Page 52 of Betrayal & New Beginnings

“I didn’t thinkIwas a good-enough man capable of a relationship, but you make me want to be that man,Ellie,”Wadesaid, his voice strong, butIcould feel the nervous energy coming off him. “I’mnot sayingIwon’t screw up, butIpromiseIwill never hurt you on purpose.”

“Wade, you are absolutely a good man.Whywould you ever doubt that?”Itold him, cupping his face so he understood thatInever thought he was anything but a good man.

“Ellie,” he said, andIknew he was thinking about his night terrors and the possibility of hurting me, even if it was accidental.

I’d spent enough time second-guessing this thing building between us.Butwhy?WasitRandall?Becausethat wasn’t fair toWadesince they were nothing alike and he had proven time and time again that they weren’t even a remotely close comparison.Hemight think he wasn’t ready for a relationship, yet he was the one willing to take the risk, even though he doubted himself.Icould take that risk with him and be the one to show him—show him that a relationship doesn’t need to be perfect, that he didn’t need to be perfect, for there to be something between us.

“I knowIdon’t deserve you, butI’ma selfish bastard, andIdon’t want to let you go,” he said, shaking me out of my private thoughts. “Iknow this might seem like a big shift, butI’vethought about it a lot, andIknow whatIwant.”

I smiled at him and took a deep breath.

“I’m in,”Itold him, my smile now bigger asIleaned in and gave him a small kiss.

He moved his hands to my wrists, effectively keeping them in place on the sides of his face as he continued to kiss me.

Things got heated, but not in the fast-paced wayIwas used to.Hiskiss was more like he was cherishing the moment and wanting it to last.Hetilted my head and deepened the kiss, andIfelt the world spin around me.Wewere standing side by side next to the couch, and then he grabbed behind my thighs and lifted my legs to wrap around his hips.Heturned and started walking us back to the bedroom, all while still kissing me senseless.

He lowered my legs to the ground next to the edge of the bed.Hemoved his hands to my back and slowly unzipped my dress, as he stared deep into my eyes.Therewere so many emotions swirling in his eyes right now, from lust to happiness to surprise.

His hands moved to my shoulders and slid the dress off my arms until it fell to the ground.Iheard a small growl as he saw the pale blue and black lace bra and matching pantiesIwas wearing.

“God,Ellie, you make it really hard to take this slow,” he said, his voice straining like he was about to snap.

“I didn’t ask you to take it slow,”Iwhispered to him.

“Ellie, back in there,” he used his thumb to point back toward the living room. “Youagreed to try this with me.Takethe chance on us.Whatyou didn’t realize was that makes you mine.Mineto protect, mine to take care of.Mine,” he said as he stroked his hands down the front of my body.

I felt chills all through my body at the adoration in his voice.

“I’m also not good with words to explain to you howIfeel, butIcan show you,” he said, breathing heavily. “So,Iwant to do this right and take it slow soIcan show you how much you mean to me, butIneed to hold back to do that.”

“I don’t want you to hold back,Wade,”Itold him asImoved to start to unbutton his dress shirt, realizing he was struggling with the war in his mind. “Giveme you.Therealyou.Allof you.”

He moaned but didn’t move asIcontinued to undress him.Wewere both standing there in just our underwear, staring at each other.

He was looking at me reverently, as thoughIwas the best thing he had ever seen and he couldn’t get enough of it.Ihad never felt more vulnerable but also treasured in my life.

Clearly, he’d had enough looking and needed more touching, because the next thingIknew, he lifted me and dropped me on the bed on my back, and then he was on top of me.

His kisses were hard and urgent, but his hands were moving so slowly over my body, as though they were worshipping it.Hereached around my back and unclasped my bra.Thenhe took his mouth off mine momentarily to lean back and remove the lace and drop it to the floor beside the bed.

He began gently stroking all over my chest before stopping right over my heart.Iwas sure he could feel the thumping beat underneath his hand, as my heart was beating rapidly as my chest rose and fell with my heavy breaths.

“You are so incredibly beautiful,Ellie,” he said to me quietly as he looked all over my body, admiring it.

“Show me,”Isaid quietly.

His mouth was on me a moment later, and my body was spinning again.Notbecause he was moving me, but because his kiss was making me dizzy.Heslid my underwear off, and his hand was right back there delicately rubbing between my thighs, building a burn thatIknew would be intense.Heslid his hand over my mound and pushed gently down on my clit with his thumb, and my mind went blank.Imoaned loudly, and he pulled away from my mouth.Icould feel his breath on me, but his eyes were on mine.Hishand was still moving, andIfelt his fingers enter me as his thumb still worked the bundle of nerves near the entrance.Myback arched involuntarily, and my head rolled back as a soundIhad never made before left me.Itwas a cross between a moan and a whimper.

He took advantage of my chest being in his face and latched on to my nipple with his mouth, drawing hard.Ifelt that twinge from my head to my toes, and it felt amazing.Thepressure built between my legs, andIknew my orgasm was about to burst.Iwanted him to be inside me when it happened, butIalso couldn’t speak.Icould barely move.

His fingers curled inside me and his thumb pressed harder on the nub and swirled.Myorgasm crashed over me, andIsaw stars.Thepleasure in my voice was mixed with my moans.Ifelt him moving around, butIcouldn’t open my eyes yet.Icouldn’t move anything.Mylimbs had stopped working.

“Ellie, look at me,”IheardWadesay, butIcouldn’t focus right now. “Ellie, sweetheart, look at me.”

I slowly opened my eyes and looked into his.Helifted my body and scooted me back further onto the bed.Hisbody was now hovering over me, and he was looking at me with lust and pure bliss on his face, mixed with a little smirk.

I mustered a small smile in return.

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