Page 94 of Let’s Be Real

Her breath caught on a deep inhale, and for a few pounding heartbeats, everything froze. Then she shook her head as she exhaled.

“I don’t want to be free.”

I wrapped my arms around her, burrowing my nose into her neck. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want to be yours.” She turned her head enough to give me her eyes. “I think I’ve been yours for a lot longer than I even realized.”

“It’s felt that way.”

“And you’ve been mine?”

“Yeah, Sam. I’ve been yours.”

“What if it doesn’t work out?”

Closing my eyes, I rubbed my lips along her shoulder. “That’ll suck.”

A giggle bubbled out of her. “Understatement of the year.”

“Yeah.” I kissed the sharp tip of her collarbone. “You think you’ll lose your family, and I get that. But I’d never take that from you. I swear it, Samantha. I don’t have it in me to do that. Even if you ran over me with your car, I’d assume you had a reason.”

That earned another laugh. “Don’t excuse me for running you over.” She twisted her neck to smile at me. “I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose. Not ever.”

“I know.” I dipped to kiss her gently, and her lips parted, her tongue peeking out to meet mine. “Tell me yes.”

“How can I not? You’ll let me run you over.”

Grinning, I kissed her again. Longer. Deeper. I’d needed this like breathing. For the first time since California, I was righted, seeing things straight, as they should’ve been—Samantha pliant in my arms, both feet on the bed instead of one out the door.

“Say yes,” I murmured.

She sucked in a breath, like she was gathering her strength. In a lot of ways, I understood why she needed to. This wasn’t easy for her. Choosing me made her vulnerable in a way that terrified her. Opening herself up to me opened her up to being hurt in a way she hadn’t allowed since she was a kid and learned she had to protect herself.

But she did it. She was brave. She put me out of my misery and gave me a chance to show her these walls weren’t needed with me. I’d be gentle with her, and I’d take care not to be yet another person who’d let her down.

“Yes, Nate.” Her eyes locked on mine, bright in the dim lighting. “Let’s be real.”

I fell over her, wrapping her tight in my arms. She whimpered, pressing back against me. Now that I had her for real, something unraveled inside me I hadn’t known was being choked tight. My lungs fully inflated, and my blood surged through my extremities.

We kissed and rubbed against each other. I lost my shirt, my pants, and my briefs. Then we were skin to skin. The rope chafed as I rocked over her, kissing my way down her body. She lifted her hips to allow me to yank her panties off then I buried my face between her thighs.

Her taste was a relief. A cure to the heavy, cloying melancholy I’d carried with me since she’d left me in peace. And it was even better than before. Now I knew this was mine. She was mine. I lapped her up. Every drop of her arousal coated my tongue and took a slow slide down my throat, warming my belly.

Something in her must’ve loosened too. Her cries were louder, untethered by whatever had been holding her back. And it was my name she chanted, begged, sobbed as she came and came and came under my tongue.

When I curled around her again, she was boneless, molding her back to my front. I lifted her leg over mine and slid into her soaking, slick heat. Like finding home for the first time, I went in and explored as deep as I could.

I couldn’t shut my eyes. I raked my gaze over her, barely blinking, from the red ropes to her flushed skin. Her kiss-swollen lips and pink cheeks. The way her ass flexed as it collided with my hips. The strand of hair swiveling like a snake along her neck. The utter euphoria clouding her eyes as she sought mine out.

“Nate,” she moaned.

“Sam,” I replied against her lips. “You’ve never been more beautiful than you are right now.”

“You like me like this,” she slurred.

“Oh yeah, I do.” She meant the ropes. I meant as mine.

She looked like mine, and there was nothing hotter or more desirable than that.