Page 26 of Saving Meri

His fingers brushed the back of her neck, soothing. “I’ve got you.”

The words hit harder than she wanted them to.

Meri wet her lips, her pulse hammering. “This isn’t love.”

Bear’s eyes darkened, something flickering behind them. “I never said it was.”

Her stomach twisted as he set her down, something sharp and painful curling deep in her chest. She wasn’t ready for this. She wasn’t capable of this, and that was the scariest thing of all.

Meri’s fingers curled into his shirt, gripping tight one last time before she forced herself to let go. She eased back just enough to put space between them, forcing the world back into focus.

Bear didn’t stop her—didn’t pull her back—his eyes never left hers.

“You need to sleep,” he repeated, his voice quieter this time. “You’ll rest better if I’m here.”

Meri swallowed hard. “That’s not…”

“Not what?”

She didn’t have an answer.

Bear reached up, brushing one last tear from her cheek. “Lay down, little one.”

Meri hesitated for only a second before giving in. Not because she trusted him. Not because she needed him. But because, just for tonight… she didn’t want to be alone.

7

BEAR

He stripped himself bare, his skin shimmering under the soft amber glow of the room. With a low, heated hiss, he murmured as she tentatively reached out to trace the curve of his throbbing cock, “Not this time, little one,” he said gently. “There will be a time later where I’ll let you explore all you want.”

Sliding down beside her, he drew her into a long, lavish kiss; he brought their mouths together slowly, savoring every nuance of connection. Though his cock was hard as a rock, he was determined to luxuriate in every moment with her. She had begun to reclaim herself, taking her first bold step toward owning her desires—and he wasn’t about to repay that trust with a hurried, careless act. Instead, he vowed to demonstrate that her Dom was a patient, tender guide capable of showering her with affection and revealing the depth of his stirred heart.

Their tongues intertwined like delicate vines, warmth radiating through him as he pressed his body against hers. Balancing his weight, he allowed her legs to open naturally and slide over him. “Meri…” he entreated softly, uncertainty lingering in his voice.

She shook her head gently, but firmly. “I can’t do that tonight. Right now, I don’t need your gentleness. I need to just be your submissive—nothing more; nothing less.”

His gentle smile affirmed his willingness to honor her limits. If this was what she needed, then together they would explore the boundless possibilities of their union. “Baby, tonight you’re going to let me explore every inch of you. You are going to stay completely still and let me trace, touch and kiss every soft, sweet part of you.”

Searching his eyes with a serene, trusting gaze, she whispered, “I can be still.”

Even though his throbbing cock pressed insistently against her wet center—offering the promise of heaven with a single, simple thrust—he wasn’t going to rush. Their kiss deepened again before he moved his head, inhaling the intoxicating perfume of her neck with deliberate reverence as he made his way down her body.

Everything about Meri made him feel at home, even as a tender ache reminded him she hadn’t yet come to feel the same for him. Still, he was patient. With slow, deliberate kisses, he trailed from the sensitive curve of her neck down to the swell of her breast.

“When I’m done with you,” he vowed, “not one inch of you will have escaped my kiss.”

He traced a line with his lips toward her breast, his tongue teasing her nipple before a playful nip caused a soft hiss to escape her. He noticed her hands clenching the sheets as she fought to maintain her composure, a shuddering gasp accompanying each gentle suck and careful nip on her sensitive nipple.

Moving his exploration lower, he spread her legs wide and turned his attention to her inner sanctuary. His mouth descended with deliberate passion onto her, kissing her labiaand flicking her clit with a tender, teasing lick that drew an audible gasp. Her arousal was unmistakable—her wet heat mingled with the heady scent of desire, nearly making him lose himself in its frenzy.

He feasted on the sweetness of her pussy, his tongue repeatedly dancing along her folds, savoring the honeyed essence of her arousal. Each delicate movement was a reminder of how divine it felt to honor her body with a loving Dom’s full, unhurried adoration.

Meri’s cry of release filled the room; her body trembled and then eased into a blissful stillness as she climaxed. Then it was his turn. Rising onto his knees, he gazed down at her with a mixture of something bordering on an intense adulation. Slowly, he reached over to the nightstand to retrieve a condom.

Before he could proceed, she grasped his hand. “They made sure I was clean and on birth control. No one got to use me without a condom.” In that moment, he saw a flash of pain in her eyes—a reminder of the past trauma she fought to suppress. “I want this. I want you,” she declared softly, her voice brimming with both ferocity and vulnerability.

She lay on the bed as the gentle glow of the lamp painted delicate shadows across her skin, each caress of light emphasizing every curve and dip of her graceful form. Her body was an exquisite portrait of desire, her legs invitingly spread, and the silver evidence of her ecstasy shimmering like dewdrops along the intimate contours of her heat.

---