Page 53 of Gravity of Love
She met every thrust with her own, every time feeling his pubic bone grind against her swollen clit, sparking explosions of pleasure up her spine. Nothing existed, nothing mattered, except the two of them, the sound of his breathing, his voice in her ear, and the obscene, animal rhythm of their bodies, until her entire body seized, and Liam’s grip tightened, holdingher together as her orgasm tore her apart. Wave after wave of pleasure claimed her in an earth-shattering climax, she lost herself completely.
After what felt like a small eternity, Frankie floated back to reality. Liam was still moving inside of her. Her inner walls were pulsing around him as he pressed in and pulled out, every drive sending new tremors rippling through her belly and thighs. Within seconds, his entire body tensed and shuddered as he buried his face in her neck. A primal moan tore from his throat as her inner walls milked him. Frankie felt every throb and every pulse, and she wanted to keep every drop of him inside her forever.
When Liam collapsed on top of her, breathless with exhaustion, they lay tangled together, skins slick and bodies trembling. Frankie buried her face in his shoulder and wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, savoring the weight of his body above her. He was heavy, substantial, and anchoring. She felt, for the first time in a long time, safe and happy. She never wanted him to move.
Liam’s thumb traced lazy circles on her hip as she felt tears begin to fall down her cheek. He must have felt them fall because he pushed up and looked down at her.
“Fuck, I hurt you.”
She shook her head, smiling. “No, you didn’t. It’s not that. I’m happy. These are happy tears. I’ve never been happier in my life.”
Liam searched her eyes for less than a second before being satisfied with her response. The moment he was, his body relaxed, he smiled, rolled off her, and pulled her to him. She snuggled into his side and rested her head on his chest. His arm wrapped around her and held onto her like a lifeline. Frankie listened to his heart—still racing, but slowing to a steady,soothing beat. They lay like that for a long time, silent, the world reduced to the sound of their breathing.
“I didn’t use anything.” His voice was low and gravelly.
She blinked, still fuzzy-brained. “What?”
“Condom. I didn’t use a condom. I’m clean, but…”
“I have an IUD. Plus, we used protection.” Which should have been her first clue that Tristan was cheating on her. He said it was because he didn’t trust only one form of birth control, she guessed she should thank him that he’d at least not wanted to give her an STD. “And I haven’t had sex in…a long time?”
“How long is a long time?”
Frankie had to think about it. It wasn’t over the summer, he’d been busy with Emmanuelle’s case. Before that he’d had a few other high-profile cases. She honestly couldn’t remember.
“At least a year, maybe eighteen months.”
Damn, how had she not noticed that? How had it been that long since she hadn’t had sex with her fiancé, and she hadn’t even realized it?
Liam went very still, and she wondered if he was going to get up. Or maybe say he needed to take her home. She wouldn’t blame him. She’d dropped a lot of bombs on him and then forbidden him to comment. And just brought up her sex life with his brother.
She knew they’d have to talk about it, all of it. And she would. Tomorrow. She just wanted tonight. Just this one perfect night.
Her mind was coming up with her arguments for her ‘perfect night’ case when his arms tightened around her, as if she were the most precious thing in the world. She snuggled closer to him and felt her eyes drifting shut. She wanted to stay awake and live in this moment forever, but her body had other ideas.
16
Frankie feltherself drifting to wakefulness, but she fought it, willing slumber to pull her back under. She tried to block out the brightness of the morning rays by burying her face beneath the cool sheets, but the movement only made her more aware of her surroundings. The texture she felt was not the scratchy, bleach-scented sheets of Yaya’s guest room. No, these sheets were buttery soft, almost decadent, and they felt scandalously good against her skin.Allof her skin.
The realization struck her like a slap. She was as naked as the day she was born.
Frankie’s eyes shot open, and she blinked several times, willing the blur to resolve into something recognizable. The room was dim, sunlight slanting through angled blinds and painting tiger stripes across a gray comforter. Her mouth tasted like a combination of wine cooler, hamburger, and birthday cake. She squinted as memories came flooding back to her in mental bullet points.
The main headline was she slept with Liam. Before that, she told him about Tristan. Told him about her mom and his dad.She even told him that she loved him. It was past tense, but did that matter? She still loved him. More than ever, actually.
Frankie wasn’t the only one who entered the confession booth, Liam revealed some things. She found out he’d stayed away from her because he felt guilty about the night they’d spent together, not because he was repulsed by her. He got a Mighty Mouse tattoo months after they spent that night together. Over his heart. That placement couldn’t have been accidental. Liam didn’t doanythingaccidentally. He might be the most deliberate man on the planet. Which meant last night hadn’t been an accident either.
She wasn’t totally convinced that she would have believed it had happened if she hadn’t woken up in his bed, naked. But there she was, tucked under his Egyptian cotton sheets with clothes on.
Her hands instinctively pulled the sheet up to her chin, snuggling beneath it, as she heard a soft snort. The mattress dipped beside her. A tiny, warm, furry body shuffled forward, and before she could react, a slobbery-wet tongue slathered her cheek. She yelped and tried to retreat, but the mini-beast was relentless. Two splayed paws landed on either side of her head, pinning her to the mattress as Lucy loomed over her with uncontained jubilation.
“Lucy!” Frankie spluttered, flailing one arm in a vain attempt to shield her face. Resistance only made her situation worse—her naked shoulder popped into the open, and Lucy, never one to ignore exposed flesh, attacked it with even greater enthusiasm. The dog’s tail thwacked the headboard in a steady staccato, beating out a rhythm that could have roused the dead.
“Okay, okay! I love you, too!” Frankie giggled as she tried twisting away, but Lucy had Frankie completely at her mercy, nostrils flaring as she snuffled the length of her collarbone. Frankie surrendered, laughing so hard she nearly snorted, andused her hands to gently push Lucy’s muzzle aside. “If I get you a treat, will you let me up?”
Lucy seemed to consider the offer before flopping down dramatically, tongue dangling out the side of her mouth, eyes sparkling with canine devotion. Frankie exhaled, wiping her damp cheek with the corner of the sheet. She glanced around, hoping to see Liam standing in the doorway, but somehow knowing he wouldn’t be there. She was correct. When her eyes cast to her left, there was also no Liam, unfortunately.
There was, however, a note. Her stomach dropped. She hoped this wasn’t him saying that last night had been a mistake. She picked it up and saw that this was not an it’s-not-you-it’s-me note.
