Hands slide up the inside of my cami to my breasts. His thumbs glide back and forth across my nipples, making me gasp.
The dampness of his shirt against my skin makes me shiver. Needing to see and feel only him, I slowly reach up and unbutton it. My hands glide up his chest to his shoulders and slip it off.
Hands grip my waist as he picks me up and lays me on the bed.
“Our first kiss blew me away. It felt like the most natural thing in my life, like I’d kissed you a million times before and could kiss you a million times more. I wanted to kiss you for days,” he says huskily, sliding up beside me on the bed. “In fact, some days, all I can think about is kissing you.”
His lips descend, incrementally, and place the lightest of kisses over the hurt places on my face. Skating along my jaw, he slowly makes his way to my lips. When his lips finally land on mine, the kiss is languid and deep, as if he has all the time in the world.
A bubble descends, and time ceases to exist. I can’t tell if his kiss lasts thirty minutes or thirty days.
His lips finally leave mine, but only so they can continue their journey, paying homage to all the delicious areas of my neck and shoulders.
A hand beneath my back lifts me up, and I raise my arms to help him take off the cami.
“So beautiful,” he murmurs, looking down at me. He lowers his head and buries it between my breasts. His mouth lavishes attention on the one, and when it’s aching and heavy, he moves to the other.
Arching my back, I hold him to me, while the other hand skates along his body, reveling in the feel of him in my arms.
He shifts restlessly, and I widen my legs to accommodate him.
I gasp as his mouth hits a particularly sensitive spot and pull his hips into mine, wanting to feel his hardness against me. “You have too many clothes on.”
He reluctantly leaves my breasts and leans up. “You have the most gorgeous breasts I’ve ever seen. I could bury my face in them for the rest of my life.”
With a quick twist, I switch our positions until I’m on top. “Maybe I want a turn and a taste or two.” My mouth and hands seek out his sensitive spots, the ones that make his body tighten. Needing more, I remove the rest of his clothes, and mine, so I can explore the rest of his body.
Licking and touching every tantalizing inch, we drive each other crazy until neither of us can stand it anymore.
He pulls himself up to lean against the headboard, and I follow, taking him inside me. Looking deep into his gorgeous green eyes, I rise and fall, lost in the world we’ve created. Our lips meet in breathless kisses, while our hands grip each other tightly.
Our emotions amplify each tiny moment, each one building on the previous, causing the slow build to the pinnacle to be a tsunami rolling over us when it hits.
I shudder and lay my head on his chest, panting heavily. Sweat glistens across my skin and his.
Held within his arms, he lightly strokes my hair and back. “That was amazing, love.”
50
QUINN
Armando’s dark eyes shine with glee despite the blood pouring out of them. “We’re two sides of the same coin, Quinn. We share in the responsibility for their deaths. How will you punish yourself?” His voice is a whisper, drowning out every other thought in my head. “See you in hell.”
It’s so hot. I open my eyes and find Sterling wrapped around me. As soon as I move, he wakes. “Going for a run? Want some company?”
The word no forms on my lips, but I need to start letting them in and not just when we’re in bed together. “Yes, and yes. I’m going to get dressed. Meet you downstairs in ten minutes?”
His smile is extra wide. “In ten, gorgeous.”
I leave his room and head to mine. After brushing my teeth and throwing my hair into a ponytail, I get dressed in leggings and a tank. While I’m tying my shoes, I stare at the sleek silver laptop lying innocently on the bed. The temptation to pick it up and finish reviewing the footage from the restaurant is strong. I reach out and grab it.
If I open it, I can see her. Alive, laughing, crying, living her life. My hand trembles. Opening the dresser beside me, I quickly toss it in and shut the drawer.
Sterling’s stretching his hamstrings when I enter the foyer. “Ready to go?”
With a nod, we head out into the still dark morning. Our rhythm syncs quickly and by mile two, we’re going strong.
“That’s not the face I want to see on the woman who just spent the night in my bed,” he jokes. “Was it that bad?”