Page 27 of Stone's Promise

I blinked up at him, warmth blooming deep in my chest. “You’ve been through a lot, but you didn’t let it make you an asshole.”

Cody pretended to measure the weight of my words. “Oh, I’m sure Liam and Ryder would tell you different when I’m coaching them.”

I laughed, playfully touching his knee. “Stop. You get what I mean. I like a man who’s careful with his actions and words.”

His expression turned more serious. His hand slid over mine, holding it gently. “I love being around you. I can show you better than I can tell you.”

Chapter Eight

EMILY

Iswallowed hard, the heat in his gaze making it impossible to look away. He cupped my face, his thumb brushing away the last trace of wetness on my cheek. His eyes darkened with intent. “Come here.”

I leaned into him, knowing what I wanted. His mouth was on mine. Firm. Certain. The kind that didn’t just steal my breath but gave me something in return. His hand slid to my waist, pulling me in until there was no space left between us.

His lips brushed mine in a whisper of a kiss. It started gentle, as if he were memorizing the shape of my mouth. Then it shifted. A spark ignited, and the restraint holding us back snapped.

His mouth slanted over mine with a raw urgency, his grip tightening as if he needed to feel me against him. My fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, desperate to anchor myself as heat flooded my veins. He continued to kiss me. Every stroke of his lips, every tilt of his head, sent a pulse of pleasure through me, dissolving every last bit of hesitation.

We broke apart for only a second, our breaths mingling in the space between us. His forehead pressed against mine. “I want you, Em,” he started, his voice rough like gravel, yet there was a softness to it that I hadn't heard before. His fingers tightened around mine, and I could feel the tremor in his touch.

The words sent a shudder through me, my body already answering before my mind could catch up. My hands skimmedover the hard lines of his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing, the tension coiled beneath his skin.

“I want you too, Cody. I think I'm falling for you. Not in the way that fades, but the kind that sticks.”

There, I had said it. My feelings for him were out there, wide open and vulnerable and trembling like leaves in the breeze. I waited, time stretching out between us as he absorbed my words

Then, in a movement that felt like both surrender and claim, he reached for my hand. His fingers entwined with mine, strong and assuring. There was strength in his grasp, the same strength that had drawn me to him from the beginning, honest and true. Cody exhaled sharply, his grip on my hand tightening as if he needed to steady himself. His thumb brushed over my knuckles, the simple touch sending a ripple of heat through me. Then, without a word, he pulled me up from the couch, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that sent my pulse skittering.

He guided me through the dimly lit hallway. Anticipation curled low in my stomach for what was about to happen. His hand never left mine, and with each step, my body heated with a need that had been simmering beneath the surface.

When we reached the bedroom, he turned to me, his free hand lifting to trace the line of my jaw. “You sure?” His voice was strained, like he was holding himself back.

Instead of answering with words, I pressed my body against his, feeling the way his muscles tensed under my touch. I tilted my head up, brushing my lips against his in a kiss that held all my answers.

That was all it took.

Cody groaned, the sound vibrating through me as he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him completely. His mouth claimed mine, the kiss deepening, growing hotter, more desperate. His hands slid over my back and hips.

“I want to memorize every curve, every inch of you.”

I barely registered the moment he lifted me off the ground, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carried me to the bed. All I knew was the way he held me like he never wanted to let go.

My back came in contact with the soft mattress. I lifted the hem of his shirt, exposing the taut muscles of his abdomen. My fingers trailed along his skin, tracing the contours of his scars, both seen and unseen, honoring his battles and the strength it took to fight them.

His hands were equally gentle on me, peeling away my jacket and exposing the strap of my jumpsuit. He tugged on one of the straps, lifting it from my bare shoulder.

Every piece of clothing that fell to the floor was another barrier we tore down, another step closer to the raw truth of us. As I looked up at him from the bed, my heart surged with a mixture of vulnerability and the courage to want to explore him—us—more.

Cody pulled me close, and our bodies fit together with an ease that felt like it was meant to always be this way. The taste of him was enough to make me forget every heartache that had come before. His kiss was a question and an answer all at once, and my body responded with a hunger born of lonely nights and silent prayers for something real.

As he trailed kisses down my neck and across my collarbone, his fingers skimming my hard nipples, I gasped. Seeing my reaction, he took one in his mouth, rolling it between his tongue while his fingers continued their journey down past my stomach and beneath the waistband of my thong. His thumb and index finger stroked my labia and clit while his tongue made swirls around my nipples.

“Look how wet you are.” He withdrew his hand, his fingertips glistening with all the desire I kept hidden from him until this moment. He put one to his mouth. Fire flew up my cheeks andmore liquid heat came from my center as I watched his tongue flick out and lick his finger. Leaning down, he brought his mouth to mine. I moaned as I tasted myself on his tongue. He shifted his head lower, kissing me along my neck and collarbone. Then his tongue left a hot trail between my breasts, scaling down my stomach and past my hips until he reached my sex.

Cody told me he wanted me. Suddenly, his wordsI can show you better than I can tell youtook on a whole new meaning.

He tugged my underwear off. I spread my legs wide and arched my back, each stroke of his tongue sending rip currents of pleasure through me. He grabbed me by the thighs and dipped his head again, gently biting, licking, and sucking on my sensitive parts.

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