A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. She reached over to gently push the other brace off the bed. He gave it a wary look as it clattered to the floor, muttering under his breath again. She lowered herself back onto the bed as he stretched out beside her, propping himself up on one elbow to gaze down at her.
Her skin tingled under his gaze, anticipation flowing through her. He reached over to run his hand over her midriff. She moaned gently, shuddering as he slid his fingertips over her belly and up to her sternum before lightly cupping one full breast through her bra. Tenderness morphed into pure desire and he leaned over to kiss her again. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the feel of his hand on her skin, his lips caressing hers before moving down to her jaw and neck, working their way down her body to between her breasts. His hand travelled down her side, finally stopping to rest in the hollow of her waist. She tried to lean into it, enjoying the feel of it, moaning softly.
“Can you feel that?” he murmured throatily, kissing his way back up to her lips.
She nodded, incapable of speech.
“Show me how far I can go,” he whispered, squeezing her waist. “I don’t want you to miss out on anything.”
Without thinking, she searched out his hand with hers and moved it slightly south, stopping when she felt the warmth of his hand become mere pressure on her skin. He covered her lips with his, forcing them apart, exploring with his tongue until she began to respond in kind, deeper and harder.
The hand beneath hers moved back to the hollow of her waist and she released it, reaching out for him, wanting to feel him, smooth and strong and so close to her. In return, his hand never left her torso, moving over every inch of her upper body, front and back, removing her bra so effortlessly she almost didn’t notice until she was shimmying out of it.
He slid his hands around her, pulling her up to him. Her arms found their way around his neck, before trailing down his back, his skin so smooth and warm. She could feel the muscles in his back working beneath her fingers and she moaned with pleasure, hardly believing that any of this was real anymore.
He set her back down on the bed, his lips nibbling a trail down to her breasts. He reached down to remove his boxers with one hand, frantically yanking them down and wriggling out of them. He kicked them to the floor, his hands and lips back on her in a heartbeat.
Lost to the world, hands buried deep in his hair, she barely registered that he had leaned down to remove her underwear. They drew apart as he pulled them down her legs and dropped them off the end of the bed.
Crawling back up the bed towards her like a cat, she watched breathlessly as he ran his hands up her shins, over her knees and then up her thighs, her brain making the connection that her body couldn’t. Seeing the sheer desire in his eyes, the substitution was automatic and almost indistinguishable.
He continued his journey upwards, caressing her hips, her stomach, her breasts, as she shuddered with pleasure beneath him. She felt claustrophobic, his body warm and damp on top of hers, her breathing ragged as she reached for him. Her hands traced the hills and valleys that formed his chest, mapping his body, committing it to memory once more. She wanted him so badly now, she was almost beside herself.
He kissed every inch of her and she found herself wishing she could arch her back, just to get closer to him. It wasn’t enough to be with him anymore, she wanted to be part of him.
Suddenly her nerve-endings were on fire. He had lit a match inside of her and it was burning so hot, she could barely catch her breath. She felt like she might implode at any moment. Giving in to the sensations that had hi-jacked her mind and body, she didn’t care what happened next.
After spending so long worrying about this, she had the overwhelming sensation that this was exactly where she was meant to be.
EPILOGUE
“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break.”
- Ancient Chinese Proverb
One Year Later
Ally woke up slowly, teasing reality, dipping her toes in before she decided if it was really for her. A few moments passed before the realisation hit her.
I’m getting married today.
She had personally helped to organise a thousand things for the wedding this afternoon – flowers, seating arrangements, the church, the cake, the champagne – yet they weren’t the first things that came to mind.
What if I can’t do it?
She wanted to walk up the aisle so badly, she had spent the past several months learning how. Of course, Jack knew nothing of this. It was going to be a surprise. But would the real surprise be falling flat on her face in front of her friends and family?
Callum’s voice rang in her ears.
“You won’t fall – you can’t, it’s a physical impossibility. I’ll be on one side of you, Maggie on the other, remember? You’ll have both our arms to lean on, and we’ll be holding you so tight we might actually cut off the circulation to your hands. Personally, I’d be more worried about that if I were you.”
She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.