Beneath Your Beautiful, page 27
“Relax,” he demands. That tone sends a spark of desire through my body as I obey. He circles my entrance again and again, bumping against my clit with each pass. He alternates between kissing me and gazing down at where his hand is causing a beautiful chaos in me.
Fox slips the tip of his finger inside, and the sensation steals my breath. “You okay?” he asks as the hand around my throat squeezes.
“More,” I beg.
He gives me a wicked smile and presses a little deeper. There’s no pain, just an aching need to be filled. Fuck. I can’t remember the last time I felt that—and I’m sure it’s never been this strong.
“Greedy, just like you kiss.” His thumb makes agonizingly slow circles around my clit, making me want to scream in frustration. Then something vibrates against my hip. What the hell?
“Fuck,” he says as his hand snakes between us and drags out his phone. “I need to get this. Don’t fucking move.”
“Seriously?” I snap. He’s taking a call? Now? What the fuck?
“Trust me, I wouldn’t answer if it wasn’t important.” He flicks the answer button as I blink at him in disbelief as he snaps, “This better be urgent, Larry.”
I’m being edged for some dude called Larry? No. Not happening. My hand falls between my legs, and I gasp at how wet I am.
Fox’s gaze narrows. “Don’t you fucking dare,” he hisses at me. “No, not you, Larry.”
I smirk as I bite my lip and push the tip of my finger inside, making my breathing stutter. Damn, that feels good. Not as good as Fox’s hands, though. I arch my spine and press my ass tighter against his cock.
He grunts and taps the mute button. “If you come, firecracker, I will teach you the true meaning of the word edging.”
“Is that meant to be a threat?” I whisper as he returns to his conversation and snaps a few more words at Larry. His gaze flicks from my hand buried in between my legs to my face. I’m so close. I just need…
Fox’s hand tightens around my throat, and my pulse skyrockets, blocking out everything but the heavy thrum of my heartbeat in my ears. “Don’t,” he warns. The bands snap tight inside me, then my vision darkens, and I explode. My eyes fly open as I start to come down. “Did you enjoy that?” he asks, his phone discarded on the ground next to us.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“Good. We have about a twenty minute journey home, and in that time, I want you to decide.”
“Decide what?”
He urges me up and to my feet. He collects the blanket and phone, stuffs them inside the backpack, and grabs the cooler in one hand. He spins to face me and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear.
“How you want to deal with your hymen. My fingers, your fingers, a toy, my cock. Tick tock, Cleo. It’s time to teach your body it is far from fucking broken. In fact, you will come harder than you ever have before from a little danger and fear. Darkness exists in you, and I’m answering the siren call. So choose. You have twenty minutes, or I’ll decide for you.”
Well, fuck.
CHAPTER 37
FOX
Decisions, decisions.
There’s a storm rolling in. Rare for this time of year, but fitting as my emotions clash inside my chest. The sky darkens as the car eats up the road toward home, giving Cleo enough time to consider if she wants this. And if she does, how she wants it. Falling into bed with her might test her limits, but it’s breaking all of mine. I need to come clean about my situation to her soon. Cleo’s definitely not on the ‘lay low’ plan. I think fate threw us together—two souls meant to heal the wounds of the other.
She grasps the edge of the seat as I take the corners a little too fast for comfort. I chuckle and increase the speed, making her slam her eyes closed and shriek at me to slow down. Taking pity on her, I do as she asks, and she releases a breath before crossing her arms over her chest.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she leans forward and swipes her finger on the dashboard. I frown until I spot the small black spider dangling from her fingers. It scurries up the web to her hand.
“Hello, old friend,” she says as she twists her hand so the critter crawls onto the back of it.
“You are on speaking terms with this spider?” I ask.
Her lips twitch. “Think about it. They would form the perfect network of spies, going undetected in every room in the country. Think of the stories they could tell, the history they have witnessed, the good, the bad, and the ugly. People drop their mask because the spider can’t share their secrets.”
