need to slow down?—”

“I don’t need slow, Jake,” I said, my voice coming out steadier than I felt. I let out a breath that tasted like relief, like surrender. “I need you. Right here, right now.”

He nodded, something like relief passing over his face as he pressed his lips to mine, slow at first, then deeper, more insistent. His hands moved to my waist, pulling me close as our bodies met, skin to skin, the warmth of him grounding me like nothing else. I slid my fingers over his chest, down his stomach, every inch of him feeling like something I’d known forever but was discovering for the first time.

He let out a shaky breath, his voice a whisper. “Elliot… feels like I’ve wanted this forever.”

“Then show me.” My voice sounded raw, a challenge, a plea. “Show me just how much.”

We moved together in a rhythm that was both instinct and exploration, hands searching and finding, touches lingering where they could. He grinned when his hand slipped, a chuckle that melted into a groan as I kissed him deeper, our lips, our bodies fumbling in a way that only made it feel more real.

When I kissed down his neck, he let out this low noise, somewhere between a moan and a sigh. “God, Elliot…” Hisbreath came in short, sharp gasps as my hands found their way to the edge of his boxers, fingers tracing skin that was new, unexplored territory.

“Feels good?” I asked, my voice coming out barely above a whisper. But the look in his eyes said he understood. More than that—he wanted it as much as I did.

His response was immediate, voice rough and full of need. “Better than good. You—shit—don’t know what you’re doing to me.” He reached for me, pulling me down until our bodies were flush, our breaths mingling in the space between us. “Just… don’t stop, whatever you do.”

We both laughed, the sound breaking through the tension like a spark, and I kissed him again, deeper this time, like I could pour every unsaid thing between us into that one moment. His hand trailed down, fingers brushing over my thigh, and it felt so damn natural, like we’d been doing this forever.

“Been a while since…” He trailed off, that nervous, uncertain look crossing his face as he swallowed hard, his fingers tracing a path up my spine. “Guess I’m figuring it out as I go.”

“Same,” I admitted, reaching up to touch his face, my thumb brushing over his jaw, feeling the scratch of stubble under my fingers. “We don’t have to know it all right now. We just… feel it out. Take it slow.”

His hand found mine, fingers lacing between mine, and he gave me a look that felt like a promise. “Then we’ll take it slow,” he said, his voice a low, husky murmur against my skin. “But no holding back.”

“None.” I nodded, letting the weight of those words sink in, the truth behind them like a tether grounding me. “I’m here. All in.”

He grinned, that same steady, reassuring smile I’d come to rely on. “Guess we’re in this together, then.”

The way he said it felt like he meant more than just tonight. It felt like he was saying this was real—like we were building something beyond what we’d dared to imagine before. The thought hit hard, making my breath catch.

Our breaths fell into a steady rhythm, each one a promise that lingered as Jake’s hands explored me with a reverence I hadn’t expected. The weight of his fingers traced down my sides, his touch grounding me as much as it sent shivers along my skin. His eyes held mine, soft but filled with the kind of hunger that left no room for doubt. I felt myself fully laid bare, exposed in ways I hadn’t anticipated, every layer peeled back, and he looked at me like he could see every inch of me, flaws and all.

“Let me…?” His voice was barely a whisper, his gaze questioning as his hand trailed lower, settling between my legs with a gentle, careful touch. The weight of his hand against me sent a jolt of warmth through my body, leaving me half-breathless as I nodded.

“Yes,” I managed, my voice thick with anticipation. “Yeah… I want this. I want you.”

He nodded, letting out a slow exhale as his hand found my cock, fingers wrapping around me with a pressure that was both careful and possessive. He stroked me slowly, building a rhythm that left me panting, his thumb brushing over the head with a softness that felt at odds with the fire in his gaze.

“Elliot… I want you so much,” he murmured, his hand never breaking pace, each stroke leaving me more breathless, more aware of the warmth pooling between us. “Can’t believe we’re finally here.”

“Then don’t stop,” I managed, my hands gripping his shoulders, pulling him closer, our mouths meeting in a kiss that was all heat, all longing. I could feel him, his hardness pressed against me, the heat between us impossible to ignore.

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