Page 60 of Essence of his Soul

The robe fell in a heap on the taupe-carpeted floor. And my eyes took a moment to appreciate every delicious inch. Her breasts were full and round, the weight of them heavy and firm. Her aureoles were chocolate, her nipples delicate and erect.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” I murmured.

“Touch me,” she whispered boldly.

Those two words damn near drove me over the edge. I reached out, traced a finger around Essence's erect nipple, and felt a tremor race through her.

“Like this?”

Eyes closed, she moaned softly. “Or like this?” I rolled her nipple between my finger and my thumb, and she whimpered.

“Tell me what else you want,” I coaxed while my finger traveled down her abdomen, then painted figure eights at the inside of her thighs.

She clutched my shoulders to keep from falling. “Your mouth. I want your mouth,” she murmured.

Before Essence could catch her breath, I hauled her into my arms and carried her over to the bed. My eyes were glued to her, drinking in the slimness of her waist and the darker tangle of hair at the juncture of her thighs. Her breath came out in shallow breaths as she watched me remove my wet blue jeans and boxers. I reached for my wallet, tore the package open with my teeth, and rolled the condom on. I was surprised I even had the presence of mind to think about her protection.

“Look at me,” I commanded while I positioned myself between her parted thighs. “I want to see your eyes when I come inside.”

Her nod was all I needed. Instead, her hips rose to meet me, her back arched in invitation. I watched the depths of her eyes as I thrust into Essence’s body. Her lips parted in pleasure, and I had to grit my teeth because she felt so damn good. I pushed deeper, burying myself. I started out slow, gathering my will. The extreme pleasure I felt at that moment came out in a rough sigh as I battled to hold on to my composure for as long as possible. I worked my hands into her hair, hanging at her shoulders, and kept her eyes fixed firmly on me, searching for any resistance or a sign that I had read her wrong or she had changed her mind. Nothing. Essence locked her legs around me and held on, gripping my shoulders.

Thank God! Because there was no way I could have stopped, not with her walls tightening snugly around my erection.

Determined to hold off for as long as he could, I leaned down and took a nipple into my mouth. Essence whimpered and tilted her head back, her eyes closed, her lips trembling. I sensed she was on the verge of an orgasm. Good, because I wasn’t very far behind. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and I pumped my hips as we rode the storm together.

Beyond that point, I stopped thinking of anything but the raw passion that blocked everything from my brain as a climaxripped through Essence. I plunged deeper inside her until my body convulsed uncontrollably.

I wilted against her chest, and my breath came out in ragged gasps to match hers. I held her tightly, reveling in her soft skin, the taste of her still lingering on my tongue and lips. I had experienced every brisk beat of her heart against my chest and each lingering pulsation where we were still joined. But as the sensation began to subside, awareness struck me like a fist in the face.

Essence was doing something to me—something I hadn’t expected or could control. She wasn’t just a beautiful woman. She was more than that, more than I imagined her to be. The way she made me feel? The feeling was wild and intense, something I couldn’t shake even if I tried. And believe me, I tried.

But the truth hit me like a freight train. This wasn’t just about sex. It wasn’t about how good she looked or what she did to my body. Nah, she had unleashed something deep inside me that went beyond physical gratification. It was bigger than all that. Essence had cracked open a part of me I kept locked away, and now I knew—I would never be the same again.

I wanted her. Not just sexually but in every way possible. My needs had grown into something I couldn’t even keep in check. It was almost like an obsession, but not the kind of obsession that comes and goes. No, this was different. Essence had gotten into my heart, twisted it up, and the truth? It rocked me.

She had me feeling all kinds of things I wasn’t ready for, yet it was too late to turn back. I was in deep. But then reality smacked me right in the face: She’s engaged to someone else.

I jerked up, my body reacting before my mind could catch up.

“What’s wrong?” Essence’s voice was softly worried, and it sliced right through me.

The ring on her finger sparkled, taunting me. I couldn’t evenlook at her. I reached for my pants and rose from the bed. “Get some rest,” I mumbled, knowing those words weren’t enough, but it was all I had. Then, like a damn coward, I walked out of her room.

I was letting my emotions run the show, and I hated that. But it was the truth—plain and simple. Essence Monroe had me all twisted up, and it wasn’t just about the physical anymore. Nah, this was way deeper. It was emotional, and I wasn’t ready for it.

Essence had torn down every damn wall I’d built around myself. I thought I could control it and have her in my life without catching feelings, without letting her get too close. But I was dead wrong. So wrong. She had me in knots, and now I had to figure out what I would do about it.

I closed my eyes, exhaling hard, knowing one thing for sure—I needed a minute. We should’ve talked about the ring and what it really meant before I let my dick take the wheel. But I couldn’t walk away from her again. I’d be damned if I let that happen.

We would have that conversation as soon as I had myself together, regardless of whether she was ready.

* * *

I was fuming—full-on, breathing fire, like a dragon ready to burn down everything in sight. Who does Mark think he’s messing with?

I glared at myself in the mirror, seeing the evidence of what just happened between us all over my face—my lips bruised from his kisses, my cheeks flushed, and my eyes still burning from the heat.

Our reunion had been everything I remembered and then some. But before I even had the chance to catch my breath, before I could figure out how I felt, Mark had jumped up like his ass was on fire and disappeared into the other room.

---