“Most women run from the room at the sight of a spider, not contemplate their usefulness in society should they become more intelligent and organized.”
Cleo’s lips twitch as she places it back on the dashboard. I turn onto the drive and pull the car into the garage just as a roll of thunder echoes in the thick clouds above us.
Cleo climbs out of the car at the same time as me. The unmistakable tip tap of rain drums on the roof.
“Wait here,” I instruct as I open the door and dart out into the storm. I stomp into the pool house, grab an umbrella, and snap it open before starting my return to the garage. My feet stall as I catch Cleo spinning in the garden, her arms stretched wide as the rain pelts her skin, soaks her hair, and plasters her dress to her body. My breath catches at the look on her face—free, joyous, and wild. She’s never looked more beautiful.
She pauses and blinks at me, the rain water clinging to her long lashes as I stride toward her. She eyeballs the umbrella, and her shoulders tense. I snap it closed and drop it to the ground before I reach her and cup her face. Her lips part and her shoulders relax.
My mouth lands on hers, a heated kiss in the cool rain. Her tongue tangles with mine as I angle her head back. She’s like putty in my hands—beautifully pliant, yet vibrating like a live wire. Touching her in the rain is like getting electrocuted; it’s addictive, seductive, and disarming.
I drag my mouth away from hers and we pant, dragging in much needed oxygen.
“I want my truth now,” I tell her. She knows what I want. What I need. She squeezes her eyes closed and a tremor runs through her body. Come on, firecracker, take that leap. I will catch you.
“Honor,” she whispers.
I frown. “My intentions right now are not honorable, but I promise you’ll enjoy them.”
Her mouth pulls into a sad smile. “No, Fox, my name is Honor.”
How apt. It suits her. “Honor,” I say, trying it out. “Thank you for trusting me.” I grab her hand and tug her toward the pool house. “Come on, girl who dances in the rain. Let’s get you warmed up.”
We pause in the living room, our soaked clothes dripping water on the floor. Electricity charges the air as we stare at each other, the air seeming to thicken as the moment draws out. Honor breaks it by lifting her dress over her head. I follow suit, my fingers clumsy as they remove each item of clothing. I can’t keep my eyes off her, and my breath catches when she removes her contacts, putting the full depth of her eyes on display.
She bites her bottom lip, her gaze tracing over my chest before slipping lower to my cock, which has spent the majority of the day hard. Most of it is my own doing, making her come apart for me in church was the most religious experience I’ve had in that building. At the lake, I hadn’t planned for it to go that far. She’s such a sensual creature, I find myself breaking all my convictions just to witness a smile on her face.
“Did you decide?” I ask, stalking toward her.
She tilts her chin in the air. “I can’t.”
I freeze just before I reach her. She can’t? I must have read her wrong. I thought she was ready. My jaw clenches as I take a step back. “Okay.”
She frowns. “Where are you going?”
My hand falls to my hard length and gives it a quick pump. “To take care of this in the shower.”
She slow blinks like she’s trying to understand, and her cheeks flush. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean I can’t, I mean I can’t decide. You choose whatever feels right. Scripting it is going to make me panic.”
Thank fuck for that. I rush forward and lift her by the hips, encouraging her to wrap her legs around my waist. I carry her into the master bedroom with our lips locked together, stealing one of her greedy kisses that I fucking live for. I lower her body to the bed and lick and suck on her pert breasts before moving farther down. She laughs and squirms as I kiss her hip bones. Ticklish. Noted.
She’s still wet from her release less than an hour ago, making me groan as I settle my mouth on her clit. She jerks on the bed, so I pin her down as I manipulate the bundle of nerves until it’s swollen and she’s begging me to tip her over the edge. But I don’t want her sated—I want her desperate and mindless enough to take the edge off the pain.
“Fox, please,” she whispers as she throws an arm over her face from another denied release. I push one finger inside until I feel the resistance.
