“I always want to be here when you need me.”
“Will you let me do the same for you?” he asked. “Will you lean on me the way you’ve allowed me to lean on you?”
“There’s no one I’d rather lean on than you.”
His smile lit up his face, and the eyes that had been so desolate a short time ago came alive again.
“I love that smile of yours,” she said, tracing it with her finger.
“I love having a reason to smile again. Thanks for that, too.”
“My pleasure.”
“Speaking of your pleasure, it’s been hours and hours since I kissed you.”
“I was wondering when you were going to notice that.”
Still smiling, he brought his lips down on hers for a kiss that went from soft and sweet to hot and sultry in about ten seconds.
Ella held him close to her, loving the feel of his lips on hers, the roughness of his whiskers, the passionate thrust of his tongue. She loved everything about kissing him and being with him this way, whether they were talking about the worst day of his life or kissing passionately, she loved it all. When he tightened his hold on her and stood to carry her into the bedroom, she squeaked in surprise that quickly turned to desire. Sleeping next to him every night had quickly become her favorite thing in the world, and she couldn’t wait to snuggle into his warm embrace once again.
He put her down next to the bed and helped her out of her clothes while she did the same for him.
She wanted to brush her teeth and wash off her makeup, but he gathered her up into his warm embrace, his head leaning against her shoulder.
Ella wrapped her arms around his waist, loving the feel of his skin against hers, the roughness of his chest hair and the scent of his cologne. She loved everything about him, even more so after their conversation about the worst day of his life. His love for his brother ran deep, even after all these years.
“Will you do something for me?” Ella asked.
“Anything you want.”
“Sit on the edge of the bed.”
He did as she requested.
“Now lean back and get comfortable.” She reached for a pillow and dropped it to the floor before kneeling in front of him.
“Ella . . . What’re you doing?”
“Exactly what I want to do. Nothing more, nothing less.”
He blew out a deep breath. “I so don’t deserve you.”
“Yes, you do, Gavin.” She ran her hands from his calves to his knees and inner thighs, settling between his legs. “You deserve me, and I deserve you.”
His fingers slid through her hair as she bent her head to run her tongue up the length of his erection, making him tremble. She loved his reaction so much she did it again.
“Ella,” he whispered. “You’re killing me.”
“Relax and enjoy it.”
“Right,” he said with a tense laugh. “Relax when you’re doing that?”
Equal parts amused and aroused, she wrapped her hand around the thick base and began to stroke him while continuing to tease the tip with her tongue. Never before had she wanted so badly to rock a man’s world with her mouth and tongue and hand.
She wanted to give Gavin cause to think about this moment for days. Drawing him into her mouth, she sucked lightly while lashing him with her tongue and stroking him faster with her hand.
His fingers tangled in her hair, which made her scalp tingle. “Ella . . . Baby, if you keep that up . . . Oh fuck . . .”
She’d never before allowed a man to come in her mouth, but she’d never loved any of them the way she loved Gavin. So when his fingers tightened around her hair, when his breathing became shallow and rapid, when his thighs tightened, she didn’t stop. Rather she kept it up until he raised his hips and came with a groan.
Then he released her hair and fell backward onto the mattress, his chest and abdomen heaving like a bellows.
Ella licked him clean, absorbing each tremor and aftershock before moving up to rest on top of him.