Page 247 of The Reluctant Hero

His hands slowly lower me, my ass brushing down his body until my legs are hooked over his elbows. He grips my hips tightly as if he’s anticipating a struggle.

When I feel the heat of his cock run across my seam, my hands clamp over my thighs. I hardly feel my nails dig in as his blunt head furrows in my folds.

The insistent pressure of his entrance is slow, his hips barely rocking him into me. I whine with frustration, my face screwed up in a helpless snarl.

“Slow first,” he mutters roughly. His eyes drop to watch himself enter me in tiny increments.

My mouth opens wide in surprise at how tight I feel. A slight pinch of pain that eases with his withdrawal and returns as he pushes forward. The mix of relief and burn reminds me of Ace’s play with my ass. Just when I think it’s too much, he withdraws, allowing me to gulp in a breath before he comes back. My body is stuck in a war ofdo I want thisanddon’t leave.

A heavier thrust makes my eyes roll back. A sharp sound breaks from my lips, not quite a scream but getting there. The slow withdrawal has the muscles in my thighs shaking.

Another, and I lose control.

I can’t understand what I’m saying. A loud rushing sound is pounding through my ears, muffling everything. My body is writhing, trying to get more of him and away at the same time. I grab the bench above my head and hold on with everything in me. Some kind of stability in the wash of sensation.

In seconds, that feeling of being grounded fades. He thrusts in and out of me at a measured pace that’s just as torturous as his tongue. The only thing I can feel is how hot and tight my skin is. The jostle of my breasts as they move with his churning hips. His fingers digging into my ass hard enough to bruise.

And my pussy. The unbelievable stretch. The way he hits the end of me causes a jolt of sensation I’m not ready for. My focus is stuck there as if my entire body centers on where we meet.

I can feel my inner muscles fluttering over him. My voice gets hoarse. I force my eyes open to take in his strained expression. His teeth are clenched, his control slowly unraveling with every surge into me. His eyes roam over me, taking in everything as his nostrils flare. When his gaze meets mine, everything else falls away as he breaks.

My body shifts lower as he powers into me, keeping his eyes locked on mine. But I can’t keep my eyes open as I wail.

Everything goes silent as I shake, an orgasm finally overtaking me. My throat is straining, my neck arched back. A bite of pain and then sweet pleasure washes over me. It throbs through my pussy and echoes into my breasts. My body feels electrified, everything becoming a shaking mass of ecstasy so strong it scares me.

My eyes are squeezed shut so tightly all I am is sensation. I hear him make a choked noise, and his thrusts stutter for a second. His cock kicks and hits the nerves deep inside, smoothing over them with wet heat.

A different feeling comes over me. An orgasm from inside, stronger than before. Liquid pools and drips out as he moves. I choke at the feeling of release, my body going limp.

I think I pass out because the next thing I know, Mikael is carrying me bridal style. My forehead is pressed against his neck, his chin rubbing over my temple in a soft caress. Every part of me has turned into an aching limp noodle. I can’t open my eyes.

The sound of cascading water echoes as we move closer to damp heat. A jostling movement that he murmurs an apologyfor before a splash and I’m lowered into hot water. He settles me on his lap as the scent of mint and eucalyptus rouses me.

The massage he starts on my legs is sharp and painful before my muscles settle. He’s careful of the stinging scratches I made in my thighs. They run all the way up my hips. I don’t even remember doing it. The salts in the bath make them sting without mercy.

“No more for today,” Mikael mutters softly.

My eyes open to blearily meet his.

“No shit.”

“I’m sorry,rakas,” his voice lowers to a rough whisper. “For everything. I can’t stand to see Gabe hurt, and I lost sight of who you are.”

I’m so lethargic I have no choice but to listen to him. My head falls to his chest weakly.

“I was broken, and he picked me up. Made me as whole as he could. Protected me when my mind was weak. I lost the feeling of having a family for the longest time. Ace was first. Then Gabe came. Cade and Jake. I don’t want that to slip away.”

I take his words in without comment. I can feel tears building at his agonized confession. He’s broken open for me to crawl inside and see him for who he is.

My mind drifts to Ace’s words in his truck.

“We aren’t whole people, darlin’. Alone, we won’t make it. Together, we do all right.”

I threaten that. It’s an all-or-nothing deal.

“All I want is your trust to come back,” he continues, oblivious to my thoughts. “I want you to know I’ll cover you when you need it. Raise you up to see yourself for the relentless,perfectwoman you are. I can wait for the rest.”

I nod, my head settled on his chest. I can’t look up to see him because I’m trying to hide the track of tears running down my cheeks.

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