“Relax,” I coax as I work another finger inside of her. Fuck, she’s tight. She cries out when I feed her a third, but doesn’t move away or tell me to stop. She relaxes a little as I pump them into her slowly. With each pass, her legs fall open a little wider.
“Are you trying to kill me?” she snaps. Perfect. I rise from my knees and back up out of the room. “Where are you going?” she squeaks with a look of panic.
“Give me a minute, I need to get a condom.”
She rises onto her elbows and bites her bottom lip. “I’m on birth control, and I’m clean.”
I freeze in the doorway and my eyes fall closed. “I’ve never taken anyone bare.” It’s not something I do. I’m rarely with someone long enough to get a feel for their true personality and whether or not they are trustworthy. Most people aren’t—they constantly lie. Not big lies, but small ones to make their lives easier. Honor rarely lies, and I can feel that she isn’t now, and what she’s offering—the trust in me to not hurt her—that’s my undoing.
I return to the bed and climb up and over her body. Her arms wrap around my neck as she welcomes me into the cradle of her thighs.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“Yes, I trust you.”
I’ve thought a lot about the type of man she’s running from, the relationship she’s escaped, and how I want this experience to be different for her. I flip us so she’s straddling my thighs. Her mouth parts as I drag her forward so my cock rubs against her clit. Her teeth sink into her bottom lip as she twists her hips, making us both groan.
“You’re in control, firecracker. We are going to do this together. You choose when, but use my cock to do it.”
Her hands ball into fists on my chest as she grinds down, and her breathing stutters. My hands grab her hips and lift her off me. “Ah, ah, no coming until I’m inside you.” She huffs in annoyance, making me smirk. She has a little brat in her, not something I’ve ever found attractive until now.
“I’m scared,” she whispers.
I release her hips and wrap my hands around her neck as I inch up the bed so I’m sitting up. I kiss away her worries and feed her my courage and strength. With each pass of my tongue against hers, I describe a future filled with love, not fear, but she has to trust me.
She grinds down on my cock, and I let her squirm a minute before lifting her away. I meant what I said.
“Honor, look at me.” Her eyes flick open, and her pupils are blown wide with desire. She’s so close to overcoming this hurdle, to healing herself from the torment. “I promise your night will end in pleasure, but sometimes to get there, we have to endure a little pain. But it will be worth it. Trust me to take your pain and turn it into restless heat and desire.”
Her hand drifts between her legs, and she grasps my cock before lining it up at her entrance. I’m already coated with her juices, and there’s nothing more I can do to help prepare her, so I just stay patient.
Her legs tremble as she holds herself above me. “You don’t have to—” She slams down and steals my breath as she takes half my length. Fuck.
She hisses and tears spring forth from her eyes and spill down her cheeks. My hands land on her hips, and I hold her steady as she adjusts to me. I kiss her wet cheeks, stealing the pain in her tears as she breathes through it. She rocks against me, taking another inch, then another.
My thighs are clenched as I fight the need to thrust inside her. I’ve never done gentle and slow—it’s not in my nature. But I will for her. I will be what she needs. But the feel of her heat, naked and tight, squeezing my cock like she’s trying to hold onto me—fuck.
“That’s it, firecracker, you are taking me so well.”
Her eyes lock onto mine as she works to take all of me. “That feels good,” she utters with a look of pure wonder as she finally sits flush against my thighs.
My lips twitch as I twist my hips to rub my piercings against her G-spot. Her head falls back and a moan of pure need erupts from her throat. I urge her up so I can create a little more friction. Watching Honor come apart while I’m inside her is a revelation. She clenches around me, and I fight not to come like a teenager. I’ve been worked up all day, so it’s not a surprise.
She twists her hips as she sinks back down, finding that one spot that drives her crazy. I’m going to find every single place that makes her moan like this, inside and out. I will know this woman better than she knows herself.
She gets more confident as the pain fades, and she realizes something very important—she is not broken. She owns her pleasure, and I’m the lucky bastard that gets to hold her on this journey of rediscovery.
