Page 51 of Verses Of Us

With his heart near ready to burst, he waited until she nodded, letting him in. Nowadays, he didn’t think he could still hit such levels of excitement, but he let it wash through him anyway, ignoring his unworthiness.

Cradling her in his arms, he sat up. Hidden behind her bra, her breasts met his greedy mouth and he kissed their supple curve, inhaling her scent. She reached behind and unclasped the bra, letting it fall to the bed, his eyes rejoicing at the sight he’d dreamt of for so long.

It turned out better than he expected. Her small, pink nipples called out to him and when his mouth circled them, her head fell back, her long hair tickling his fingers.

She laid down on her back, motioning for him to remove her pants. As he unbuttoned them, he noticed his fingers were shaking. Why did this woman make him so unsteady?

He tugged her clothes down over her knees, down her beautiful calves, then over her tiny feet, so delicate with light blue painted toenails. He brought his attention back up to her core he so desperately wanted to taste again.

Get a grip, he thought.

He stood up, dropping his pants and her reaction at his naked body stroked his pride. But then, without warning, she bolted out of the room. He stared down at his erection, confused.

She returned, holding a box of condoms and a smile stretched across his face. She pulled out a foil packet, throwing the box onto the nightstand, then sat on the bed. The way she licked her lips, which were inches from his cock, made him twitch.

When she handed him the condom, her hand was steady, unlike his. He contained his thrill, sheathing himself, still dizzy, since most of the blood had gone south. She leaned back and spread her legs, welcoming his body as he rested his weight on top of hers.

Like a dark sea of shiny strands, her hair fanned out on the bed and he ran his fingers through it, watching her eyes glimmer with anticipation and unease. He heard their rapid breaths, but all the other sounds surrounding them, save for his thrumming heart, vanished.

Gripping her knees, he spread her wider. With one slow push, he buried himself deep inside, all pressure lifting off his shoulders. All he saw were her eyes, shimmering, squeezing shut as she bit her lip. He thrust into her, picking up speed as he did, watching her fingers dig into the pillow above. Lithe and flawless, her exposed neck called to him and he kissed it, savouring her sweet taste.

The more he filled her, the more her moans turned into excruciating sounds of pleasure, the more they coaxed out his inner demons, barring his soul.

With a deep grunt, he pulled out, only a little to prolong their pleasure. She gasped, and he stilled.

“What’s wrong, love?”

She smiled, her eyelids heavy, and grabbed his shoulders. “Nothing. Everything is perfect.”

If only she knew how right she was, he thought, pressing his forehead to hers. To his recollection, he had never lived a more flawless moment. No awards. No grand stadium tours. Nothing had ever been so fucking perfect. Too terrified, he wouldn’t dare name it, but he knew what it was. He’d never doubted it for a second.

He lowered his face into the crook of her neck, taking deep breaths of her scent, trying to calm the war inside, then thrust back into her. She took him in, wet and tight. He continued giving her his all, fucking her as well as he had dreamt of, as much as he needed to so he could release his pent-up fury.

Because beyond the euphoria exploding in his veins was a potent rage simmering low in his gut. Rage that he couldn’t stay with her like this forever. Rage for not meeting her under different circumstances, in another life. Rage that he couldn’t be the man she deserved.

This shared experience, the one he’d dreamed of for years, turned his blood to acid only because he knew it wouldn’t last.

Good things like this didn’t come to him—they were fleeting. Everything in his life was temporary.

A SLICE

Alexis

Coveredinnothingbuta well-worn Beastie Boys shirt that reached her mid-thigh, Alexis paid the delivery guy and came back to the bedroom carrying a large pizza box. Naked save for the purple sheet draped over his hips, Ciarán rested his hands on his stomach. Her ravenous eyes landed on him like a starved animal watching its prey.

She dropped the box onto the bed, shimmying up next to him, and hurriedly planted a kiss on his mouth as if she’d been gone for hours and not minutes. They’d been away from each other for so long, each second apart stretched on as if endless.

What she uncovered during the evening, what she yielded to, was beyond her wildest dreams. Passion still hummed in her veins, but her growling stomach forced them to take a break.

“I should have put some pants on before opening the door,” Alexis joked, nuzzling Ciarán’s chest with her nose. He smelled of sweat, and her, and it drove her mad with lust. “The delivery guy kept staring at my legs.”

Ciarán reached down and squeezed her thigh. “Can’t say I blame the man.”

She chuckled and heard his stomach rumble. “Hungry?”

“I suppose so.”

He pulled the box closer, handing Alexis a slice before taking one for himself. He struggled with a strand of gooey cheese that wouldn’t let go. A drop of sauce fell onto the sheets.

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