Instead of You

“Yes,” she replied instantly.

My fingers dipped under her shirt and moved to cover her breast. I felt the lace of her bra and palmed her, while my mouth moved over her jaw and back to her lips. She fit perfectly in my hand, and that small fact wasn’t lost on me. In fact, every single part of her fit perfectly against me. I stopped kissing her just long enough to pull her tank top over her head, but she surprised me when she sat up, forcing me to also, then climbing onto my lap. Her legs wrapped around my waist and her hands gripped the bottom of my shirt and brought it up slowly, tugging it off me. Her eyes found mine, and without words, she reached behind her back, unclasped her bra, and tossed it in the corner with the rest of our clothes.

My heart was thundering in my chest, and I tried to keep my eyes on hers, tried hard not to be that guy who is distracted by boobs, but I couldn’t help it. I loved her, all of her, and this was the first time she was showing me a part of herself that was sacred. My eyes lowered.

Fuck.

She was perfect.

I always knew she would be.

My hands went to her, gently cupping both her breasts, and I saw her chest shake with a shattering breath, goose bumps breaking out over her sensitive flesh. I dragged my thumb over her perfectly pink-brown nipple, and even in the dark of the tent I could see it stretch and stiffen, reacting to my touch.

“Christ, Kenz, you’re gorgeous.”

“Hayes,” she whispered, wrapping her legs tighter around me as her hands gripped the back of my neck. My arms instinctively moved to wrap around her waist, and then we were pressed together, skin to skin, and I almost couldn’t believe it was real. She was softer than I imagined, her hair silkier, skin warmer. Everything about her was more.

Our mouths devoured each other, my hands trying to feel every bit of her exposed to me, and fuck, when she started rocking her hips against me I lost it. I lifted her, laid her back down on the sleeping bag, and pulled my mouth from hers.

“You stop me if you’re not comfortable, Kenz. I swear, just tell me no, and I’ll back off, but right now, my mouth wants to taste more of you.” She nodded, biting her bottom lip, and I started pressing open kisses down her throat, over her collarbone, and across the swell of her breasts. I used one hand to palm her, squeezing her, loving the whimpers that came from her mouth. Then I slowly moved my mouth to her other breast, using my tongue to circle her, watching her eyes roll back in her head, then taking her fully in my mouth. I sucked gently at first, wanting to watch her react to my mouth, but when she rolled up, making the most beautiful sounds of pleasure, I couldn’t help but draw her even further in, sucking hard, all while pinching her other nipple between my fingers.

“Baby, you have to be quiet,” I murmured around her breast after she let out a low, guttural moan. I thought about someone hearing her cry out, and that alone made me uneasy—I didn’t want anyone to hear her but me. Her sounds were for me alone. But if someone heard her, they’d know she was with someone, and we didn’t need that kind of talk.

“I’m trying,” she gasped. “Oh, God…,” she cried softly as I pulled her nipple back in my mouth. “Please, Hayes,” she started.

“What, Kenzie? Tell me what you need.”

“I don’t know….”

I moved my hands to the side, trailing lightly over her ribs, and placed a line of small kisses down the center of her. I paid special attention to her navel, but all that got me was more panting and low moaning. When I made it to the closure on her jeans, I met her eyes, silently asking her if she wanted me to stop. She gave me a small nod, and I swear I’d never felt luckier in my life.

I unbuttoned her jeans, pulled the zipper down, then tugged them off her legs, watching her lift and wiggle her hips to assist. It was dark, but I could see the stark white of her underwear and the sweet lace that lined the edges. I let out my own groan as I trailed my nose across her belly just above the soft edge of lace. I wanted to do so many things with her, to her, but I tried to rein myself in.

I pressed my lips against her skin again, moving up to her mouth, kissing her, feeling her bare legs wrap around me again. She used her feet to pull me down to her and, Jesus, fuck, she ground her hips up into me. Something inside me snapped and the thread of sanity I was so desperately gripping slid right through my fingers. My hand rested on her hip, then slid to her knee, holding her to me, then I thrust against her, watching as her eyes fluttered closed and her mouth fell open, only a soft moan coming from her.

So many countless nights I’d dreamed of being with her, of watching her underneath me, this was all too surreal, and so much better than I imagined.