Page 44 of Melody

She didn’t want him to. She wanted him inside her—neededhim inside her. “No. Um…do you have a condom?”

“Hell, yeah.” He practically jumped off the bed, locating his jeans and wallet. Finally, he removed the shorts and she got to see his rigid cock in all its glory. She hoped she would be able to return the oral favor at some point, but for now it felt best if they joined together completely.

In that moment, she realized that her fear of lovemaking was gone—at least, for now. And she’d gladly take it.

As he rolled the condom onto his dick, he said, “I bought this the day you finally agreed to go on a date.”

She didn’t have time to let that sentiment sink in.

As he lowered himself back on the bed, she said, “Thanks for not giving up on me.”

“Never.” He gave her a slow delicious kiss and then asked, “Are you ready?”

She was breathless. “Yeah.”

Kissing her again softly, with intention, he guided his cock inside her deliberately. He took his time, slowly filling her before finally pulling back and beginning again. If she’d been able to talk, Scarlett would have said that sex had never felt this good before. There was no pain, no roughness, nothing that felt off.

Perfectmight not have been the right word, but it was pretty damn close.

As Kyle continued slowly driving himself in and out, Scarlett found her breathing deepening again, her heartbeat picking up its pace. While they kissed, she realized that the friction between them was making her body respond again.

And that sensation she’d had just moments earlier, that one of impending pleasure, was washing over her again. Even as Kyle maintained his relentless rhythm inside her, her body responded, taking her closer to the edge once more. Scarlett found herself taking deeper breaths, recognizing that her brain and body were preparing to shatter to pieces in pleasure once again. She said something, but she wasn’t sure what, as she finally tumbled over that precipice, giving into her body’s temporary loss of control as her brain was flooded with something far better than drugs.

When she was finally able to register what was happening, she realized that Kyle too had reached the summit. UnlikeTommy, Kyle was quiet about it, slowing at first and then stopping, resting his head to catch his breath, their bodies close.

Scarlett could have stayed like that forever.

CHAPTER 16

When Kyle spoke, his voice was gentle. “Was that okay?”

Like earlier, Scarlett started laughing—and Kyle’s insecurity in this area was getting a bit of a workout. But as she opened her eyes and looked at him, he couldn’t see any of what he’d feared from the laughter. There was a dreamy quality to her expression, a subtle contentedness, reminding him of his sister’s cat, the way she’d close her eyes in a smile and purr when you rubbed a finger under her chin just right.

Still…he held his breath until she answered.

“Okay?Are you kidding? You couldn’t tell?”

“Well…”

“I could die right now and not regret anything.”

It was Kyle’s turn to laugh. “So it was good?”

Scarlett laughed again, and he realized it was only a chuckle instead of loud and boisterous because of his weight on her—so, reluctantly, he pulled out of her and rolled on his side, but he didn’t take his eyes off her face. She said, “I’m trying to tell you that tonight was the best sex I’ve ever had.Ever.Nothing else has ever come close.”

“Oh.” Unable to help himself, Kyle felt a sense of pride blossom in his chest and, with confidence, he pulled the condom off and peeked over the side of the bed, looking for a place to toss it.

“Sorry. There’s a trash can in the bathroom.”

“Okay.” Reluctantly, Kyle rolled off the bed and headed into the tiny room just off her bedroom. After flipping on the light switch, he put a knot in the top of the condom before tossing it into the trashcan between the toilet and sink and then washed his hands before returning to the bedroom. Her eyes still had that subtle satisfied look, helping assuage any remaining doubts he might have had.

But he had them for a good reason. Today, he understood that he hadn’t been the best lover for Hayley—and that had been due to so many factors. First, they’d been young. When he and Hayley had gotten together, Kyle’s experience consisted mostly of his hand and the occasional porno. Then there had been the drinking and the drugs—and they never talked about sex…not about what they wanted or even if she enjoyed it. Now, as a mature adult, he realized he’d been a huge part of why they’d broken up and he would have regretted it if she hadn’t found someone else who was perfect for her. Since then, they’d actually talked about their relationship, almost like scientists examining specimens. Based partly on what she’d said—but mostly on what she hadn’t—Kyle had vowed to be better. He didn’t want something like sex to ruin his next real relationship, if he ever got that chance again. He’d talked to his friends a little, including Wolf, and his therapist but then turned to the internet to read what it would take to be a good lover.

Asking Scarlett how she felt was part of it.

All of tonight had been a manifestation of what he’d learned. He’d been with a couple of women between Hayley and Scarlett, so he’d had a chance to try being a better lover, and thathad helped. But tonight had felt pretty fucking good from his perspective, and he wanted to make sure it wasn’t all in his head.

Climbing back into bed, Kyle planned to pull Scarlett close, but she sat up, easing herself off the bed. “Just a sec,” she said, sliding off the side and walking toward the door. Goddamn, she was beautiful—and it wasn’t just her slight, lithe body…although Kyle couldn’t deny that he loved it, especially without clothing. When she flipped off the light, he assumed she was ready to sleep—but she’d left the lights in the main room and bathroom on and then opened the curtains that had been covering the window in her room.

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