His mouth came back to hers and his tongue darted into her mouth again, trying to cajole her own into joining. He felt so good against her and she could feel his arousal as his arm snaked around her back, arching her into him.
If she didn’t pull away soon, there would be no choice left to make, as she was slowly being overwhelmed by his scent, the feel of his hands on her and the taste of him. His arms tightened around her until she felt almost weightless on her toes. His lips moved along her neck and she heard the soft sigh of pleasure escape her lips and realized there was no choice for her to make. She’d already made it the day she’d met him.
She knew it was stupid. Her life was already so messy; this was the very last thing she needed to add to it. And yet her hands slowly moved up his body, because right now she felt like she needed this more than anything else. The more her life spun out of control, the more she found herself clinging to him as if he was the last anchor, or the only one she cared to have.
As if he sensed her acquiescence, his kiss deepened and his hold tightened, forcing her body to arch closer into his.
He walked forward, moving her along with him, as his lips never broke contact with hers. She felt her calves hit the back of the bed. They fell upon it together but she feared when it came to her heart, she was falling alone. But this wasn’t the time for regrets. She had him in this moment, every ounce of his attention and desire focused on her, and she’d keep it as long as she could.
His legs moved in between hers as his erection pressed into the heart of her, and she arched upward, needing more. His hands were on her jeans as he moved back, yanking them off along with her panties.
He stood before her, shedding his own clothes and staring at her the whole time. Everywhere she looked, he was male perfection, from his thick muscled arms to his ridged stomach to the large erection that jutted forward.
“Take off your shirt and bra,” he said, his eyes not moving from her, his voice husky.
She did as he asked while he watched her, and his erection seemed to grow even larger. He came down on one knee on the bed and with his hands on her waist, shifted her to the center of it.
As he kneeled beside her, tan skin over muscled abdomen and black inked tattoos curving this way and that, she realized that no man would ever live up to him and she hadn’t even slept with him yet.
He leaned over her, his fingers following the line of her collarbone before trailing farther down to the mound of her breast and cupping it, his thumb flicking over the tightened bud.
His mouth moved to her breast, licking and nipping at it while his hand reached in between her thighs, his fingers slipping inside. His mouth moved lower until his tongue flicked over her clitoris before sucking on it softly, all the while his fingers keeping pace.
She cried out as he played her body like someone who’d had plenty of practice, bringing her to the peak but not setting her free.
When he moved upward, she reached for him, wanting to bring him to the same fevered pitch as she, but he covered her body instead.
“It’s too late for that. I want to feel my cock inside of you.”
He moved over her and she felt his erection pressing into her. He was so large he was stretching her as he went, and her body still couldn’t get enough.
Her fingers clawed into him, trying to drive him in faster and closer, but he moved at his own pace until he was fully inside her. He hooked her leg over his arm, as if wanting to plant himself as deeply in her as possible, and then he started the most beautiful rhythm. So slowly at first, it was almost an unbearable tease, and then faster, as if he needed it just as much as she did. It didn’t take much before her body was clenching around him as she rode wave after wave of pleasure and heard him groaning above her.
He rolled off her and they both lay there on their backs, still sweaty. She’d never felt so tranquil in her life, a small smile on her lips as she turned her head towards him, then lifted her fingers to trail over his chest.
She looked at his profile, where he was staring up at the ceiling and the force of her smile dwindled a bit.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, fine,” he said without looking at her. “You want a water or something?”
There was a strange formality to the question. As if some switch had been flipped and they’d gone from the comfort of twilight to a blaring harsh desert sun. “No. Thanks.”
“I’m going to take a shower.” She watched as he got up and went into the bathroom and tried to figure out where all the heat of a minute ago had gone, because he’d become cold as ice.
She’d been afraid she’d regret this. But she thought she’d at least have until dawn before the feelings came hammering down upon her.
***
Lars blasted the radio in the bathroom so Faith couldn’t hear his curses. Good advice, Cutty. Just fuck her. He couldn’t lay it all on his shoulders, though. He’d thought the same thing. Fuck her and get it out of your system. He’d known as soon as he’d finished that it was worse. Much worse.
This was supposed to be a one and done. Less than a minute had passed before he had wanted to get inside of her again. He’d barely managed to keep his dick soft before he made it out of the room. He wasn’t letting some chick, even if she was like him, make him go all soft and domestic.
He should never have had her move in here. Now she had nowhere else to go. What if he never got her out again? He wasn’t cut out for a relationship. She needed to understand that. He stood under the steaming hot water, deciding he was going to stay in there until she’d probably have fallen asleep.
He crept out into his own apartment like he was doing the walk of shame. She was lying still on the bed. Her eyes were closed but she was awake. He headed toward the couch. If she asked in the morning, he’d tell her he hadn’t wanted to wake her up. She’d know he was lying but it was better than the truth—that he was afraid to go near her again because he might spend the next ten hours banging her and then how fucked would both their heads be?
Chapter 26
When Faith woke, there was a note on the pillow next to her.
Had to start early. Call me if you want me to walk you downstairs.
Lars
If you want, not I’d like to. He slept with her last night and this is the first morning she woke to an empty apartment without the smells of cooking. She guessed he didn’t think it was necessary anymore?
She stared at the stupid note and told herself it wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t like he’d moved out of state. He’d only gone downstairs. It shouldn’t bother her that when he’d left the bathroom last night, he’d gone and slept on the couch. It was his place. He could sleep wherever he chose.
But it did bother her. She wasn’t an idiot. He’d slept with her, and now he was done with her. She crumpled the note and tossed it in the trash before she went to get ready.
She showered and then dug through the bag she was living out of for the cutest outfit she could find. As she did, it struck her that he’d never even offered her the loan of a drawer. She dug her stuff out of a bag each day while he looked on. That might have been a good thing to have pondered last night before she’d slept with him.
She pushed away the thought of coveted drawers in off-limit bureaus as she continued to try and find something suitable to wear. He might be discarding her but damn if she wouldn’t try and make him regret it.
She finished getting ready and stopped to stare at herself in the mirror and wondered if maybe she was overreacting. So he slept on the couch? Was it that big of a deal? Maybe he didn’t like sleeping next to someone. He’d given her a place to live, and a job to earn money at, so that she didn’t feel like she was a beggar. That showed caring. Maybe all he needed a little time.