Page 36 of Hidden By His Side

“Your emotions aren’t a weakness. They’re what will make you a wonderful mother. When you’re ready.” He pulled away, giving her that look, the one that said he was determined to drag out her every thought. “That’s the point I was making. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean your own needs no longer matter. Your body is yours. If you don’t want to share it, you don’t have to.”

“That’s what you told me about sex,” she said, confused when he flushed and looked away.

“That prick didn’t deserve the gift you gave him. You should have let me kill him.”

“Derek was just telling the truth. I’m a lousy lay.”

Ramiro turned back to her with a glare. “Don’t say that.”

“I don’t have to. Everyone I’ve been with has said it.”

His hands curled into fists. “I’m going to kill each and every one of them.”

A part of her thrilled inside at the idea of it. He wasn’t jealous like her hopeful brain whispered, but his protectiveness was close enough. “I panicked the other night when Derek tried to use my mouth. A part of me still panics with any form of sex, and I’m so busy trying to stop the panic that I can barely participate.”

“Oh, baby girl.” Ramiro’s pity drained away the last of her warmth. “I didn’t realize it was still so hard for you.”

She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the truth. Ramiro didn’t love her. He felt sorry for her.

She swallowed the pain of it. “A few called me a ‘pillow princess,’” she confessed. She’d looked up the term, and they hadn’t been lying. Each of her lovers had to do all the work—even Ramiro.

He chuckled, and her eyes flew open. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He leaned closer. The way his lips tilted up was dangerous to her insides. The fluttering was back. “Any man who gets to treat you like a princess should realize how lucky he is. The skilled ones will make you orgasm before even thinking about getting inside of you.”

He’d made her orgasm, more than once. Her body still remembered.

“Sex has only been good with you,” she admitted.

His smile faded. “Fuck, Summer.” His hands hauled her against him, and he took her mouth.

Ramiro was kissing her. It was so unexpected that at first she could only stare into his eyes.

He fell back on the bed, pulling her body over his. His hands slid down her back, this time not stopping above her ass but cupping it in the most delicious way. His touch there rocketed through her and burned away her daze.

She whimpered and parted her lips under his, swallowing the sexy hum he released as she devoured him. The fear that he would stop took hold, and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck to keep him right where she wanted him.

Ramiro’s lips tasted as good as she remembered. They slid and feasted, sparking something desperate inside her. She licked along his bottom one, nipping it with her teeth. His groan fed her, making her even bolder. She soothed the bite with her tongue, then pushed inside his mouth, taking the kiss deeper.

One of his hands flew to the back of her head, tilting it just right, making the kiss downright filthy as they tried to consume each other.

His other hand hadn’t left her ass. His fingers curled under, making her pulse thrum as he gripped her there.

A need for air parted their lips. She panted against him, staring into his dark, hot eyes.

He blinked, as if realizing who he’d been kissing. “Wait, Summer. We should—”

She smothered his words with her mouth. Her hands slid into his hair, so thick and sexy, pulling on it a littleto tilt his head this time and take what she wanted. She sucked on his tongue, rewarded when he moaned and started to devour her again.

Ramiro was kissing her back. She dragged her nails through his hair, scratching lightly. His broken hum wound her up even more.

His hands wrapped around her and he rolled her to her back, pushing his erection between her legs.

The light in the room dimmed, his body over hers becoming all she saw. Panic rose, wiping all the pleasant heat from before away.

No. She couldn’t let her past ruin this. She told herself everything was fine. The panic stopped building but shimmered under her skin, threatening to take over. It wouldn’t, not if she kept pushing it back. That’s what she’d learned.

She could do this. Sex was something she wanted.

Ramiro’s body tensed against hers, and she realized she’d been so focused on not freaking out that she’d stopped kissing him. She tried to make her lips work, but they’d grown numb and wouldn’t move.

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