Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 121310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
My brogue slips through when I'm tired, or hungry, or—like now—when I'm fighting to keep my hands to myself. My body aches with the restraint. You'd have thought a night like last night would've made it better, but it's actually the exact opposite. I've just eaten, but I'm starved all over again.
She rolls her eyes but smiles, this time with heat in it. As she reaches for her coffee cup on the counter, I move behind her and slide my arms around her waist, unable to stop myself.
She freezes for half a second, and I hate myself, about to pull back. But she snatches my wrist to hold me there, then relaxes back against me with a sigh that sends blood rushing south. She fits against me perfectly, the curve of her back meeting my bare chest like she was made for me. I'm still in just a towel wrapped around my waist. I haven't dressed yet for the day.
"Is this okay?" My lips brush her ear as I fight to steady myself.
She nods, pressing back more firmly. I can't help the hard-on poking her soft ass. "More than okay," she whispers in a breathy little voice that only has me going stiffer.
We stand like that for a moment, her heart beating against my palm. Then she turns in my arms to face me, her eyes darker than they were a moment ago.
"Can we try something?" she asks, her voice dropping to a register that makes my skin prickle.
"Anything," I reply, meaning it completely. "Anything you want, love."
She lifts those stunning golden eyes to mine, and I see hunger there that steals my breath. "Could we... maybe just kiss for a while? Really kiss?"
I swallow hard, my pulse thundering in my ears. We've kissed since she came back, of course—careful, chaste things that have left me aching.
"Are you sure?" I need to be certain.
Instead of answering, she rises onto her toes and presses her mouth to mine.
This isn't like our careful kisses of the past weeks. This is hungry, desperate, her fingers digging into my shoulders like she's afraid I'll pull away. I groan against her mouth, my hands moving to her waist, holding her steady as her body sways toward mine.
"Anna," I breathe when she breaks the kiss, both warning and question.
"I want this." Her soft voice is ragged. "I'm so tired of being afraid, Domhn. I'm tired of feeling like my body isn't mine. I want to feel you. I want to feel us."
I take her face in my hands, searching her eyes. Is this because of last night? Because of the soreness she most likely woke to this morning? Or even if it is, does she feel her own need pulsing in the aftermath?
"We stop the second you need to. Understand? Just say the word."
"I know," she whispers. "I trust you."
Those three words gut me. Trust. After everything. After what I did, keeping her locked in my dungeon when she couldn't remember who she was, who I was, who we'd been to each other. She still trusts me.
I crush my mouth to hers, unable to hold back any longer. She meets me with equal fervor, hands tangling in my hair, tugging in a way that sends electricity down my spine. I walk her backward until she hits the counter, then grip her thighs, lifting her to sit on it.
She gasps into my mouth. I hesitate to step between her legs, but her thighs part readily, making space for me. Her hands move restlessly over my shoulders, my chest, my arms, as if she's confirming I'm real.
When she breaks the kiss, her lips are swollen, her pupils blown wide. "More," she whispers, sliding off the counter and taking my hand. "But not here."
I follow her—God, I'd follow her anywhere—my body thrumming with need as she leads me to the living room. She stops by the window, golden morning light streaming in and catching in her hair. She's so fucking beautiful, I swear my heart almost stops.
But then she reaches for me, and she's flesh and blood, and so am I.
"I thought maybe a change of scenery would help," she explains, words tumbling out quickly. "Different places, different memories. I don't want to be afraid anymore." Her hands tighten on mine. "I want you so much, Domhn. I always have."
The raw honesty in her voice undoes me. I pull her to me, one hand tangling in her hair as I kiss her deeply. She opens for me instantly, her tongue sliding against mine in a way that makes me groan. My free hand moves to her hip, fingers digging in probably harder than they should, but she doesn't flinch—she just presses closer.
She makes a sound in the back of her throat—a whimper that goes straight to my groin—and her hands move up my chest. Her palms are hot against my bare skin.