Page 172 of Through the Water

Her tongue swept over a bead of moisture on the tip. “Not exactly.”

“Explain.”

“Well…” She slowly worked her fist up and down my shaft. “Let’s just say my trip was very educational. There were the sex shows in Amsterdam…”

I opened my mouth, prepared to ask something along the lines of, what the fuck? Only, Ari chose that moment to introduce my cock to the back of her throat, and I ended up spouting off a string of nonsense.

She leaned back with a smirk. “Oh, and Kanamara Matsuri in Kawasaki. It’s an entire festival centered around a Japanese legend involving a steel phallus.”

“What—” I shuddered and lost my train of thought when she took me all the way again. Her nose was pressed against the hairs on my lower abdomen. “Jesus Christ.”

Ari lifted off me and casually ran the back of her hand across her mouth. “But, by far, the most intellectual experience we had was in Finland, during the Kutemajrvi Sex Festival. They even had professional lectures.”

Struggling with the tattered remains of my impulse control, I held her shoulders back and begged, “Wait—just give me a second to think! Did Georgia know you were sneaking off to do this?”

“Whose idea do you think it was. She said Morgan and I needed to experience sex without the religious stipulations. Plus, we had the security team with us, so we were all safe. Any more questions, or can I continue?”

I didn’t remember providing a response, but I must have because she took me in her mouth again, pinning my wrists against the cushion. It was a nonverbal nod as to who was in charge.

Her.

Completely. One hundred percent. Her.

A jolt of desperation shot down my spine when her throat contracted around my cock, pushing me closer to mindlessness.

Not yet.

Ari watched me through shimmering eyes, and my fists shook with the need to touch her, to wipe her tears. Instead, I kept my arms at my sides, finding beauty in the vulnerability.

Mine, not hers.

She was perfect. So damned perfect.

Her grip on my right wrist loosened and she slipped her hand under the jersey. I clenched my jaw, trying to prolong the inevitable, but knowing she was touching herself while I was deep in her mouth was too much.

“Baby,” I groaned, fast approaching the point of no return and not wanting to finish in her mouth. “You gotta stop. I’m gonna come.”

Instead of pulling back, she took me deeper until it felt as if fireworks might shoot out of my skull. I was convinced I was close to death because no blow job had ever felt like this. When her tongue caressed over the ridge of my cock, I was a goner. I pressed the base of my palms to my eyes and surrendered with a roar.

Ari swallowed every drop before collapsing against the ottoman with a harsh pant. I stood and she blinked up at me through heavy-lidded eyes, her pink lips still swollen.

“You are so beautiful.” I lifted her lax body into my arms and carried her into our bedroom. I gently placed her on the bed before grabbing a bottled water from the fridge. When I returned, she was curled into a ball, fast asleep.

I set the water on the dresser and sank down onto the mattress, taking my time undoing her braided pigtails and running my fingers through to separate the waves.

This was the woman I was going to marry.

My throat tightened with emotion, and I shifted my jaw from side to side until the urge to cry passed, before retrieving a small velvet box from the nightstand.

“What’s that?” she asked, suddenly wide awake.

“Your surprise,” I admitted gruffly, reaching for her left hand.

“And here I thought you were my surprise,” Ari responded, holding still while I slipped the ring over her knuckle.

“Oh, I am, slugger,” I chuckled. “But after that blow job, I figured I better make it official before someone else snatches you up.”

“Turn on the light. Let me see.” She blinked against the brightness when I switched on the lamp, before lifting it up for inspection.

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