Page 87 of (Un)Expected

The sight of Alex naked on my bed was enough to make me fall to my knees. Her long, wavy brown hair was splayed across the pillows, her lips and cheeks still red from her last orgasm. If she was a siren, I’d happily follow her to my death, all too happy to worship at her feet.

I loved her, more than I ever thought possible. Even when she was holding back, Alex ensnared me. Now that I’d earned her trust, there was no way in hell I’d ever lose it again. Not when she was looking at me like that, her eyes as clouded with lust as my own. I wanted nothing more than to make this good for her, to tease her until the sun came up. My dick had other plans, though, needing to be as deep inside her as possible, to finally get to mark her as mine.

I’d never thought of myself as a possessive man, but Alex brought out that side of me. Without meaning to, my eyes drifted down to the gnarly bruise on her upper thigh. That fucking asshole; I should’ve hit him harder.

“Are you going to stand there all day?” Alex teased, lifting herself onto her elbows.

Chuckling, I finally stepped forward, taking her calf in my unworthy hands. Her skin was like silk, such a difference from myown that I almost felt bad. From the way she was staring at me now, though, Alex didn’t seem to mind. She popped up, moving until she knelt in front of me on the bed as I stood at its edge. She took my shirt in her hands, fumbling with the buttons until it was lying on the floor at my feet.

When the cool air hit my bare skin, I flinched instinctively, and Alex’s brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”

Inhaling slowly, I forced myself to nod. “My back….” I turned slightly so she could see the scarred flesh, a souvenir from my brief tenure overseas. “I told you I was medically discharged from the army—this is why.”

Alex inhaled sharply when my scars came into view. Almost a third of my back was lined with angry flesh, twisted and torn from the heat of the fire that almost killed me. “What happened?” she whispered.

“IED.” I’d told the story so many times, the words no longer carried the same weight. I wasn’t ashamed of what happened anymore. I just hated the remainder of how derailed my life became because of one moment. “Our squad was doing a supply run when we hit a roadside bomb.” I ran my hand through my hair. “The best fucking part? Five Humvees passed it by and didn’t trigger a thing. Ours hit it just right.” I sucked in a sharp breath, turning to face Alex. “Five good men lost their lives that day, and I know I’m fucking lucky I wasn’t one of them. It doesn’t make a difference, though—I’ll never be able to escape that moment, to erase those memories from my mind. Those scars? Every time I see them, I’m right back there.”

Alex reached out, placing her hands on my heavy shoulders as her thumbs stroked my back. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to my chest. “I can’t imagine what that was like. There’s no timeline for healing, Cole. Give yourself more credit. Yes, you fell–” I started to interrupt, but she gave me a stern look. “But you’re not looking at how far you’ve come. I’ve only known you for a couple of months, and I can see how much you’ve grown. If you ever think you’re goingto that dark place again…” She placed my hand on her heart. “I’m here to help guide you home.”

I reached up, gripping the back of her neck and bringing my lips to hers. “I love you, so damn much.”

“I love you too,” Alex smiled. “Now, if we’re done with the emotional part of this evening, I’dreallylike you to take your pants off.”

“A little eager?”

“Fuck yes,” she growled, smacking my hands away so she could unzip my pants. “I’ve wanted to see you naked since the first time you walked into the hotel.”

“The first time?” I smirked, remembering all too well her threats of violence.

“Yup,” she said. “Granted, it was to do painful things to you, but now, knowing what was lurking under those clothes…” She sighed. “What a waste that would have been.”

My smirk returned at her words. All those excruciating hours of PT and grueling sessions with Adam were worth it for how she stared at me now.

With a few more tugs, we both stood nude in front of each other for the first time. We just stared at each other; I felt like I was a teenager again, so damn eager yet terrified at the same time. A silent conversation passed between us—there was no going back after this.

The wait almost fucking killed me, but I let Alex take the lead. If she decided to call this whole thing off, I’d respect her choice, even if my balls would be aching forweeks.

Luckily, Alex put me out of my misery, wrapping her arms around my neck and dragging me on top of her on the bed. There was barely any light in the room, save for the city around us. The dim white light made Alex almost glow, as if she had been plucked from my wildest fantasies.

“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered, pressing my lips along the column of her throat as I dug through the bedside drawer for a condom.

“You’re one to talk,” Alex said, nuzzling into my chest.I ripped the packet open and rolled it onto my shaft. As I did, Alex raked her nails across my lower back, and a shiver broke out across my skin.

My hand slipped between her thighs, letting out a hungry groan when I found her drenched and ready for me. Shifting to be fully on top of her, I lifted her leg around my hip, using the movement as leverage to slide my dick along her clit. Her head fell back to the pillow as she moaned my name, and God, the fucking sound got me harder than I thought possible.

“You ready?” I asked, continuing to glide along her folds, brushing her clit with the lightest pressure.

Alex nodded, her eyes darting between mine and the place our bodies were about to merge. Slowly, I pushed inside, letting her adjust. Fuck, she was so damn tight; I had to pause to get a handle on myself.

Alex looked up at me, her eyes wide and her cheeks already flushed. “You okay?” she asked, her words hurried.

“You need to relax for me, baby,” I groaned, kissing her cheeks and forehead. “You feel too good, and if I come before you, I’ll never forgive myself.”

She chuckled, rubbing my arms. “We have all night, Cole. I’m not going anywhere.”

As she laughed, her body relaxed, allowing me to fully seat myself inside her. Holy fuck. This…this was indescribable. There was something about being joined with Alex that felt right, like this was exactly where I was meant to be.

When I started to move, she pulled me down for a deep kiss, her tongue tangling with mine as her nails left marks on my arms and lower back. I fucking loved it. Mark me, bruise me, Alex could do whatever she wanted. I’d wear her scratches like a fucking badge of honor.

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