Page 76 of We Own Tonight
His arms wrap around my shoulder, clutching me as the water falls on us. “I told you, baby. I’m not goinganywhere.”
I tilt my head back, believing what he says. “I want you to make love tome.”
He tenses, probably scared that I’m not ready. Each touch we’ve shared since that night has been in comfort, and he’ll never grasp the intimacy he showed inthat.
“Heather . . .” He hesitates. “I’mnot. . .”
“I know.” I put my hand to his lips. “I’m telling you that I need you. I need you to make me feel alive. I want you to make love to me because Iwantto make love toyou.”
His eyes don’t leave mine, and I see the mix of desire and surrender. His fingers slide down my spine as I grip his neck. Both of us move in perfect harmony, and our mouths collide. Eli takes control of the kiss, entering my mouth, and pouring himself into the moment. Each swipe of his tongue solidifies my heart tohim.
My hands move down his shoulders, over his thick arms and firm muscles, and then back up again. I love the feel of him beneath me. The way he emboldens me to give myselfover.
The kiss continues as we touch each other. It’s as if I’m experiencing him for the first time. His mouth moves against my throat, kissing me as his lips find purchase where it drives mewild.
He moves back to my lips and takes my head in his hands. My gaze meets his, and I see it all. He’s as in love with me as I am withhim.
Just as I was too afraid to say it, he doesn’t utter the words, either. However, I know, and I show him the same loveback.
The intensity of his stare is too much. My breathing becomes shallow, and he drops his grip and takes my hand. “I want to do something,” he admits. “Will you let me take care ofyou?”
“You alreadyhave.”
I’ll give him anything he wants. I trust him more than I’ve ever trusted any otherman.
Eli fills his hand with soap, turns my back to his front, and starts to wash me. He starts at my neck, lathering the soap and moving ever so slightly down to my shoulders. “You have no idea how you make me feel,” he says against my ear. “How much I want to take away your pain. I want to make you smile, baby. I want to give youeverything.”
I lean back against him, as he moves to my chest. “I need you so much,” I admit. “It scares me how much you mean tome.”
He spreads the soap across my body with care. We’re both naked, but it’s more than foreplay right now, it’s filled with meaning. Once he’s done washing me, I’m desperate forhim.
I need him inside me. I need to feel whole. I need him to fill me withlife.
His gaze is brimming with hunger. Neither of us can wait anylonger.
He presses my back against the wall and his mouth finds mine. I pour out every ounce of love I feel from my body. I want him to feel how deeply I’m in love with him. My hand reaches for his dick, trying to line it up. I can’t wait. I have to have him rightnow.
“Heather,” he says against my skin. “We don’t have acondom. . .”
“I have an IUD, and I’mclean.”
His head drops to my shoulder, and he moans. “I’m clean, but are yousure?”
I look up, watching his green eyes beg for me to say yes. But there’s only one thing that falls from my lips. “I love you, Eli. I want you to make love tome.”
I stun myself with my admission and wait for him to freakout.
He pushes the wet hair from my cheek and smiles. “I love you. I loved you the day we were on the boat. I loved you the day your face was covered with paint. I might have even fallen in love with you when you screamed my name at theconcert.”
The tears that fall this time aren’t from grief, but from hope. I’m not alone or lost, I found myhome.
“You know,I’ve spent my entire life in Tampa, and I’ve never been here,” Istate.
Eli chuckles as we continue walking on the trail. “I love this park, Randy used to take me here to fish when my dad was too drunk to bearound.”
After our intense shower, Eli told me he wanted to show me something. I wasn’t in the mood to leave our safe haven, but he wasn’t budging, insisting that we were leaving the house before we had to meet with the assisted livingdirector.
“Tell me about your parents.” He doesn’t talk much about his family. I know his mother lives in Tampa, but he hasn’t mentionedher.