I swipe a lock of damp hair from her forehead. “You okay, firecracker?”
She nods, then she says something that makes my control snap. “Fox? I need you to stop holding back. Fuck me hard, steal my air, and make me scream so loud that the pastor thinks I’ve been possessed.”
CHAPTER 38
HONOR
I’m done being broken.
His pupils expand and then he flips us, never losing contact between our bodies. He buries himself even deeper than before. The pain slowly fades as my body adjusts to his size. It wasn’t half as bad as I imagined it to be, largely due to him spending the day preparing me for him. The tenderness he’s shown me helped me get over my fear. Letting another man inside my body is a massive deal—it’s not something I ever expected to do again. But Fox has broken through every barrier, soothed every fear, and stoked a fire in my soul I’d long thought snuffed out by Gideon.
His hands tangle in mine as he presses them above my head into the soft sheets. It’s a dominant move, but it’s not to control, it’s to connect.
“Don’t take your eyes off me tonight,” he demands as he thrusts slowly into my body. His piercings rub me in all the right places. Damn. I’ve never come from penetration alone. In fact, I’ve never come while having a cock inside of me. He twists his hips, and my eyes roll in the back of my head. He freezes until I refocus on him.
“Good girl,” he utters, dropping a heated kiss onto my lips. My legs wrap around his hips, and I lock my ankles behind his ass, tilting my pelvis. We both groan at the new position. “Do you have another orgasm for me?” he asks.
That would make four in a single day. I always thought having multiple orgasms was a myth, as it’s something I’ve never achieved before. But as he continues to rub against me, building a deeper tension, ushering me toward a strange yet inevitable cliff edge, I know I’m about to discover what it means to be made love to by a man who knows what he’s doing.
Keeping one hand pinning mine down, he uses his free one to wrap around my throat. He squeezes, stealing my air, and my skin flushes in panic.
“Fuck. You just gushed all over my cock. My dirty little firecracker enjoys being choked.”
I’d slap him if one, I had use of my hands, and two, he wasn’t one hundred percent correct. He swivels his hips, and my lips part on a tiny gasp. His whiskey-warm gaze tracks every micro movement of my face, checking to see that I’m still with him. I’ve never felt so seen, so cared for, so stripped bare and vulnerable. It’s intoxicating having his full attention on me, but also disconcerting. He sees too much.
He loosens his grip, allowing a brief flood of air into my lungs and blood to my brain. “Harder,” I rasp, trying to break the tether to my soul.
He shakes his head and skims his lips over mine. “No, Honor. Feel me.”
I do feel him, everywhere. He floods my senses with his touch, his gaze, his scent. I can’t breathe without him, and that terrifies me.
I’m at that cliff edge, clinging on for dear life to stop myself from drowning. I squirm beneath him, not sure I want him to witness my destruction.
“Ready to scream my name, firecracker?”
I glare at him in response. Arrogant asshole. He chuckles as he releases my hands, then dips his head to latch onto my nipple, sucking hard. I grip his shoulders with the intention of pulling him off me or urging him to go faster—I can’t quite make up my mind. Neither of those things happen, because the second he clenches his teeth over my nipple, it sends an arrow of pleasure straight to my core, and I scream his name. He lifts and captures my lips, swallowing my cry of pleasure. I have never felt anything like this—a deep extended pleasure that makes me see pretty stars.
He growls into my mouth as my body drags his release forth and leans his damp forehead against my own. His arms curve around me, caging me in, but I don’t feel panic, just safe and cherished.
“That was…” I start but can’t put it into words.
Fox huffs a laugh. “Yeah, it was.”
He pulls away from me, and I glance down, catching the blood staining him. My blood.
“Let me up, so I can deal with that,” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “Stay here, and I’ll draw us a bath.” He stands and runs a hand down his face as he looks at me. I swallow and move to cover myself. Is he repulsed by me now he’s had me? He grabs my hands and pins them to the side of my head. “What are you doing, Honor?”
