Page 24 of Ready or Not
His fingers sliding up my sides, he took the hem of the shirt with them until it slipped over my head and onto the floor. The cool air kissed my skin, making me shiver as his gaze roamed over me unhurried. His hands followed the path of his eyes, tracing the curve of my shoulders, the line of my collarbone, until they settled right on my chest.
His thumbs brushed over the peak of each mound as though he were memorizing me by touch. My breath hitched, the warmth of his palms branding me, and yet his movements remained reverent—like I was something sacred. His lips parted slightly, and for a heartbeat, I thought he might say something. Instead, they descended on the hollow of my throat, pressing soft, lingering kisses along the sensitive skin there. My pulse fluttered beneath his mouth like a bird desperate to take flight.
“Desi,” his name escaped me in a moan so soft I barely heard it myself.
He froze, pulling from my neck to meet my eyes.
“Say that again.” It wasn’t a demand or even a request. It was more like a plea from somewhere deep inside him.
My lips parted as his thumb toyed with the heart-shaped piercing on my left nipple. “Desi…”
He closed his eyes and groaned. Before I could process, his hands found the center of my back as he leaned me backwards on his lap. Head tilted back, my hair spilled over my shoulders as I arched into him, gasping softly when his lips found the center of my chest. His tongue darted out to trace lazy, torturous patterns down the valley between my breasts.
“Watch me,” he rasped against my skin as he took one of my nipples into his mouth, his tongue swirling over the delicate metal of the piercing. My eyes fluttered shut instinctively, but his low growl of disapproval brought me back to attention.
“I said, watch me,” he repeated, tugging onto the hardened peak gently with his teeth before releasing it, which sent an electric jolt to my pussy. My eyes snapped open, locking onto his as he gazed at me from beneath heavy lids.
Satisfied that he had my attention by the smirk on his face, his mouth returned to my chest and worked skillfully. His lips alternated between kisses, sucks and grazes of his teeth, as though he was learning to play me like an instrument. Every touch was a note, every moan was a melody. Unable to stop myself, my hands clutched at his shoulders, fingers digging into the taut muscles. His grip on my back tightened ever so slightly as I shifted against him, instinctively seeking out more of him. The slow grind of my hips against his lap drew a rumble from his chest, pulling him away from my skin just long enough to shoot me a look that was equal parts warning and hunger.
Rising from the couch in one swift motion, he carried me effortlessly in his arms. My breath caught as my limbs instinctively clung to him, his strength and the deliberate purpose in his movements sending a thrill through me. He strode toward his hallway, his eyes never leaving mine as he nudged the halfway open bedroom door. Inside revealed a dimlylit sanctuary of an upholstered bed covered in charcoal-grey sheets in the center. Beside it were matching nightstands with soft glowing lamps and a small stack of books on the one by the floor-to-ceiling windows that cast a faint reflection of the two of us entwined.
Door closed off to the music in the living room, he set me down gently on the edge of the bed, his hands never once leaving my body as though afraid I might disappear if he let go. His thumbs grazed over my thighs, kneading softly as his eyes drank me in.
"Lie back," he murmured, and I obeyed without hesitation, leaning back against the cool sheets, my head resting on one of the plush pillows. I watched as he slipped out of his shirt and sweatpants, revealing a sculpted frame that made my breath catch and my lower lips throb. The soft lights from the bedside lamps danced across his skin, highlighting every ridge and contour. My eyes trailed down the ridges of his abs, the sharp cut of his hips, and the hard lines of his shoulders as he stood there for a moment, his gaze locked on me.
Fuck was this man blessed down below.
“Can I do something?” I breathed as I slowly pulled myself up on my elbows. His brows lifted slightly in curiosity, but then he smirked.
“You can do anything you want to me, Solène.”
Slowly, like a predator closing in on its prey, I slid forward on the bed until I was on my knees, my body barely inches from his. My hands found his sides, tracing the defined lines of his torso with featherlight touches, reveling in the way his muscles tensed beneath my palms. His breath hitched as I leaned in closer, pressing a kiss to the center of his chest. My lips lingered there for a moment before trailing lower, leaving a path of soft kisses and teasing nips along his skin.
His hands fell to my damp coils, tangling gently in the strands while he exhaled a deep, guttural sound as my lips found his hips. I paused, my breath fanning warm against his skin, and glanced up at him through my lashes. His eyes were half-lidded, jaw clenched as his fingers tightened in my hair, like he was holding himself back.
Now the one to smirk, my fingers took his curved girth into a slow, tentative grip, marveling at the heat and weight of him. A groan escaped his lips as I took my time, letting my tongue trace a slow, deliberate circle over his oozing tip before pulling back slightly to meet his gaze. His breathing hitched, and with every flick of my tongue, every teasing movement, I could feel the tension building in him like a storm ready to break.
“Stop driving me insane—fuuuck!” he moaned, his voice breaking as I took him deeper, my lips wrapping around his dick deliberately. His hips bucked slightly, but he forced himself to still as his hand pulled at my coils. I moved at my own pace, savoring every reaction that escaped him: the way his breathing grew more ragged with every flick of my tongue, the soft curses that spilled from his lips when I tightened my grip around the base. His fingers trembled in my hair; his restraint was hanging by a thread, and it thrilled me to know that I was the one unraveling him.
“Solène,” he growled. “You’re gonna make me—fuck—I’m?—”
Taking his plea as encouragement to pick up the pace, I hollowed my cheeks and moved deeper, drawing a strangled sound from his chest. My fingers played with his base, stroking in tandem with the ministrations of my mouth, which snapped his control. With a rough moan, he pulled me away, a string of saliva still connecting me to him as I panted for breath.
“You don’t play fair,” he tried to say between heavy breaths.
I looked up at him, batting my lashes innocently. “I don’t want to.”
“Fine,” he sucked his teeth. “Then neither will I.”
In one swift moment, his hand holding my hair guided me back up to his eye level. His lips crashed against mine more hungrily, the kiss consuming the breath from my lungs. My eyes closed as I melted into him, his hand gripping my ass with newfound urgency. I barely had time to react before he picked me back up and pushed me against the cool white wall. My back met the smooth surface with a thud. I wrapped my legs around him as his hips pressed into mine. The hard, solid feel of him grinding against my core made me gasp, and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth, deepening the kiss until it felt like the world outside had disappeared entirely. His hands moved to cup the curve of my thighs, lifting me higher, and I felt a finger swipe at my soaked folds.
Breaking the kiss, he kept me hoisted in the air with one hand as the other found his mouth, slipping his finger coated in my wetness.
“Mhmm,” a groan escaped his throat as he tasted me. “You taste exactly how I imagined you would.”
Sliding his hand back down, I whimpered as he played along my folds again before dipping them inside. My head fell back against the wall, and I cried out softly as his fingers curled within, hitting that spot with unerring precision. Every stroke sent ripples of pleasure radiating through my body like the pull of a tide intent on drowning me in desire.
“You make the prettiest sounds,” he murmured against my neck as his fingers worked relentlessly. His lips found the tender spot just below my ear, teeth grazing lightly before he sucked the skin softly, marking in a way that felt possessive. My hips rolled against his hand instinctively, chasing the delicious friction as he teased me closer and closer to the edge.
