Page 71 of Captivating Mr. Second Chance

“No, you are.” He licked at the hollow of her throat. “It’s ridiculous that you love me. That you expect me to be able to last that long when you and your fucking perfect mouth say I love you like it’s the most normal thing in the world.”

He was taking her higher and higher.

“Any man would be lucky to have you,” he murmured against her ear, “but you picked me.”

She grabbed hold of him, curving her hands around his jaw to keep him steady, even as her body fought against every cell to thrash and ride out her ecstasy. “Youpickedme. You loved me then, before I even knew who I was, and when I thought I was unlovable after coming back here, you showed me how wrong I was.Iam the lucky one to be loved by you.”

Without saying a word, he settled over her, pushing all the way inside her with a single thrust, his gaze never leaving hers. She brushed her fingers over his cheeks and his furrowed brow, his concentration so obvious she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips. Then he smiled too, his apparent warning coming true.

“I told you,” he murmured, his eyes sparkling with humor and adoration, and Laney wanted to live there forever. “You feel too good.”

But then he ducked his head to the crook of her neck, breathing heavily next to her ear, and she locked her feet around his waist, trying to get as close to him as possible, meeting his every thrust. She clawed at his back, directing him with words likefaster,harder, and he complied until she sank her teeth into his shoulder, a flash of heat engulfing her body. A second later, Ethan grunted with one final thrust before collapsing on top of her.

She combed her hands through his hair, his neck clammy and hot, until both of their breathing slowed back to normal. Then he raised his face to hers for a kiss. “You’re staying over, right?”

“Even if I wanted to leave, I couldn’t. You melted my bones.”

He rolled to his side. “Perfect. Exactly how I like you.”

21

At Ethan’s alarm, Laney blinked awake, her brain slowly recognizing the pins and needles in her hand and arm, and she curled her fingers into a fist, attempting to release the tingles in her sleepy state. She lifted her arm from where it’d been above her head, but it was dead weight and fell back down to her side, smacking Ethan’s leg.

“Hey,” he mumbled, reaching to silence his cell phone, his voice gruff with sleep. “G’morning.”

“I can’t feel my hand,” she said, twisting into his side, admiring his naked chest in the morning sunlight streaming through his window.

Without opening his eyes, he found her hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing her palm then nibbling at her index finger.

“Hey!” She pulled away, and he finally turned to her, his eyes full of mischief. “It’s too early in the morning for you to be looking at me like that,” she said.

He mumbled a disagreement, pulling her back to him with his arm around her waist, but she snagged her own cell phone to check her messages. There were two from Bronte on the4 chicks and 3 dicksthread, including a picture of Chris in bunny ears, and another from Bobby that saidI need to talk to you.

She smacked her phone down on the mattress a little harder than she meant to, and Ethan lifted his head, his hair sticking up adorably on one side. “What is it?”

“Nothing.”

“Liar. What was it?” When she didn’t answer, he backed away, eyeing her seriously. “What’s wrong?”

She had nothing to hide and offered him her phone. “Bobby’s been texting me, calling me.”

Ethan reached over to grab his glasses before reading Bobby’s latest text. His lips skewed to the side as lines creased his forehead.

“I haven’t responded,” Laney told him, assuming he needed reassurance, but he stayed silent, his thumb scrolling up so he could read through the other messages.

“Why not?”

She shrugged her answer.

“He wants to get back with you.”

“I don’t know,” she said, and he shook his head.

“That wasn’t a question. He wants to get back with you.”

“Well, I don’t want to get back with him.”

“Then why haven’t you called or texted him back to tell him that?”

---