Page 99 of Gideon's Gratitude

Archer advanced to the bed and sat. He gently feathered my hair. “What are you thinking?”

“That you’re you and I’m…” Words failed me.

He leaned in for a kiss. A gentle pressing of lips. “Kind?” Kiss. “Gentle?” Kiss. “Caring?” Kiss. “Generous?” Kiss. Another kiss—this one more ardent. “I find you sexy as hell. I don’t see what you think Isee. I see a man whose inner strength has slayed demons. You could’ve given in to your addiction. You didn’t. You could’ve given up on your children. You haven’t.”

He placed a hand on my sternum. “You have pale skin that glows. I can’t wait to see you in moonlight. And your eyes are deep, mysterious pools. I want to dive in and get lost forever.” He flexed his fingers to dig his nails lightly into my chest. “I want to make love to you. To worship you and to show you how much I cherish you.”

Slowly, as if awakening from a deep slumber, need skittered down my chest, and I hardened. Leo and I had never needed pretty words. We had long experience and intimate knowledge of each other. A look. A touch. That was enough.

Now? You’re thinking about Leo now? For once and for all, you needed to boot that ghost out of your bed.

Here, though, in this space, with this man, I needed more. I needed assurances and yes, pretty words. “I want to believe you.”

“Then do.” Archer gave me a smile that dazzled. “Let yourself get lost in pleasure. Know there’ll be more. I can give you pleasure.” He leaned in for a kiss. “I can give you everything.”

It might’ve sounded ridiculous, but I believed. And so when he moved in for a kiss, I gave myself up and opened my mouth to accept the thrust of his tongue. I grasped his hair and tugged, eliciting a moan of pleasure. And when he lowered his hand to encircle my cock, I arched into the touch. That hand…that hand was doing all kinds of clever things. All kinds of devious things. All kinds of glorious things.

He pulled back. “I want to be inside you. Is that—”

“Oh, my God, that is so okay.” I groaned. “I want it too.”

Another magnificent smile. “Then relax, and I’ll do the work.”

Sex could be work. Sex could be complicated. Sex could be frustrating. And it could also be glorious. I tried not to put too manyexpectations into the simple yet complex act. As Archer lowered himself over me and our bodies touched, a fire lit within me.

The skin-to-skin contact soothed an ache within me. The feather-light touches brought forth a need I neither expected nor knew how to deal with. Yet he knew when to excite, and when to back off. When to push, and when to pull back.

His erection was hard against my hip as his tongue plundered my mouth. He roamed his hand up and down my side, again tucking it between our bodies to grasp my shaft.

“If you don’t want me to come now…” A warning to him.

He grinned even as he ran his finger along my slit.

I bucked. I was frustrated and turned on at the same time.

Finally, as if taking pity on me, he pulled back. He settled on his knees between my thighs, which opened for him.

My back didn’t even twinge.

Still, he asked, “Are you okay?”

I nodded.

He snagged a condom, opened the wrapper, then rolled it on. With a grin, he grasped the bottle of lube.

I nodded with even more vigor.

He grinned lasciviously. Then he poured lube onto his fingers.

Understanding what came next, I grasped my cock and balls to move them out of the way. The grin he bestowed upon me warmed me from within. Sex wasn’t just about body parts. I was someone who needed an emotional connection. That was why, even if my body had been willing, I wouldn’t have gone on the prowl after Leo divorced me. I just wasn’t built like that.

I had the feeling Archer wasn’t either. He’d made a comment about having tried a hookup app—and the night having been a disaster—but he’d also made it pretty clear he’d never really been settled with theidea. The hookup turning out to be a jackass just reinforced the idea that maybe an app wasn’t the best way to find someone.

Apparently constructing a house next to theirs was far better.

I’d laughed.

And felt a little heartened.

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