Page 99 of Silence and Surrender

It was the first time he’d seen me naked with my permission. Now I was in charge, and I was controlling my own desires and his, and the power of that made me feel bold again.

“Beautiful,” he breathed, hands just barely grazing my skin. “So beautiful.”

When his fingers finally traced my collarbone, the touch was radioactive. He explored me slowly, reverently, learning every inch with careful dedication. His mouth followed his hands, soft kisses pressed to my shoulders, my breasts, the barely-there curve of my stomach where our baby grew.

I reached for him, needing to feel his skin against mine. He shed his clothes quickly, then stretched out beside me. Moonlight caught the ridges of his abs as he moved, highlighting the new hardness there. His arms, once accustomed to designer suits, now rippled with strength capable of carrying me through hell. Yet his hands remained the same—those elegant fingers that had once flipped through legal documents now traced my skin with exquisite gentleness, as if I might break under a firmer touch.

The first brush of his bare chest against my breasts made us both gasp.

“Tell me if anything’s too much,” he said, voice raw with emotion. “We’ll go as slow as you need.”

In answer, I pulled him down for another kiss. He responded with careful hunger, one hand tangling in my hair while the other explored my every curve. Every touch felt like healing, like coming home, like everything I’d been missing.

His mouth moved to my neck, finding spots that made me arch and gasp. My hands roamed his back, tracing the lines of his muscles. When his fingers brushed my inner thigh, I spread my legs in wordless invitation.

“Look at me,” he commanded softly.

I opened my eyes, finding his eyes intense with love and need. His fingers stroked higher, and my breath caught at the first intimate touch, his fingers finally reaching my clit.

“Still okay?”

“More than okay.” I rocked against his hand, showing him what I needed.

He took his time, learning my body’s responses with the same thoroughness he applied to everything. When his fingers finally slipped inside, I clutched his shoulders, overwhelmed by sensation and emotion.

“That’s it,” he murmured, pressing kisses to my face. “Let go for me. Let me see you.”

The orgasm built slowly, unlike anything I’d experienced before. This wasn’t just chasing physical pleasure…it was connection, trust, love. When it finally crested, I cried out his name like a prayer.

He held me through the aftershocks, whispering words of love against my skin. When I could focus again, I found him watching me with raw tenderness.

“Inside me,” I whispered. “Please.”

He moved over me carefully, bracing his weight on his forearms. The first press of him against me made us both tremble.

“Sure?”

“Always.”

He pushed in slowly, giving me time to adjust. The stretch was exquisite—fuller, deeper than our hurried encounter in the library or the tunnels below the Mayfair. When he was fully seated, he pressed his forehead to mine, breathing raggedly.

“You feel like heaven,” he groaned. “Like…I’ve finally found my home.”

I wrapped my legs around his hips, drawing him impossibly closer. “Move. Please.”

He started slow, each thrust measured and deep. One hand supported my head while the other stayed on my hip, thumb stroking my skin in time with his movements. The pleasure built again, different this time—fuller, richer, more complete.

“Look at me,” he said again. “Bella. My beautiful Bella. Stay with me.”

I held his gaze as we moved together, letting him see everything I felt. Love. Trust. Healing. Home. His rhythm faltered as I tightened around him.

“Close,” he ground out, his jaw tight. “I’m so close.”

“Together,” I whispered, and he groaned, driving even deeper.

The orgasm took us both by surprise, stronger than the first, pulling us under in waves of pleasure and emotion. I felt tears on my cheeks as he buried his face in my neck, his whole body shaking. This time, his release stayed inside me where it belonged.

Afterward, he gathered me close, one hand stroking my hair while the other returned to its familiar place on my stomach. The silence was peaceful, full of unspoken understanding.

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