The Scheme

“No, the good parts of him. The way I felt about him.” She lowered her head, her bottom lip quivering. “You remind me why I fell in love.”

I choked down all the emotion from her words and extended my hand. “Come here.” I just needed to touch her. If not for her then for me because I was anything but fine. “It’s me,” I reassured her.

Her eyes held a haunted, distant look in them. She glanced at my extended hand, her face filled with caution.

“I’ve got you,” I said, coaxing her toward me. Everything had to be on her terms, not mine.

Finally, she extended her hand and locked our fingers. I watched the light from the bathroom shine on her beautiful face.

“Stop worrying about me,” she said. “I told you I’m fine.” She said the words, but I didn’t believe them. Her forced smile didn’t reach her eyes. It wasn’t the genuine smile I was so used to seeing.

“Well, I need to hold you, because I’m far from fine. I’m about to hunt this bastard down and leave him with more than a broken nose.”

She bit her lower lip, emotions rushing to the surface. Then she crawled into my lap, and I wrapped my arms around her.

I heard her heavy exhale as she leaned into me, her whole body relaxing. Maybe she too felt steadier around me, wrapped in my embrace.

This was good. Really good.

I took this as a sign she was slowly trusting me, getting used to me. At least this time she wasn’t pushing me away. My chest tightened as a fierce protectiveness overtook me. As though this newfound purpose reigned throughout my veins, and it was to protect and love this woman for eternity and ensure that no one would ever hurt her.

“I’m okay.” Her hands moved under my shirt, her fingertips trailing along my waist, the bareness of my back. “I’ll be okay.” Her words came out stronger with more force, but they weren’t directed at me. She was speaking to herself.

Her hands turned more urgent, not as gentle, as her fingers dug into my skin, and the mood shifted. I tensed, confused at the quick change, yet wanting her all the same.

She rested back on her heels, seduction written all over her face as she gripped the back of her shirt and lifted it over her head. Her perfect nipples pebbled against the soft bathroom light, which was shining into my room.

She positioned herself over my boxers. She still had her panties on, but as soon as she sat on me, I was hard as a fucking rock. Then she gripped the tips of my hair, pulled my head back, and slammed her lips against mine, ravenously kissing me.

Warning signs rang loudly in my ears. A moment ago, she’d been so vulnerable, and now her possessive movements seemed so erratic.

I wanted her, too. Shit, did I ever. I always did. But it felt wrong, when moments ago she’d been crying.

She pulled back and rubbed her tits against my chest. There was a devilish smile on her face, but I stopped, my jaw tightening. What I noticed in her eyes was what broke me. She was disco

“I’m going to fuck you. Hard.”

The way she said it tugged at my heart. I was begi

Looking up at her stark blue eyes, I wanted to tell her that I didn’t need anything else, just her. With me, in my life.

But I didn’t say anything, because I had a feeling she wouldn’t believe me.

She shoved my chest until I was lying on my back and moved her hands to the edge of my boxers. I pulled on her hands, bringing them each to my lips. Then I lifted her toward me. Our eyes met in the darkness, mine softening, trying to get her to be present with me in this moment.

When she paused, I sensed the wall weakening, the uncertainty in her eyes lessening, and I framed her face, pulling her flush against me. “Kiss me,” I said gently, sensing I was chipping away at her hard exterior; her defenses were deteriorating.

When her eyes lost focus at my words, I pulled her face down to mine, and our lips met. When her body tensed in my arms, she retreated and I stopped. Then suddenly, her mood changed like a switch had been flipped. Her kisses turned urgent and rough as her lips crashed against mine. It was desperate, cold even. She was forcing that wall up again, sealing me out, and I couldn’t let her do that.

I wouldn’t let her do that.

I framed her face to slow down and savor her mouth, outlined her lips with my tongue, and touched her lips gently with mine. I looked up at the woman who had claimed my heart, peering deeply into her eyes so she knew, so she understood. “Do you know how crazy beautiful you are? Why are you so perfect?”

She seemed lost, pain shi

Suddenly, she looked so vulnerable that I pulled her flush against me once again. This was a side of her I’d never seen before, and I made it my mission to prove her wrong.

“The only thing I want to do is kiss you.” I framed her face and kissed her lips. “Here.” I kissed her button nose. “And here.” I placed a small kiss on each of her eyelids as my lips feathered across her tender skin.

She shivered as her breath caught in her throat, but she didn’t resist, her body molding to mine as I pushed us both up to a sitting position.

“And here.” I flicked my tongue over and over against the tender skin on the side of her neck.

Her breaths increased as I sucked at the soft spot below her ear.

That’s my girl. Let go. Let me love you like you deserve to be loved.

I feathered kisses along her jaw and made my way to the other side of her neck, teasing her with my tongue until my lips found their way back to hers. All I could hear were the sounds of me worshiping my girl.

She moaned into my mouth as I slowly guided her down the length of the bed and onto her back, so gently, like she was a porcelain doll. I hovered above her as her head hit the pillow, and that was when I saw it—the fear in her eyes, a panic so alarming that it was like jabbing a knife in my gut.

“Trust me.” I didn’t break eye contact as I peppered kisses along her jawline. “Beautiful. Sexy.” I worshiped her with my words and with my lips. “Perfect.”

When she stiffened, I backed up an inch. I wanted her to feel adored, but I wanted her to trust me first. I had to do this right, on her terms. All in good time; she’d believe me eventually.

My lips trailed to her neck and then brushed against her nipples. I ran my tongue around her breast, resting on her nipple and feeling it pebble in my mouth. Her breathing became labored as her hands threaded through my hair. I sensed she was still holding back, but that cage confining her heart was opening slightly.

She was absolutely perfect in the way she tasted, the saltiness of her skin. I was rock hard, but I ignored the throbbing as I concentrated on her.

Then a look of longing replaced the fear in her eyes, and I took my tongue lower and lower until I was kissing her outer thigh.

Her chest heaved with anticipation, and I wanted to drag this on, lick every inch of her flesh and cherish this moment.

“Please,” she begged as I dragged my tongue along her i

She wiggled beneath me and, because I couldn’t prolong it any longer, because I needed to feel her against my tongue and taste her sweetness on my lips, I moved to her core, flicking my tongue against her folds. She tasted like heaven. I continued to savor and suckle her sensitive nub then gripped her thighs so I could move deeper but slowed down, to prolong the buildup.

A moan of ecstasy slipped through her lips, and I knew she was close. Soon enough, she gripped the ends of my hair, pulling hard. “Brian. Please,” she begged, wanting release.