Page 106 of Shadow Dance

I turnthe water off and step out of the shower, reaching for the towel Cruz gave me.

We talked on the porch until the sun went down and the mosquitos came out, and while we never discussed me staying the night, I think we both knew it was inevitable.

When I come out of the bathroom, there’s a t-shirt on the bed. Cruz’s voice drifts in from the other room, both familiar and foreign as he converses in Spanish on the phone. Swapping my towel for the t-shirt, I sit on the edge of the bed and check my phone for messages.

There’s one from Tristan, of course, reminding me to call him if I need him. And one from Lucky, asking how things are going, and one from Mom, asking if she’ll get to meet Cruz anytime soon.

Good Lord. We literallyjustgot to Puerto Rico, and Ijustfound Cruz.

Ignoring them, I text the group chat I share with Bria and Evie instead, letting them know I’m staying with Cruz tonight. They can forward the message on to the rest of my nosy family, saving me the time and questions.

Bria sends back a gif with some guy flicking his tongue.

Sexual healing is the best healing.

I wrinkle my nose, snorting.

Wish I could unsee that

Evie chimes in with a thumbs up and a gif of a girl riding a mechanical pony.

“You good?”

I look up, tossing my phone aside as Cruz enters the room. “Yeah. Thanks for the shirt.”

“Of course. I’m gonna …” He motions toward the bathroom. “Clean up.”

“Okay.”

His bed is big and comfy, the sheets soft and worn. Between that, the faint breeze coming through the windows and the hypnotic lull of the ceiling fan, I start feeling sleepy. I think part of it is knowing that Cruz is close. I didn’t realize how tense I’d been for the past six months until now.

Cruz comes out of the bathroom in a pair of black sweatpants, a few drops of water lingering on his shoulders. He’s leaner than he was, but still so toned, every part of him chiseled to perfection. Pausing by the bed, he turns off the overhead light. I feel him climb in beside me, my heart pounding. This might be a normal scenario for other couples, but being able to spend the night together is special for us. We don’t have to sneak around or steal moments anymore.

I curl onto my side, ultra-aware of his nearness in the soft dark. His hands find me right away and he pulls me close. Our mouths meet like they were destined to all along, and I reach up to touch his hair. I love the way it feels, maybe even better than before.

We kiss for a long time, long, languid kisses that go on and on, stopping only so he can get me naked. He pulls the shirt over my head slowly, his fingers lingering on my skin as he does, and soon, we’re tangled in the sheets, bodies pressed together.

Cruz’s breath is warm against my neck as he kisses his way down, his lips leaving a trail of fire on my skin. His hands explore me with an intensity that makes every nerve in my body come alive. I arch against him, craving more of his touch.

“I missed this,” I breathe, running my fingers over his hair.

“Me too.” His mouth finds my breasts, and he takes his time there, savoring me. I gasp when I feel his tongue circle around my nipple before he sucks it gently into his mouth. His other hand travels downmy body, teasing me until I’m aching for him. “I thought about this all the time.”

I reach for him too, wanting to feel every inch of him against me. My fingers trace the contours of his muscles, feeling them tense and relax under my touch. He groans softly when I wrap my hand around him, stroking him slowly.

When I’ve had enough of the touching and teasing, I push Cruz onto his back. Sliding his pants off, I settle between his thighs and drop kisses all over his thighs and chest, the hard plane of his belly, and finally his dick. He caresses my face as I take him into my mouth, his soft moan telling me he likes what I’m doing.

I start slow, sucking gently as I circle his tip with my tongue. When his fingers tighten in my hair, I switch it up, alternating between licking up and down his shaft and sucking as much of him as I can fit. When I reach down to caress his balls, his hips surge up, shoving his dick so far down my throat I gag. “Sorry, but I’m gonna come if you keep doing that,” he grits out, yanking me up so I’m sitting astride his lap.

“Maybe that’s what I wanted.” Rubbing myself over his throbbing erection, I lean over and kiss him, sucking on his tongue like I was just sucking on his dick.

His hands run restlessly over my back before grabbing my ass and giving it a rough squeeze. “You gonna give me this pussy or do I have to beg?”

“Mm, I don’t know,” I purr, working my clit back and forth over his dick. I’m so wet that I can hear it. “This feels really, really good.”

“Stop playing with me, Maeve,” he says, but I can hear the smile in his voice.

“You have no idea how bad I wanted this.” I lift up just enough to position him where I need him.

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