Page 123 of Until You

They ate in a heavy silence, and when they finished, Tyler followed her to her room and helped her fold and pack most of her clothing into two boxes. He stacked them in the living room with the other boxes. “How are you going to get them to Atlanta?”

“I’ll hire a moving company.”

“To relocate a dozen boxes?” he asked. “I’ll borrow Matt’s truck and haul them down for you.”

Lanie shook her head. “No, Tyler. I’ll handle it.”

He turned to her and lifted his hand to her cheek. “I know you’re new to the whole boyfriend-perks thing, but moving falls in the top ten duties.”

She grinned, but tears filled her eyes. How could she leave him?

He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. “Oh, Lanie. Don’t cry.”

“Yesterday I thought I was going to get to be with you forever,” she said.

“We can still have forever.”

“But it’s not the same.”

He kissed the tear on her cheek, then softly brushed his lips down to her mouth.

She looped her hands around the back of his neck and held him close. She needed him. She needed him to make love to her, to reassure her that everything would work out. She needed the strength he gave her.

And that scared her.

His mouth moved to her jaw, his lips brushing the sensitive skin of her neck, and she shivered. He pushed her shirt off the edge of her shoulder as his tongue make a lazy path along her collarbone. Then he returned to her mouth, his tongue leisurely coaxing hers.

She melted into him, her chest pressing into his.

“I want you, Lanie,” he whispered against her lips. Then he bent and scooped her into his arms, kissing her as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom.

He lowered her to the bed, lying down next to her as he continued to kiss her. His hand rested lightly on her stomach, then slid under her T-shirt, skimming over the skin of her abdomen and up to her breast. His thumb brushed her nipple over the thin fabric of her bra. She moaned into his mouth as he continued his torture.

She reached for the button of his shirt, but he grabbed her hand and held it still. His mouth moved lower again, down her neck and to her chest, stopping at the neckline of her T-shirt.

“Tyler.”

He sat up and pulled her to a sitting position, tugging her T-shirt over her head and unclasping her bra, then tossing them both to the floor. He cupped her breast, his thumb circling her nipple as he watched her face. His eyes held hers, and she expected him to smile, but instead he studied her as though he were committing her face to memory.

“I love you, Lanie.”

“I love you too,” she whispered.

He pushed her back on the bed then unfastened her jeans and tugged them off, along with her panties. She was completely naked, and he was completely clothed, but when she reached for the button of his shirt again, he grabbed her hand and placed it on the bed over her head.

He lowered his mouth to her chest, taking his time kissing both breasts, while his hand made lazy circles on her abdomen. But then it slid lower, between her legs, slipping between her soft folds. She released a gasp as his hand and his mouth made her ache for him.

“Tyler, I want you.”

He continued his path of kisses down her stomach then between her legs while his hand stroked her breasts.

He was unhurried, taking his time. She felt worshipped.

He brought her to the edge of a climax, easing off then and leaving her whimpering for more.

He knelt on the bed between her legs and watched her as he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off, then unfastened his pants. He never took his eyes off her while he stood at the foot of her bed and let his pants drop to the floor.

His gaze held hers as he lowered himself to the bed, between her legs, as his lips covered hers, his tongue exploring her mouth. Then he lifted on one elbow and watched her face as he entered her in one deep stroke.

She arched her back, lifting her hips to take him deeper.

He began to move in long, slow strokes, while he slipped his hand between her legs, bringing her closer.

“Tyler.”

He increased his speed, driving deeper and pushing her higher and higher until she cried out his name, clinging to him while she toppled over the edge. He thrust one last time, then collapsed next to her. He wrapped an arm around her back and rolled her to her side so she faced him.

“I love you, Lanie. We’ll make this work.”

She offered him a smile, even though she wasn’t so sure.

---