‘I dreamed of this,’ he whispered. ‘Dreamed of you.’
Her smile was like sunlight, filling him up, driving away the shadows. Most of them, anyway. A few stubborn shadows lingered and he’d deal with them. After.
‘I dreamed of you too.’ She splayed one hand over his chest, slowly fanning her fingers back and forth, dropping lower with each pass. ‘Dreamed of this.’ Her gaze dropped to follow the path her hand had taken, focusing on the bulge that his sweats didn’t do a thing to hide. ‘And this.’ Her finger traced his length and he shuddered violently. She took the drawstring in her pretty fingers and gave it a slight tug. ‘Can I?’
‘Please,’ he rasped, his voice gravelly and breathless.
She pulled at the string, releasing the neat bow he’d tied, then hooked a finger in the waistband and pulled at the sweats, freeing his cock. She sucked in an appreciative breath, lifting hungry eyes to his for a split second before returning to stare at his erection which bobbed toward her like she was its true north. Because it wasn’t stupid.
His body wanted Meredith Fallon. His heart wanted her even more. That she wanted him too? It was almost too good to be true.
Her hand wrapped around him, giving a quick slide up and down, making him gasp.
‘Stop thinking,’ she ordered with a squeeze that had his eyes rolling back in his head. ‘Start doing. Please.’
Smothering a laugh at her impatience, he kicked the sweats aside and climbed in beside her. ‘Yes, ma’am,’ he said, then groaned when her hand found him again.
‘We have to be quiet,’ she whispered. ‘You weren’t the last time.’
He smiled now, because the memory had changed from bittersweet to just sweet. And hot. She’d been uninhibited in bed and he’d greedily relived every moment they’d shared. ‘You were louder.’
‘But I can be quiet.’ She lifted a brow. ‘Especially if you finally start kissing me.’
He obliged, taking her mouth in a kiss that was more warm welcome than sizzling passion, but it must have been the right thing to do because she hummed against his lips, opening her mouth and her arms. It started out sweet, a tentative tasting. Relearning.
He freed the buttons of her silky pajama top, one by one, until there were no more buttons. He pulled away from her mouth to slip the top from her shoulders, letting himself stare at her beautiful breasts for a long, long moment. ‘You’re perfect,’ he whispered, then cupped one breast reverently.
She hummed again but it sounded more like a growl as she undulated, pressing her flesh harder into his palm. ‘I won’t break, Adam.’
‘I know. That’s why you’re perfect.’
She gave him another one of those lust-filled stares, then hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him down to her, kissing him with all the passion he remembered and the intense heat was back, burning him from the inside out. He’d gladly go down in flames.
‘Want you,’ he gritted out, pulling at the pajama bottoms that were in his way.
‘Good,’ she gritted back and kicked free of the pants.
He wanted to take a minute, to look his fill, but her hips were arching and his heart was pounding in his head. Pretty. So pretty. So mine. He palmed her between her legs and she bit her lip, releasing a muffled cry, grinding up into him. ‘Goddammit, Adam. Please.’
He slid a finger up into her and had to press his face into the curve of her neck, muffling his own groan. ‘God. You’re so wet. I can’t wait to be inside you.’
‘Then don’t wait.’ It was close to a snarl and he chuckled into her neck.
Then froze. ‘I didn’t bring anything. Fuck.’
Blindly she slapped at the nightstand until she found the drawer pull. ‘In there.’
He lifted up on his elbow to stare over her body into the drawer. Which was full of condoms. What the . . . ? Never mind. Doesn’t matter. Pushing the question aside for later, he grabbed one of the packets and ripped it open.
She took it from his hand, muttering under her breath. ‘What part of need you now are you missing, Adam?’ She sheathed him, then gave his cock a hard squeeze and he almost came right there.
‘Fuck,’ was all he could say and she laughed breathlessly.
‘Yes. Please. For all that’s holy, please.’
So they were smiling at each other when he pushed inside her with one thrust.
God. Oh God. Perfect. She was hot and tight and absolutely perfect.
Planting his elbows into the mattress, he let them take his weight as he hung his head and shuddered. ‘I missed this. Missed you.’ Love you, he wanted to say but held the words in. He knew they were true, but it was too soon to say them.
She gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin and he welcomed the burn. She rolled her hips, graceful and mercilessly seductive at the same time. ‘Feels good. So good. More. Move.’
He obeyed, finding her eyes in the dim light as he moved, as they moved together. He found her hands, one then the other, twining their fingers. Which he hadn’t done the first time. He’d been so overwhelmed by her, by everything about her, so wrapped up in his own miserable head, that he’d forgotten. He wasn’t making that mistake again.
He moved slowly, steadily, and she dug her ankles into the backs of his thighs, meeting him thrust for thrust. Until she pressed her head into the pillow, closing her eyes. Arching her throat. Silently chanting his name.
Incinerating his every good intention of making this last forever, making him curse when the orgasm began to build at the base of his spine.
‘Meredith. Look at me. Please.’ It was with difficulty that she opened her eyes, but he immediately saw everything he’d needed to see. She was with him, body and mind and heart. His hips jacked up the tempo as he took her mouth in a ravaging kiss, all tongues and teeth, raw need with none of their earlier tenderness.
Her arms tightened around his neck. ‘Adam.’ It was a quiet little moan.
He let go of her hands to grip her hips, tilting her up so that he could drive deeper and she covered her mouth with her hand, muffling a little scream.
Yes. He remembered her screams. Remembered her screaming his name. ‘Let me see you come,’ he ordered. ‘Now.’
And she did, giving herself up to him as she had that first night. As she would for nights to come if his wishes came true. Eyes slamming closed, she bit the back of her hand, and convulsed around him, her groan muted, but far from silenced.
Hearing her, seeing her, feeling her . . . God. He shuddered again and let go, let the orgasm take him, throwing his head back, only vaguely aware that her hand now covered his mouth.
He dropped his head, burying his face in the curve of her shoulder. Shaking. He was shaking. And so was she. Her arms wound around him, her hands rubbing big circles on his back, soothing him. Bringing him back.
She’d brought him back in more ways than one.
Gratitude swelled inside him. Thank you. Thank you.
She pressed an open-mouthed kiss to his shoulder, then licked the skin. ‘Mmmm.’ She fell back onto the pillow, smiling like a cat in cream. ‘Well?’
He had to laugh. ‘Well, what?’
Her smile faltered. ‘Was it what you remembered?’ she asked and there was a thread of vulnerability in her words. Which was fucking unbelievable to him.
‘Better,’ he said and watched the vulnerability disappear. ‘Better than better.’
‘For me too,’ she whispered and two tears leaked out of her eyes and down her face. ‘I was a little afraid it wouldn’t be. I’m so glad it was.’
He kissed her forehead, her eyes, the tracks of her tears. Her gorgeous, generous mouth. ‘Better than better, Meredith. You’re perfect.’
‘I’m not, but I’m glad you think so.’
‘Perfect for me.’ He closed his eyes, dread stealing over him. ‘I still have things to tell you.’
‘Then let’s clean up and you can tell me whatever you think I need to know.’ Her thumb caressed his lips. ‘But I doubt anything you tell me will change how I feel.’
He didn’t open his eyes. He couldn’t. ‘Which is how?’
‘That you’re perfect too. Perfect for me.’
Cincinnati, Ohio,