Page 94 of L.O.V.E

He tossed his keys onto a small table near the door and shrugged out of his coat before helping me out of mine.

I moved deeper inside his home, made my way to the large window. Traffic was light on the street below, but I could feel the rumble, hear the buzz. “I miss the city noise sometimes.”

When he said nothing, I turned to find him standing across the room, hands in his pockets, head tilted in contemplation.

He dropped his gaze to the floor, kicked at something on the hardwood. “Why didn’t you return my calls or texts?”

There was no room for lies. “It’s too easy to loose myself in you, Cole. I can’t afford to do that right now.”

Chin down, he raised his gaze. “I can find a million things wrong with that statement.”

“And I was embarrassed by the way I left on Thanksgiving.”

“You did the right thing.” He raked both hands through his hair, then clasped his fingers behind his head. “I wasn’t in a good place.”

“I heard Everly’s name, and I panicked. All those horrible memories came rushing back, and I…” God, I’d used Victoria’s mother as an excuse to bolt. Truth was, I’d been terrified. Of my feelings. Of feelingmore. Worried that I’d made the wrong decision to move away. Scared that moving away had been the right choice and maybe Mom was right, that I had a soulmate named Caleb out in the world somewhere, waiting for me, and that Cole, and all the vast, ridiculous feels I had for him, were just a chapter in my life, a stepping stone, a soon-to-be fond memory.

What a terrifying thought. I wanted to voice my concerns, but the words wouldn’t form.

With a huff, he dropped his arms and stepped closer. “Tell me there’s still hope for us. That we can be something other than nothing.”

He should’ve been my everything.

I had no answer. None that would change our immediate circumstances.

Cole nodded as if he understood my silence. “Well, then. We better not waste this night.” One deep breath. Three long strides. Two strong hands tilted my face to meet his mouth in a crushing kiss that broke too soon.

He knelt, and one by one, helped me out of my boots.

While still on the floor, he gripped my thighs, and with heavy breaths, slid his hands under my dress to the top of my tights, then rolled them down. My panties came next while I stood shivering under his touch.

He raised my hem higher, laid kisses on my belly, my hips, and then between my legs, where I needed his kiss the most.

Deft fingers. Talented tongue. Ravenous lips. I fisted his hair and held tight, his moans erotic, his ministrations devout, my pleasure swirling, swelling, consuming. When he nipped my clit, my knees buckled.

Cole laughed, easing the tension, then rose, hoisting me over his shoulder, my bare ass in the air. Before I caught my breath, he tossed me onto the bed.

Before I could ditch my dress, he was over me, then inside me, his clothes still on.

I didn’t care.

Frantic worked.

Heavy breathing. Hard pounding. Teeth clashing. Dirty declarations. We were desperate; we were crazed.Weworked. My orgasm was fast and furious, but that didn’t matter because before the tremors subsided, Cole was stripping off his clothes and then my dress.

With maddening leisure, he tasted every inch of my skin. I touched him everywhere I could reach, trembling and panting and coiling tight. Cole was on my skin and in my lungs, the drum in every heartbeat, and I wanted more, more, more…Oh, God.

I wanted not to crave him. I wanted not to love him. Not to ache so desperately for his smile. I wanted to fuck him out of my system. Slow and steady was for long-time lovers. We were part-time fuck buddies at best.

I pushed Cole and ordered him to lie on his back.

His skin was hot, his face flushed, his lips swollen, and I claimed that sinful mouth while I mounted him, and then bit his lip as I sank down over his thick erection.

Oh fuck, the way he filled me. Too much. Never enough. I rolled my hips, clawed his chest. I rose and fell, kissed and bit and ground against him. Cole tried to ease my pace. Fuck slow. Slow allowed room for emotions.

Selfishly, I rode the man. When I came again and collapsed onto his chest, he held me, stroked my back, kissed my head, rolled me over.

Cole then broke my heart, making love to me, taking me tender and slow.

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