Page 68 of Love and the Laws of Motion
“Thank you,” Livie murmured.
“Uh, I’m the one who should be saying thank you, Liv.”
“I had no idea what I was doing.I’m sure it was—”
He shut her up by rolling over on top of her.Smoothing her tangled hair out of her face, he looked down into her eyes with all the sincerity he could muster.“That was fucking amazing.You were so sexy and sweet.Thank you.For sharing that with me.”
Her cheeks flushed with color.“I can’t imagine it ever being better.”
He couldn’t help the self-satisfied grin that took over his face.“Oh, Livie, you know I can’t resist a challenge.”
“What—”
“Hold still,” he murmured.Then he began kissing his way down her body.
Livie let out a low, slow sigh.“That feels good.”
“I can make it feel even better.”
“You can?”
“I promise.”
“Then I think you should.”
He spread her thighs apart and pressed a lingering kiss to the inside of one, feeling her tremble, feeling her breath hitch.“With pleasure.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Livie kept her eyes closed for a long time after she woke up.When she opened her eyes, the night would truly be over, and she didn’t ever want last night to end.It almost hadn’t.She and Nick had had sex two more times.It was nearly three a.m.when they finally fell asleep, and for once, sleep came easy.
This morning, her body was reminding her of everything they’d done as she lay still and took stock of herself.The insides of her thighs ached.Between her legs she felt a little sore, and her nipples were tender.Her body felt gloriously used and tingly.Every bit of last night had been perfect.Well, except for that one moment of fear, when she’d realized she might be in much deeper than she thought.But this morning, it was just as clear as it had been last night that it was too late to protect herself.And as good as he made her feel, she didn’t really want to.
Eyes still closed, she rolled her face into the pillow and smiled so hard her cheeks hurt.The pillow smelled like Nick.She hadn’t been aware that Nick had a smell, but after last night, if felt like her body might forever be attuned to it, some Pavlovian response she couldn’t control.
She could feel him behind her, his body warming the length of her back.He wasn’t touching her now, but she had a hazy memory of falling asleep spooned against him, his arm slung across her waist.
When she rolled over to look at him, her breath caught in her chest.He was on his stomach, his face turned toward her on the pillow, his dark hair falling across his forehead.His lips were slightly parted as he slowly breathed in and out.His expression was clear and untroubled in sleep.He looked years younger and utterly carefree.
She wanted to run her fingers over his face, to trace the slashes of his heavy eyebrows with her fingers, to touch the fullness of his bottom lip.Instead, she curled her fingers into her palm and studied him.She’d promised him when this started that nothing between them would change.Last night might have rocked her world, but she would do her very best to hold to that promise, and that meant no mooning over him while he slept.
As quietly as possible, she slid out of bed and retrieved her clothes from the floor.Nick slept too little as it was.She didn’t want to wake him unnecessarily.He shifted, let out a sexy little groan, and rolled over onto his back, but he stayed asleep.
Pausing at the door, she took one more look at him.The sheet had ridden down to his hips.Even relaxed in sleep, his upper body was a wonderland.The broad shoulders, the muscles of his upper arms, the hills and valleys of his rib cage, the flat expanse of his stomach, that little dusting of hair starting low on his abdomen and disappearing under the sheet.Now she knew exactly where it led, which lent it a crazy, sexy appeal it hadn’t had before.
Before this day, her appreciation of male beauty had always been theoretical, removed.A handsome guy in a movie was nice to look at, but she rarely felt stirred by any particular one—well, aside from her brief fascination with Tony Stark in the firstIron Manmovie.
Nick was different.Looking at him made her heart pound and her palms sweat.Looking didn’t feel like enough.She wanted to touch him, to learn every inch of him.Last night, the focus had all been on her, but maybe next time—because she was determined there would be a next time—it would be different.Next time, she’d be the one to touch.There was so much more of him to be explored.
Downstairs, she could hear Gemma up and about.She slipped out of his room and quietly shut the door behind her.Spudge, waiting patiently in the hall, hesitated for a moment, looking mournfully at Nick’s closed door.In the end, he left his post near Nick and followed Livie down the stairs.She found Gemma in the kitchen, of course, puttering at the stove, grating something over a pan full of eggs.
Livie got a mug down from the cupboard and poured herself a cup of coffee.“Morning.”
Gemma flashed her a brief look over her shoulder.“Morning.”
“How was last night?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Gemma replied.
