Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
His words stroke something deep inside me, something long buried, something that aches to be seen and held. With him, there wouldn’t be any empty places.
No doubts.
Only him.
Only this.
The vibrator circles my clit before hitting it perfectly. Pleasure builds to a breaking point, and I arch, my eyes fluttering shut as a sob catches in my throat.
His arms continue to surround me, making me feel protected.
Like it’s all right to let go.
“I want to watch you fall apart.” His lips graze the shell of my ear. “I want to feel your body shatter from the pleasure you’re giving yourself.”
It’s those words that undo me.
Ecstasy explodes through me like a lightning strike, and my back bows. A raw cry rips from my throat as I come hard and fast against him. My body trembles and my thighs shake. The release is so intense it feels like I’m shattering from the inside out.
I’m floating and weightless in the best possible way.
Once spent, I collapse against his chest. My fingers go limp, the vibrator slipping from my grip as my head drops against his shoulder. My skin is damp with sweat as my legs continue to tremble.
I’ve never felt more alive or sated.
River gathers me up in his arms, as if I’m the most precious thing in the world.
“Thank you.” Emotion careens through me.
He presses a lingering kiss to the top of my head. “You have to know that it was my pleasure.” The words settle deep into my bones.
I tilt my face toward his, my gaze snagging on the curve of his mouth. My pulse stutters, each beat pounding louder as the space between us evaporates. When he leans in, his warm breath ghosting over my skin, I quiver with anticipation.
Instead of claiming me outright, he brushes against me once, then again with careful strokes that are dizzying. His knuckles skim along my jaw, steadying me, as if he knows I need the anchor. My lips part on a shaky inhalation as every nerve sparks with the need for more.
When his mouth finally settles over mine, the kiss is unhurried and deliberate. The first graze is gentle, but then his lips caress mine with more certainty before coaxing them open. Heat twists low in my belly, winding tighter as my mouth parts wider.
The slow glide of his tongue tangles with mine. It’s a soft clash that weakens everything inside me. The taste of him is intoxicating, and I can’t get enough. His hand slides along my jaw, tilting my face to deepen the kiss until the world beyond us blurs.
Every press of his mouth tells me that he doesn’t view this as something to be rushed. Everything about our first kiss is intentional, and it’s every bit as intimate as the way he guided me through my orgasm.
I sink into him completely, giving myself over without hesitation or fear.
It’s only this man and this moment.
And the quiet, life-altering realization that after years, I finally feel wanted.
30
River
I wake up the next morning to Callie’s warm hand gliding over me, and it feels more like a fucking dream. For a second, I keep my eyes closed and my body still, afraid that even a twitch might break the spell.
Her touch is so damn tentative. Her fingers skim just beneath the waistband of my boxer briefs, like she’s memorizing the shape of me.
Like she wants this.
Wants me.
All I can think about is last night and the look in her eyes when she finally let go. The way her body trembled while she learned how to give herself pleasure. The quiet, broken sounds she made when she fell apart. The way she leaned into me afterward, like she finally felt safe.
In that moment, everything changed between us, becoming more permanent.
Like we crossed some invisible threshold and there’s no going back.
Even better, she doesn’t want to.
She’s not taking a giant step in retreat with the need to regroup.
When her hand drifts lower, growing bolder, I nearly lose it. Before I can say a word, she swings a leg over me and straddles my hips, her bare thighs bracketing my waist.
My eyelids fly open, and I find Callie naked. Her blonde hair tumbles around her shoulders and her cheeks are still flushed with sleep. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful than this woman. My gaze roves over her face, wanting to sear this moment into my brain for all eternity.
“If this is a dream,” I rasp, “please don’t wake me.”
Her lips quirk as a laugh escapes from her. “It’s not.”
Unable to resist touching her, my hands slide upward along her thighs before resting on her hips. Even though every muscle in my body is tense with restraint, I keep my grip light.
“What is it that you want from me, Callie?” I ask, my gaze locking on hers. “I made you a promise, and I’m not the kind of man who breaks his word. You might not understand that right now, but you will.”