Page 106 of Dex

We pull away, eyes latched on one another.He’s asking for my permission.In answer, I widen my knees, half kneeling as his fingers slip inside me.I shudder out a sigh, and when his thumb finds and circles my core, I choke out a strangled sigh.

Pleasure lances through my body, sparking at my breasts and shooting downward.I grind myself against fingers, needing friction, utterly lost in the fire consuming us both.

He wasn’t supposed to want me like this.

We weren’t supposed to have feelings, or show any emotions.

We weren’t supposed to get close.

But every fevered kiss and possessive touch of his hands tells a different story.He’s drowning in me, and I’m drowning in him, and there’s no saving either of us now.My eyes find his through the hazy steam.

“This is wrong,” I pant, the words barely audible over our ragged breathing.My body yearns for him, but my mind gives one last feeble protest.Dexter’s eyes flash with something that looks like guilt, and longing.

“Then why does it feel so right?”He doesn’t give me a chance to respond as his mouth crashes onto mine again, and the argument is lost in a tangle of tongues and teeth and need.

One of his hands pulls down my bikini triangle, exposing my breast which he hungrily kneads.He tweaks my nipple mercilessly.Between that and his fingers sliding over my slick folds under the water, it’s too much.

“You’re so wet,” he mutters against my lips, his tone a mix of heat and desire.A wild laugh bubbles up in my throat at the unintended irony.Of course I’m wet, we’re in a hot tub, but it dies the instant he strokes me again.We devour one another with our mouths, desperate with need.Two fingers glide into me, and I break the kiss with a strangled moan.His thumb presses against my clit, rubbing slow, torturous circles that make my thighs quake around his hips.My head falls back, and Dexter takes advantage, latching onto my breast and sucking hard, extracting every ounce of pleasure he can from my body as his mouth and fingers work their magic.

I cry out again as he sucks hard, his tongue flicking over the sensitive peak while his fingers curl deep inside me.Pleasure radiates through me, every nerve ending on fire.I’m so close already; heat is coiling tight in my belly, with each stroke of his fingers.His teeth graze my nipple at the exact moment his thumb presses down firmly on my clit, and I shatter.Euphoria pulses through me, wave after wave, and all I can do is cry out Dexter’s name.He groans and keeps working me with his hand, prolonging my climax until I shudder and fall apart in his arms.

An animalistic sound comes from deep in his throat.“Come for me, Gatinha,” he whispers, his voice low and husky.He watches me as I unravel, his fingers still inside me as the orgasm crashes over me, sudden and violent, clenching every muscle in my body.Bubbles cascade over me as withdraws his fingers from my trembling body.

We pant, and I sit on him, falling into his chest, burying my face in the crook of his neck.His arms come around, caging me against him.I hear his heart beating wildly.As wildly as mine.We cling to each other.

Dipping his head, he drops a kiss on my shoulder.I shiver, then savor his tenderness, the way he’s holding me.How he feels against me.Protective, strong, hard.I love it when his hand soothes back my hair.I can’t help but drop a kiss on his damp chest.I inhale, sniffing him like I have no manners.The truth is, I could stay like this all night.I don’t want to move.I don’t want this bubble to burst.The secret, sultry place where Dexter and I finally got to share a few moments of intimacy.

Now I want more, because I’ve had a taste, and it’s not enough.

“I’m in danger of falling in love with you, Dexter.”

His body tenses.A tremor runs through me that has nothing to do with the cooling night air.I loosen my hold around his neck, suddenly aware of how closely we’re joined.He seems to realize it at the same time.

Carefully, he lifts me, easily and sets me down beside him.Hot water swirls between us and I rearrange my clothing so that I’m decent again.I made a mistake saying what I just did, because the way he’s looking at me?He doesn’t like it.

I start to shake, then panic sets in as I hold his gaze.There’s a rawness in his expression I’ve never seen, and when he drags a hand through his soaked hair, I see it trembling.

“This … shouldn’t have happened,” he says hoarsely.A spear through my heart.I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the steaming water.“It was just supposed to be a marriage on paper.”Dexter’s jaw tightens.Water drips from his hair into his eyes, and he swipes it away, refusing to look at me.

The only sound is the churn of the tub’s jets.I rub my arms, trying to hold myself together.

“Do … do you regret it?”I ask softly, bracing myself for his answer.It’s like a slap, when he doesn’t reply.His silence sends a fissure of hurt through my chest.“Don’t,” I choke out, anger rising to battle the hurt.“Don’t do that.”

His eyes snap to mine.“Don’t do what?”

“This.”I hate the way my voice trembles.“Don’t shut me out and act like nothing happened.Don’t you dare pretend that meant nothing.”

His face twists, pain etched in every angle.“Daniela…”

“No!”A bitter laugh bubbles up in my throat.“You swore you didn’t want me, remember?That this would never happen.”I gesture between us, my hand shaking.“Well, guess what?It did happen.You want me.You need me.You just proved it.”

He flinches as if punched, his eyes going glossy.“Of course I—” He cuts himself off, biting down on whatever he was about to admit.A harsh breath shudders out of him.“Wanting you was never the problem.”

“Then what is?”My voice cracks.“Because I’m sitting here, and I care about you and I … and I want this, Dexter.I’m not in love with you, okay?If that makes you feel better.This isn’t some grand forever promise.But I care about you, and it scares me.And I’m here.We’re in this together, whether we’re meant to be or not.And after what just happened between us, you still choose to run away.”

He winces, as if my words have wounded him.“I’m trying to protect you,” he grinds out.

“Protect me?”I stare at him, incredulous.“From what?From you?You think you’re some kind of curse?”

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