Page 41 of Love Over Time

He groaned and moved in deeper, pressing his open mouth against my neck. I ran my hands over his shoulders, followed the line of muscle to his bulging biceps, and down the ridges on his belly. God, he felt incredible as he thrusted into me. Somehow between the condemned hotel, this town, and tonight’s gala, I’d learned to trust Henry. The time we’d lost didn’t matter anymore. We belonged together…always had. With my legs wrapped around his waist, I leaned back to give him full access. His response was to hold me tighter to him.

“You are so beautiful.” He paused to inhale before he cupped my breasts and bent down to suck them through the fabric.

Omigod.I let my head fall back. Heat and pure raw ecstasy built at my core and slowly scattered out in waves. He released the strap from my shoulder and pulled the top of my dress down to my waist.

A private smile touched his lips as he drew soft circles with his index finger over my nipple. “I kicked myself earlier for starting things back at the manor. It was so dark in the room I didn’t get to see you.” He palmed my breast.

I gripped his biceps. “Oh my God, Henry.”

“I’m right here.” He kissed my mouth, while he continued his relentless torture of that spot inside me. “They stole so much time from us. How are we ever going to get it back?”

I ran a finger over the creases of his forehead, wishing I could wipe all the pain away with my hands. “We steal it back.”

He wrapped his arms around my waist. A small quiver sprang from my center, and I couldn’t hold it anymore. I squeezed tight around him until sweet release found me, hard and hot, branding every inch of my skin. I scratched the length of his back when a second wave exploded inside me. Kneading my hip, he thrust again. His lips brushed my nipple as he found his own release.

“Jesus, Nikki.” He braced his hands on the edge of the counter, taking ragged breaths.

I leaned back on the bar and kissed his hand. He tasted so good. We stayed in the same position—my face on his palm, his lips on my shoulder, and his cock inside me—until our heartbeats returned to their normal rhythm.

“I can’t move my legs.”

“I should’ve waited until we were upstairs.” He chuckled, slid both hands under my butt cheeks, and picked me off the barstool.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his temple. “I’m glad you didn’t. Where are you taking me?”

“Where you should’ve slept since day one.” He climbed the stairs, scraping his teeth along the cord of my neck. For the life of me, I couldn’t think of a single reason why I shouldn’t spend the rest of the night in his room. Or the rest of my life, for that matter.

He shoved the door open and dropped me on the bed. “Take off your dress.”

“Wow, you get bossy when you’re naked.” I propped myself on my elbows.

He placed a knee on the edge of the bed, looking down at me, making my skin turn red hot. “That dress looks amazing on you, but it’s been cock-blocking me all night. Take it off. I want to see you.”

I slid up the mattress. With my gaze fixed on his, I reached up the skirt of the dress and removed what was left of my thong. He sighed and braced both hands on the bed. His chest rose and fell as all the ridges on his stomach strained under his sun-kissed skin. God, the man was gorgeous, and he was here with me. I swallowed and licked my lips. We deserved another chance at this, us. I wanted to taste his skin now that he was all covered in sweat, but instead I did what he’d asked.

Raising my ass in the air, I unzipped the bottom half of the dress. He tugged the velvet fabric off me and tossed it aside. His gaze roamed my body, taking in every inch of me. Desire spread across my back, belly, and finally exploded in my core, like a mini orgasm. He drank me in, and all I could do was pant.

This man has me panting.

“You are so beautiful.” He removed his shoes and tuxedo pants, giving me a full view of his naked body. He kept his attention on me as he climbed on the bed and planted open-mouth kisses on my right ankle and the side of my leg. When he reached my hip, he positioned himself on top of me. The weight of his body, the heat of his skin against mine had me in a complete daze.

“So are you.” I rubbed the stubble on his cheeks and pressed my lips to his. I wanted him again. “So, what’s our time frame here? Ten, fifteen minutes?”

He laughed, a deep, sexy laugh. “Wow, you get bossy when you’re naked.”

The moment I’d walked into the hotel, I realized I’d been lying to myself. I’d never forgotten about Henry. Men were pieces on a chessboard for me because deep down, I knew they couldn’t be anything more. Henry had my whole heart. He was the man I’d been in love with since we were kids, the only one for me.

All ever I wanted—a family, a home—I had it now, but for how long? He’d said he loved me, but was that enough? Was our love enough? History would tell us no. We’d lost this particular battle long ago. But did we have it in us to win the war this time around?

“What now, Henry?” I traced his eyebrow, the feature that made him look dangerous.

“If it were up to me, we’d stay in this bed for the next ten years.” He bent down and sucked my breast, and I arched my back, exhaling. “But we got work to do, don’t we?”

“What do you mean?” I was only half listening, my mind focused on what his tongue was doing to my nipple.

“Well, we need to figure how the medicine bottle you took from the manor fits into this mad puzzle we’re trying solve.”

My eyes flew open.

---