Page 70 of Forever and Ever

She surprised me with her kiss. Even more so when she climbed onto my bed. I almost pinched myself to see if I was dreaming because there she was, Mercedes Lopez, girl of my dreams, in her cherry red lace bra and panties asking me to have her.

Asking me to fuck her bare.

I’ve never done that before, and even if it was a little reckless, I saw in her eyes what I was feeling, and I didn’t want there to be anything between us. I didn’t even ask if she was on birth control before sliding in, which might be stupid. But in all honesty, it wasn’t that I forgot, I just didn’t care, because with her, I’d be fine with anything.

Merry has me thinking all sorts of dumb shit right now.

I’ve done a lot of drugs, but nothing compares to this kind of euphoria. The world could end, and I’d be fine with it. I’m not coming down.

Merry shifts as her eyes blink open, and it’s my moment of truth as I search them for hesitation or regret. But she smiles, and it lights a fire so deep my soul is in flames.

“Morning,” she says, catching me watching her. Not that I look away.

I brush a hair off her cheek, and her skin warms. “Good morning.”

“So…” she says, really drawing it out like she’s remembering everything wasn’t just a dream. She buries her face behind her hand and shakes her head a little. “We really did that.”

“We did,” I say, and she moves her hand to peek out at me. “You haven’t run for the hills yet so I’m taking that as a good sign?”

She rolls her eyes and drops her hand. “Very funny.”

“Just saying, I expected you to at least try to claw your way out a little.” I poke her in the side and she squirms.

“Me too,” she says through a laugh, but then her face gets serious as she tucks her hands under her head and faces me. “Is it bad that I’m not?”

“Fuck no. I meant what I said.”

The corner of her mouth ticks. “So did I.”

“I’m not doing this halfway.”

Merry chews the inside of her cheek, then lets out a long exhale. “I know.”

I move closer to her on the bed and her legs part to let me slip one of mine between them. But it’s not sexual, even if I am hard as steel lying beside her naked body. It’s intimate. Dragging a hand up, I run my fingers along the side of her face. Her makeup is all washed off and it’s just her.

Stripped. Messy.

She’s never looked more beautiful.

“But I need you to be patient with me.” Merry works her bottom lip between her teeth “This is… a lot. And there are still things we need to talk about.”

“Merry, you forget I know you.” I lean in and kiss her, feeling her lips puffy as they melt against mine.

She pulls back and gives me a pinched expression, but I’m not sure for what. I do know her. I’ve spent seven months getting to know everything there is to know about her, so maybe it’s just a little denial peeking through.

“No expectations, okay?” I say, and she seems the slightest bit relieved.

I trail my hand down her chest and wrap an arm around her waist to pull her perfect body against mine. Leaning in, I trail kisses over her neck, appreciating her moans and groans as she buries her face in the pillow.

“No expectations,” she repeats.

“But… I'm not sharing.” I plant a kiss where her pulse meets her throat and feel her heart racing. “It’s just us. Non-negotiable.”

Merry reaches up and grabs the sides of my face in her hands so she can look me in the face. “It’s just us.”

I blink again, worrying that one of these times everything I’m seeing will be my imagination and disappear. But she’s still here, in my arms, in my bed, letting me hold her. She’s mine.

Any other woman ceases to be anything because Merry’s body is the one that was meant to fit in my arms.

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