Page 83 of What Comes After

Apparently, I didn’t need him to go faster.

Hearing those words, the determination and confidence in the way he said them, was enough for the feeling to start building deep in my belly.

Theo McCormick wanted every inch of me, every part. And he went about taking it, too.

He pressed his lips to mine before they drifted down along my jaw and to the skin on the side of my throat. His hands caressed my body, roaming everywhere, like touching my skin was as crucial to his survival as breathing oxygen.

I couldn’t say I didn’t understand. My hands couldn’t get enough, either. Seeking. Searching. There was no better feeling in the world than the weight of his body over mine.

And that’s when it hit me.

His words.

After all this time.

I got it. I finally got it. We were here with one another after all this time. It suddenly made sense why he wanted to go slow. This wasn’t just about physical pleasure. It was about connection. It was about years of longing.

It wasn’t about wishing we could go back in time to change things. It was about being here in this moment, accepting everything for what it was, and looking forward to what comes after.

It was about love.

Our love.

And there weren’t many words to describe just how incredible it felt to realize we had that between us.

It was simply perfect.

So, it was no surprise that Theo managed to build me up, to build us both up, in the most beautiful way.

We took our time with each other, exploring with our hands and mouths. And eventually, the feeling in my belly grew stronger as my breaths became shallow.

“Teddy,” I whimpered, the sound of my voice unrecognizable.

He groaned and said, “Love that, baby. Let go, and come for me.”

So, I did.

Sparks of pleasure shot through my body, one pulsing wave after another. It went on for what felt like hours, and somewhere at the tail end of it, Theo found his own release.

I watched as he came, his eyes focused on mine, and there was no question I’d never seen anything more fascinating or breathtaking in my entire life.

I didn’t know where things were going to go next between us, but when Theo collapsed on top of me, his big warm body covering mine, I knew everything was going to be fine.

TWENTY

Theo

Hope could easily lead to disappointment.

Depending on the situation, that disappointment could be devastating. Coming to Devyn’s apartment this afternoon, intending to reveal what I had, could have gone either way, and if things had taken a turn into a bad place, devastated would have been just a fraction of what I felt.

Despite knowing how bad it could have turned out, I couldn’t dream of coming here without having hope. The idea that things wouldn’t work out was unbearable.

Fortunately, things had gone far better than I’d anticipated. While I’d had high hopes about how things would go between us when I came here to tell Devyn the truth, I never expected what just happened between us.

Of course, that didn’t mean I didn’t love every single thing about it.

I did.

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