I gasped at the sensation of him, even better than I had remembered, even more strong. He thrust into me with steady, even strokes, watching my face, leaning forward to slowly kiss away the track of each tear.
He stoked the fires inside me, letting them burn brighter then cool down, a little hotter each time, still not quite reaching an inferno. I stared up at his eyes, drowning in those pools of intoxicating blue. My hands gripped at his back, at his ass, trying to drive him yet deeper inside me. The pressure built inside of me until I thought I might explode, and I pushed up against him, desperate for more friction, for just the little push over the edge.
“Please,” I whispered, stretching up to nip and nibble at his earlobe; he gasped against my neck, the heat of it tingling my skin. “Oh please, Grant, more, I need it deeper, I need you, I need—”
He pulled away and I cried out, hurt spilling into my voice. But he kissed me tenderly, silencing my protests, and firmly flipped me over onto my hands and knees.
“You want it deep?” he rumbled.
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. I had forgotten how to breathe. Breathing, what was that?
“Yes,” I managed. “Please.”
One of his hands gripped firmly at my shoulder, the other steadied my hip. I could hear his breathing, harsh and eager.
This felt primal, animal, as if he was about to claim me—but his touch was kind, tender. I was pinned, trapped, unable to see him—and yet it was I who had surrendered myself to him, who gave him my trust and turned my eyes from him to let him do as he wished.
It was everything I had ever been attracted to all at once and it was driving me mad; I was so wet, so ready.
I arched up against him, and he drove his cock deep inside me.
I cried out, begging him to fuck me deeper, harder, longer, to fuck me and never stop fucking me, to give it all to me until I couldn’t take any more—and then I lost track of the words that were spilling from my mouth, the words that were becoming gasps and incoherent moans, I lost track of everything but his powerful grip and his hard strokes slamming into me, taking everything I had to give and demanding more, more, more—
The fingers on my hip stretched up to circle my clit and again I saw stars, the whole freaking universe, screaming as my orgasm hit, my core clenching tight around him until he gave one final long thrust and spilled himself inside me with a moan.
I came back down to earth, and felt tears in my eyes. “You were gone,” I whispered, my voice almost breaking. “I went away, but I came back, and you were gone even though you were right there and I thought I’d lost you forever…”
“You could never lose me,” he whispered, and pressed a kiss to my forehead. Were those tears I heard in his voice as well? I couldn’t see. “We’re connected, you and I. The thread that binds us may stretch and fray, but it will never break. And whatever happens today, we’ll get through it. Together.”
? ? ?
We quickly dressed, hoping that no one in the hall—or, God forbid, the ballroom below—had heard our hot monkey sex and that they had made a decision in our favor. Grant looked much happier, but the worry wouldn’t go away until we knew what they had decided. But it couldn’t be much longer now; it had already been over an hour.
“Damn, but I almost wish there was bad news. If there were only any news at all—”
I stood up and crossed to him, realizing with dawning discomfort that my panties were on backwards. No matter. I took his hands and squeezed them.
“Grant, you were great. I know things are tense right now, but I swear, this is going to be fine. Nobody could go against you, not after all those things you said, and the way you said them. You were amazing.”
Grant looked at me as if I were a beautifully crafted puzzle box he had no hope of unlocking. His hand slid up my arm, and cupped my cheek gently. “Why do you care so much?” He didn’t throw it in my face cruelly as he once had; his voice this time was soft, gentle, hopeful and curious at the same time. “Why do you always have my back on this?”
I faltered. “The—the company means a lot to me. The way they took a chance on me—the things I can do with them in the future—”
Some spark of hope seemed to flicker out on Grant’s face. “I see.”
My heart seemed caught in my throat as I held his gaze and spoke the next words. “And you…you mean a lot to me, too. More than the company. More than…anything.”
Grant’s eyes widened, and then he was kissing me, pulling me so close into his embrace that I couldn’t tell where he ended and I began.
“Lacey,” he said breathlessly, pulling away for just a second before kissing me again. He smiled crookedly against my lips, and there was a light of awe in his eyes that I could never get tired of. “You…I care about you too. I care so much, I—God, Lacey.”
He kissed me again as if to say what he couldn’t, and then switched back to words.