Page 46 of Finding Her Strength

Hope rocks her hips, grinding her center against me, making a groan rumble through me at the sensation. She boldly starts kissing my jaw, nibbling her way to my ear, then down my neck. I wrap my hands around her hips, my long fingers stretching around her ass. Gripping her hard, I pull down while thrusting my hips up to grind against her center. Hope’s moan has my body feeling like it’s going to explode.

I stand with Hope still in my arms, carrying her through the kitchen and up the stairs. The bedroom has a comfortable queen bed and a nice, attached bathroom despite its size. There was a small part of me that worried about getting a one-bedroom cottage, but I also knew Hope wouldn’t have agreed to come away with me if she was uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping in the same bed.

I lay her down on the mattress, our kisses continuing to wreak havoc on me. As my body comes down over Hope’s, my hips fitting snugly in the V of her legs, I feel her body tighten with tension. And not the good kind of tension, either.

I pull back, scanning Hope’s face to figure out what’s going on. Lust is still the forerunner in her eyes, but nervesare settling in quickly. “Tell me,” I whisper against her mouth, sliding my lips across the soft skin of her cheeks and up to her temples. Her body relaxes a fraction, which tells me it’s not me she’s worried about.

“I’ve never done this with someone who cared about me. With someone I wanted to do it with.”

My head flinches back to look into Hope’s eyes. Her words slowly sink in, realization dawning on me. “Oh, sweetheart,” I exhale. My fists clench by her head, my body taut with anger and sadness that Hope’s life was a living hell for her. My forehead drops onto hers as I try to get my feelings under control. She doesn’t need to see my anger when what she needs is gentleness.

“We’re going to need to talk about this, but not tonight.” Her tense body relaxes even more underneath me. “Look at me,” I say softly, then wait until she opens her eyes again, giving me her full attention. “Tonight, the only people allowed in this room are you and me. You tell me when you like something and when you don’t. You tell me when you need more or when it’s too much. I may lead, but you have control. Okay?”

Hope’s dark eyes melt, the vulnerability changing to something I’m not sure I’m ready to acknowledge yet. I know mine are reflecting the same things in return, but neither one of us is ready to say those particular words out loud.

“I need your words, Hope.”

“Okay,” she whispers. My lips find hers again in a slow, passionate kiss that spurs the fire in my belly into an inferno. Our tongues glide, exploring all these new feelings and desires. I slide my hand from her shoulder to the hem of her T-shirt. Her skin feels like silk under my work-roughened hand as I move up her stomach. I reach the underside of her breasts, slipping my thumb under the cup of her bra while my mouth explores the line of her neck.

The pad of my thumb rubs the underside of her breasts;the soft flesh tears at every ounce of control I have. Hope pushes her chest further into my hand, giving me every indication she wants me to keep going. I oblige, pulling her T-shirt over her head and quickly removing her bra.

My first look at Hope is more than anything I ever imagined. Her olive skin glows under the lamplight; her full tits are fucking magnificent. “You’re everything I ever dreamed about and more,” I whisper against her skin as my lips and hands continue to explore her body. My tongue glides across the slope of her breast until I hit the peak, pulling her nipple into my mouth.

“Levi,” she moans, her hands starting to get into the action. They move into my hair, wrapping around the strands at the back of my head.

I play with her nipples using my mouth, hands, and teeth. Learning what makes her crazy. Every sound she makes has my cock pressing harder against my zipper. I’m worried I’m going to come before I even get inside her.

I move down her body, stopping at the top of her jeans. I pop the button, slowly lowering the zipper to give her plenty of time to stop me if she wants. Hope looks at me with heavy-lidded eyes, her hands resting on her stomach, looking serene and fucking beautiful.

I take her jeans and underwear off simultaneously, baring her completely. Her trust in me is overwhelming.

I vow right then to never break that trust.

26

HOPE

Being completely bare to Levi should make me feel incredibly vulnerable, but with the way he’s looking at me, I couldn’t feel sexier. The lust in his eyes makes me squirm on the bed, needing him to touch me, be with me. “You’re a little overdressed for this party.” I grin at him.

He shakes his head as if he’s coming out of a stupor and grins back at me. “Sorry, I got distracted.”

I laugh, happy the intensity from a moment ago has lightened again. It feels like we’re back to our normal selves instead of trying to navigate the bomb of my confession. I didn’t want to tell him about my awful experiences with sex, but I knew it wouldn’t be fair to him if I wasn’t honest. There’s a chance I could end up having a panic attack, so I wanted him to know why in case it happens.

I sit up to help him get rid of his clothes, grabbing the hem of his black T-shirt. He grabs it from the back of his neck and slides it over his head.

When he settles his arms back down at his sides, all I can do is blink at him. He has muscles on top of muscles. I didn’t even know guys could look like this in real life.

With a mind of its own, my hand reaches out to touch hisabs. He flinches at my touch but stays still, letting me explore. He’s as hard as a statue and just as sculpted as one. “Seriously? This is what you look like?” My question comes out almost incredulously.

Levi laughs, then starts to undo his pants.

I bite my lip as he slides his jeans down, revealing gray briefs that are molded to his thick thighs, highlighting his impressively hard package. “Jesus,” I whisper, swallowing hard.

“Lay back, I’m not done exploring you yet.”

I comply with his demand, needing his body against mine with every fiber of my being. He follows me back, pressing his bare chest against mine. His hard muscles against my soft body are almost my undoing. He kisses me, starting his explorations over again while his hands slide over my skin. The rough calluses on his palm bring goose bumps to the surface.

The slow, sensual movements of our bodies together have my senses going into a frenzy. I’ve only ever experienced fast and aggressive. To have someone who genuinely cares about me taking the time to explore every facet of my body, learning what makes me burn… It’s indescribable.

---