Page 39 of Twisted Fate

Lowering myself onto the bed, I settled on my side and looped an arm around her waist. She looked up at me with eyes full of trepidation. Holding her gaze, I pulled her against my chest and dropped a soft kiss to her lips. She seemed to relax and nuzzled into me. I caressed her bare back with my fingers, tracing lazy circles over her silky-smooth skin.

Lying next to Delilah felt like heaven. She was warm and soft and let out a contented sigh every now and then as I continued to stroke her back. I missed this. Having someone to hold, someone to share these intimate moments with. I didn't realize just how lonely I was until this moment. I wanted to envelope her completely and never let go. She was my solace, the comfort I craved but never let myself have.

Until now.

Something deep and primal roared to life inside me when I answered my phone earlier this evening and was met with her scared and shaky voice. It flared like a lit match tossed into a barrel of gasoline when I saw her in that restaurant sitting across from the man who’d made her feel that way. A torrent of emotions washed over me then. Jealousy. Rage. Regret. I’d refused to acknowledge my feelings for her and had sat back and watched as she prepared to go out with another man. It was stupid. I should’ve stopped her. I should’ve confessed that the thought of her with someone else made me green with envy. I wanted her for myself. I’d just been too damn stubborn to let myself have her.

Tonight was my wake-up call. I would no longer deny myself what my heart desired or wait for the right time to pursue it. I wanted to live in the here and now. And Delilah was right here next to me.

* * *

My eyes flutteredopen against a blindingly bright morning sun, and I lifted my hand to shield against the offending rays. Chirps and whistles sounded from outside the window as I blinked in rapid succession to clear the fog. The sun was already high in the sky, indicating I’d slept later than usual. It was the first full night of sleep I’d gotten in months.

Dazed from slumber, I rubbed my eyes and glanced down my body, realizing I was naked. The floral duvet from the guest bedroom pooled around my waist. Flashes of the night before flooded my mind.

Delilah.

I turned to find the spot next to me empty, but her scent lingered. Where had she gone? Her clothes and shoes were no longer littered across the carpet, and her clutch was nowhere to be found. Had she left?

I leapt from the bed and hastily pulled on my jeans, zipping them as I shot into the hallway. Charlie was still asleep, but she wouldn’t be for long. It had to be after eight judging by the sunlight pouring in through the windows. I raced down the stairs, hoping I’d find her, hoping she hadn’t called an Uber to take her home in the middle of the night. Shit, what if she regretted what happened last night?

I burst through the kitchen door, and relief washed over me. Delilah stood at the counter mixing batter in the dress she wore last night. Her face was free of makeup and her hair was piled atop her head. She glanced up at the sound of my intrusion and gave me a tentative smile. I gulped at her reaction. I’d been so hot and cold with her lately; she probably didn’t know what to expect.

I crossed to where she stood and wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. She released a contented sigh and relaxed against me. Was she holding her breath, waiting for me to push her away again? That wasn’t going to happen. Now that I had her, I’d never be able to get enough.

My hands dropped to the front of her hips and fisted the soft material covering them. I brought my mouth to the spot just below her ear and pressed a kiss there.

“Good morning,” I said, my voice low and husky.

“Good morning,” she replied, and I could hear the smile in her soft voice.

I extended my fingers and grasped the material below where my hand rested at her hips, slowly gathering it in my hands as her hem rose higher and higher. She moaned and pressed into me, her head falling back on my shoulder. My fingertips met bare skin, and I realized she wasn’t wearing any panties. I groaned into her neck as I pressed my growing erection into her backside.

Flattening one palm against her hip bone, I slid it forward, reaching lower until my fingers brushed her hot, slick center. I dipped one finger inside and pumped it in and out, a second finger joining it soon after.

She arched into me, pressing her ass against my hardened length. I pushed back, trapping my hand between her and the counter, causing the heel to grind against her clit. Her hips undulated, increasing the friction. I curled my fingers forward and nipped at her ear as she rode my hand.

I released the skirt of her dress and braced my free hand on the counter. Her body tightened around me as a needy whimper fell from her lips. Fuck. I wanted to spin her around, lift her onto the counter, and sink into her, but there was no time. Charlie would be up soon, and I didn’t want to get caught with my pants around my ankles. I would have to settle for making her come before breakfast. Not exactly a hardship.

I worked my fingers inside her, finding that spot that made her legs shake. Delilah shuddered, her body contracting around my fingers as she cried out my name. I would never tire of hearing that sound. It was like music to my ears.

I withdrew my fingers, and her dress fell back into place. Her chest heaved with each ragged breath she took. I took a couple steps back and grabbed a hand towel from beside the sink. Delilah’s gaze lifted to mine as I dried my hands. A blush tinted her cheeks, but her eyes flared. She took a step toward me, but before she could reach me, the door to the kitchen flew open and her head snapped to the side.

Charlie’s tiny body bounded into the room, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who was here.

“Delilah,” she squealed and rushed to her, throwing her arms around Delilah’s legs. “You’re here!”

Oh shit. I didn’t have an excuse for why Delilah was here on a Saturday morning. I was too busy getting her off to think of a good one.

36

Delilah

I stood frozen,my eyes wide and cheeks flushed, as Charlie clung to my legs. I’d been so lost in the moment, lost in the pleasure from Vance’s touch, that I forgot where I was. His hands were magic, and I’d been under their spell.

Finally gathering my wits, I cleared my throat and bent to return her embrace. “Hey, sweet pea. Do you want to help me make waffles?” Maybe if I distracted her with breakfast, she wouldn’t ask too many questions. It worked … for a little while. She didn’t exactly know the days of the week, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise when she asked Vance why he wasn’t going to work. He nearly choked on his waffle.

After clearing his throat, he replied, “It’s Saturday. I don’t have to work.”

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