Page 7 of Todd
Separating reluctantly, he leaned in and turned on the water. Once he determined the temperature he must have felt was right, he stepped into the shower stall and guided her in. He turned to keep the water from blasting her in the face.
The shower was cramped by any reasonable standard, but as hot water cascaded over them and steam filled the small space, Sadie discovered that the close quarters had distinct advantages. Todd’s hands were everywhere as he washed her hair with tenderness and mapped the curves of her body with a thoroughness that made her gasp and arch against him.
“You feel incredible,” he whispered against her neck, his lips trailing liquid fire across her wet skin. When her hands explored the broad expanse of his chest and shoulders, he groaned in a way that made her feel powerful and desired in equal measure.
It had been so long since she’d felt any desire, and to find it with someone she had such a connection with only made it better. She’d had a few one-night stands in her younger years, but by the time she was in her late twenties, she hated the idea of just physical sex with no emotional tie to the person.
She had embarked on a few relationships, but no one had sparked anything in her heart, and it fizzled out after only a couple of months. In the past year, there had been no one.
She knew that what was happening with Todd was essentially a one-night stand. But if he lived in the area… and she got the job with Lighthouse Security… then maybe they would have a chance at something more. Because she certainly felt emotions building into a connection with him after only a few hours that she had never felt before.
They moved together under the spray, hands and mouths learning each other with an urgency tempered by surprising tenderness. When he pressed her back against the tile wall and kissed her with desperate hunger, she felt something sharp inher chest, like her heart was making room for feelings she’d thought were buried under grief and duty.
“Todd,” she breathed against his mouth, and heard her own voice rough with emotion that had nothing to do with physical pleasure and everything to do with the man holding her like she was precious beyond measure.
The water began to cool, forcing them to step out of their steamy cocoon. They dried each other with the hotel’s thin towels. Her practical mother had always kept luxurious linens on hand as one of her few indulgences, and it was always a touch of something decadent when Sadie lived with her mom. After a long day of helping her mother, knowing the end was approaching, Sadie had come to appreciate the simple care of soft towels and sheets.
Now, with hands lingering on each other’s damp skin and their eyes locked in a communication that needed no words, Sadie didn’t care about the coarse towels. Nothing was more important than the man standing in front of her. They dropped the towels to the floor as their bodies molded together.
Todd lifted her in his arms in a gesture so unexpectedly romantic that it made her heart stutter. Before she could cry out, he carried her to the bed, and Sadie felt the last of her emotional walls crumble. He lowered, jerking the covers back before placing her down with care. He followed her onto the mattress, and she realized this wasn’t just about physical need or temporary escape from grief.
This was about connection. Real, profound, soul-deep connection with another human being who didn’t know her as a trained operative or a grief-stricken daughter, but simply as a woman worthy of tenderness and passion.
He’d retrieved a condom from his jeans before he’d left the bathroom and glanced at the expiration date. Blushing, he admitted it had been a while.
She grinned. “I’m on the pill and I’m clean.”
“Me, too,” he said, his eyes on her. She nodded, and he sheathed himself before crawling over her. “Are you sure?” he asked one more time, his body poised above hers, giving her every opportunity to change her mind.
Instead of answering with words, she pulled his mouth down to hers and kissed him with everything she had, letting go of all the loneliness, lost hope, and the desperate need to feel truly alive again. He responded with equal fervor, bearing his weight on one arm and skimming his other hand down her side, rubbing his thumb on the underside of her breast.
He held that pose for a few minutes, gently massaging her nipple, feeling her body come alive under his. Continuing his downward path, he slid his hand over the curve of her waist and down her thigh. She squirmed throughout the pleasurable torture, and his lips teased her breasts.
He shifted and continued to explore further as his fingers found the way inside her warmth. Her breath caught, as he added another finger and crooked them in just the right way so her core began to tighten.
She moaned, and this time it had nothing to do with satisfying her need for food, but for satisfying her need for the way he made her feel. Her fingers dug into his back as she cried out, riding the waves of pleasure, not even embarrassed that she had come so quickly.
He chuckled before dragging his fingers to his mouth, tasting her juices. The expression on his face was one she’d remember always—filled with lust, pleasure, and a need that matched her own. But his eyes also radiated warmth, as though he felt the same connection.
“Please,” she urged, pulling him closer again until his cock nestled against her sex as her legs opened to cradle him.
He held her gaze as he slid his cock into her waiting body, inch by torturous inch. She had wondered if he would plunge quickly, seeking his release. But he moved so slowly, she could feel every twinge. She memorized each sensation. If this was only for one night, she didn’t want to forget. And if it was the start of something new, she wanted to hold on to their first time.
Taking his time, he slid lazily in, but she needed more friction. She’d never come more than once during sex, but her body was primed for everything he could give her. The friction built quickly, and she soon cried out once more as she came apart in the most beautiful way possible. Only this time, his muscles tensed as he roared out his own release. Tightening her legs around his waist, she pulled him in as he emptied himself into her.
Their movements slowed as their lips found each other in a kiss that celebrated pleasure and teased of more to come. They lay as their heartbeats slowed, with their legs and arms tangled.
Later, as they lay tangled together in the hotel sheets, her head pillowed on his chest and his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her bare shoulder, Sadie felt something she hadn’t experienced in months… peace. Not the absence of grief, which would always be part of her now, but the presence of something new and unexpected.
“That was...” She was unable to find words adequate to describe what had just happened between them.
“Yeah,” Todd agreed softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “It really was.”
After a few minutes, she licked her kiss-swollen lips as she decided to plunge into the uncomfortable topic that always arose in a situation like this. “Um… if you need to leave, I’ll?—”
“No,” he said, the word darting out with finality.
Her chest moved up and down with the giggle that burst forth. “Okay… that sounded definite.”
