Page 79 of Defend Me

“Me too,” I say with relief, then chuckle breathily. “Not on the pill, I mean, obviously, I?—”

“Noah,” she interrupts, her voice a low growl. “Shut up and fuck me.”

I slant my mouth over hers as Von leans back on the couch and guides me to her. She tastes like peppermint, and I losemyself in the sensation of her lips, the slickness of her tongue. She wraps her legs around my back, sinking my cock into her soft, warm wetness. I let out a guttural moan as licks of pleasure run along my shaft, thrusting myself deeper as she grips me with those long, toned legs. I caress her thighs as I fuck her, slow and steady, enjoying every thrust, every inch of her. Her skin is taut and smooth, her breasts pert and perfect. I could consume every inch of her and still, I would crave more.

“More,” she moans, and her voice sends fire zipping through my veins, igniting flames in my chest. I increase my pitch, her little coos of pleasure exciting me, coaxing me farther into her. She bucks against me as I thrust, her hands scrabbling at my back, her fingers digging into my skin.

I gasp as she bites my shoulder and I pump faster, harder, taking her the way I want to, and she cries aloud as she tightens around me, that sweet hot center building to another release. I feel her clench as my own climax begins to crest, the two of us fused together in this one perfect moment, and I bury myself in her wetness, so impossibly perfect, each stroke bringing me closer and closer until, finally, I succumb. Pleasure rips through me, hurtling me to the ultimate peak of bliss as I spend myself inside her, waves of sensation cresting over me as Von tightens and explodes, her back arching, her skin flushing the deepest pink, her breasts heaving as she comes.

I fall against her chest, utterly spent. For a moment I just lie there, listening to the frantic pounding of her heart against my cheek. She strokes my hair, her gentle touch making the backs of my thighs shiver. I kiss the side of her breast, nuzzling into her, feeling utterly relaxed and content.

I glance up at Von and she lets out a huge sigh.

“We are so fucked,” she says.

We both burst out laughing. The feel of her skin moving against mine makes my spent cock twitch, and I ease out of her, then hurry to grab her a tissue and go into my bathroom to cleanup. When I come back to the living room, Von has wrapped herself back up in her silk robe, dark blue with cherry blossoms printed on it. I want to tug it off her, to taste her sweet breasts, to make her come again until she can’t see straight. These urges are so powerful they’re disorienting.

Instead, I sit beside her as she curls up into me, her head nestling into the crook of my shoulder as I wrap my arms around her.

“So,” she murmurs. “What do we do now?”

As if in answer to her question, my stomach gives a loud rumble. She laughs again, the sound so light and free. She peeks her face up at me. “Szechuan takeout?”

We spend the rest of the evening talking, laughing, eating spicy noodles and sipping cold beer. And when it’s time for bed, Von invites me to her room.

The next two weeks seem to fly by.

Von and I live in our little bubble of happiness, her working at the office during the day, me going through the files at the apartment, and preparing nourishing dinners for Von in the evening. All post sex, of course. I feel as if I can’t get enough of her. She permeates my thoughts, my dreams, my every waking moment. We have a freedom in the city, to grab a cocktail and cuddle up in a darkened corner of a bar, or to walk, hand in hand, down Broome Street. But each day brings us closer to the pretrial hearing and our return to Magnolia Bay. We don’t talk about it. It’s like we both want to ignore reality for as long as possible.

But time stops for no one. I wake on the morning of our return with Von in my arms and take a minute to breathe in the scent of her hair, to feel the warm weight of her body against me.

Von shifts and stretches in that catlike way I’ve come to love,arms unfurling, back bowing. She gazes up at me with heavy-lidded eyes.

“Morning,” she murmurs.

I smile and kiss her softly. “Good morning.”

She blinks the sleep away and tucks her hair behind her ear. “Ready to go home?”

“No.”

She chuckles softly. “Yeah. Me neither.”

She nestles her head into my shoulder, and we lie in silence for a moment. I know we have to keep what we are a secret. Von told me it’s not illegal for us to be together but it’s one hundred percent unethical—not only would she be thrown off the case, but she’d lose her job. That’s the last thing I want.

But the idea of not being able to hold her, to touch her, to curl up with her at night… I wonder what will happen when the trial is over. I’ve loved this time with Von, but I can’t imagine actually living in the city. Magnolia Bay is my home. I’m a small-town guy, through and through. And Von is helicopters and chauffeurs and Michelin star restaurants. I’ve never felt anything close to what I feel for her—but is that enough to bridge the gap between our lifestyles? And then there’s the question of what happens when Idoget acquitted. How could I ever go back to work at the sheriff’s department? My future feels hazy and uncertain, where once it was so crisp and bright. Do I even want to be a cop anymore?

But if I’m not a cop, who am I?

“Hey,” Von says, resting her palm against my cheek. “I can feel you overthinking. What’s up?”

“Nerves, I guess,” I say, deflecting a bit. I don’t need to foist my existential crisis on Von right now. She should stay focused on the hearing today.

She purses her lips and shoots me a sardonic look, making it clear she doesn’t believe me.

“I’ll miss this,” I say, squeezing her tight.

She grins. “If you think I’m about to give this up, you’ve gotanother think coming. I’ll have to meet with my client and go over the details of his case. At night. In the guesthouse.”

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