Page 59 of Essence of his Soul

I wrapped my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, my body pressing against his. Every inch of me was alive, every nerve buzzing with electricity. I had never felt this way before—like I was drowning and breathing all at once, completely consumed by him. When he finally pulled back, we were both breathless, our foreheads resting against each other’s. His hands stayed on my hips, holding me close as if he was afraid to let go.

“I need you, Essence,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with desire.

I looked into his eyes, the vulnerability there taking my breath away. “I need you too, Mark,” I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. It was the truth—something I had been running fromfor far too long. But there was no running now, no hiding from how we felt. Not anymore.

He smiled, then that crooked, irresistible smile and my heart swelled with emotion. He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead before pulling me closer, his arms wrapping around me as the water continued to rain down on us, washing away all the doubt and fear. In that moment, there was no past, no future—just us, standing together in the heat of the shower, ready to finally take the leap.

Then he lowered his mouth to mine, giving me the kiss I’d been craving all day.

In the distant recesses of my mind, I knew it would be wise to halt what he was about to do. But my mind was weak and shaky, and my body limp. I no longer had the willpower to utter a single protest.

Mark held my face between his hands as he studied me. “You can still say no.”

His mouth was only inches from mine. “Do you want me to say no?” I whispered.

He drew in a deep breath and then let it out. “Not on your life. But I want you to understand that once I start, I may be unable to stop.”

I felt his uneven breath on my cheek. “Then what are you waiting on? Take those jeans off.”

His brow arched with uncertainty. “Are you sure?”

I nodded with consent. “Why are you asking questions when you could be kissing me?”

“Because I want you to want this as much as I do,” he said, waiting for a reply. “Do you want me, Essence?”

I brushed past him and stepped out of the shower, the steam swirling around me like a soft mist. Reaching for my robe hanging on the back of the door, I slid it over my damp skin, the plush fabric clinging to me as I tied the belt around my waist.As I turned around, I caught his puzzled reflection in the mirror and felt a rush of confidence. My lips curled into a slow smile, and I let my tongue glide across my bottom lip, savoring the moment.

“Yes,” I whispered, the word dripping with satisfaction and anticipation like I was finally giving in to what I wanted.

* * *

My senses spun by the scent of her freshly showered body. An overwhelming need to possess her curled in my gut. “Repeat it.”

The sparks from her eyes weren’t hard to miss, but that was not enough. I needed to hear those words again and again. I’d been dead serious when I decided I wasn’t going to make love to her until she made the first move. It had to be her decision, not mine, that brought her to me.

Essence’s breasts rose and fell gently with each shaky breath. “I want you, Mark. I’ve always wanted you.”

I heard enough. What mattered most was being with the woman standing before me.

I closed the distance between us and covered her lips with my mouth, kissing her with all the passion and hunger that had been building since I had entered the room. I pressed her firmly into the wall with my body. The soft suction of her breasts pressed against my chest. The hitch in her breathing told me she was fully aware of my aching erection.

I reached between us, my fingers quick and sure as I opened her robe, exposing her breasts.

“This robe...is ...driving me ...crazy,” I growled between hungry kisses, shuddering when the soft warmth of her right breast brushed against the back of my knuckles.

“Then take it off,” she managed to say, sounding breathless and bothered.

“You shouldn’t have put it on,” I hissed, and she released a soft chuckle. “I guess you wanted me to work for it, huh?”

“Something like that,” she teased.

I untied the belt with one hand and continued to explore with the other.

“It’s...uh...” Essence bit her lip and cried out when my hand seared down her abdomen and found the heat of her.

“This...robe...” I hardly recognized my voice as I worked it over her shoulders and stiff-armed pushed it away. “…is fucking coming off.”

I saw the desire in her eyes while she watched me with anticipation. She looked ravaged and willing, and I groaned with the rush of desire that knotted my groin. What I had believed to be merely a moment of physical need had somehow ripped at my soul. No longer was my interest just for the sake of my son. I wanted Essence. All of her.

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