Page 104 of Modern Romance March 2025 (5-8)

And then I lower my head.

Tessa

I cry out as Rafe’s mouth closes over me. The intimacy of what he’s doing to me, the sheer pleasure stirred by his tongue running up and down my skin, his teeth grazing me, his lips kissing and sucking, drives me crazy. My hands grab on to the sheets, my fingers hanging onto the silk as heat spirals through my veins. There’s a pressure growing between my thighs, a lightness in my chest, the two combining, whirling around inside me until I don’t know how I can possibly hang on, how he can keep going when I need—

The light bursts inside me as I cry out Rafe’s name, ripples through me like a fast-moving wildfire, consuming everything inside me.

At last, I sag against the bed, my head spinning as I suck in a deep breath.

“That…that was…”

I feel the bed shift under me. I hear a faint rustling. And then my eyes fly open as Rafe settles his naked body on top of me, his hardness resting against my core as his bare chest presses against my breasts.

“Was what?” he prompts with that faint smile.

“Better than anything I’ve ever done for myself.”

He stares at me for a second, then throws back his head and laughs. “God, Tessa, you make me laugh.”

His words warm my already heated body.

“You should laugh more,” I say, striving for a casual tone as I brush a lock of hair off his forehead. “It’s a good look for you.”

His eyes darken as I graze my fingernails over his skin.

“Give me a moment.”

The absence of his heat as he leaves the bed stirs a longing that goes far deeper than simple lust. I shove it aside as I watch him pull a packet out of his suitcase. Intrigued, I watch him rip it open and sheath his hardness inside a condom.

“I haven’t been with anyone in over a year.” He walks back to the bed, each step ratcheting up my heartbeat as he draws near. “And my last tests were negative. But this will keep us both safe.”

I nod even as loss pulses beneath desire. Knowing that the man who was my first love will not be my last. Not if I’m going to move forward with my life and live it the way I want.

The sadness vanishes as he lowers himself back on top of me. The heat from his body seeps into my skin and sets every nerve ending on fire.

“I need to be inside you.”

I swallow hard even as I nod. He reaches between our bodies. His hardness nudges my still-tender skin. My eyes widen as I feel him start to push inside.

“Rafe…”

He freezes. “Do I need to stop?”

His voice comes out strangled, his jaw tight.

“No. Just…” I glance down at where our bodies are pressed together. “Are you sure you’re going to fit?”

He lets out a strangled laugh.

“Let’s find out.”

He pushes deeper with an aching slowness that stirs some of the lingering embers still smoldering beneath my skin. There’s a pressure, then a sharp bite of pain.

“Oh!”

He gathers me in his arms, kisses my forehead, my cheeks.

“Hold on to me, Tessa. Just hold on.”

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