Page 85 of Finding Hayes
“I can’t lose you either.” My voice cracked on the last word. He reached one hand beneath my knees and the other at the base of my neck, and he scooped me into his arms, cradling me against his chest.
“You couldn’t lose me if you tried. I’m not going anywhere,” he said, as he carried me down the hall.
I’d thought about this moment a million times. I’d imagined Hayes being assertive, being a little wild and controlling, as he’d proven to be up until now when he’d buried his head between my thighs, night after night. When he’d made me cry out his name—over and over.
But this was different. He set me on the bed like I was made of glass. His calloused fingers moved to the hem of my sweater and gently pulled it over my head and tossed it on the floor. He traced his fingers over my lavender lace bra, taking his time.
“I dream about these tits. About this body. About your perfect peach-shaped ass,” he whispered, his gaze on mine now. “I’ve memorized the sounds you make when you come. The way your honey-brown eyes light up when I take you over the edge. The way your lips part when you gasp. The way your skin blushes when I touch you. The way you rub my earlobe when you kiss me, and scrape your nails along my scalp when you want more. I’ve memorized all of it, Sav.”
I sucked in a breath, overwhelmed by his words. “Hayes.”
“I know I don’t deserve you. I know you want a family and the fairy tale with the white picket fence. And I can’t give you that, baby. I’m not the right man for that life. But I can love you with everything I have for as long as you want me to.”
I couldn’t breathe. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I placed a hand on each side of his face. “I don’t like white picket fences.I like open fields.”
He barked out a laugh, and I chuckled. I’d always known how to make this man laugh, even though he was wound so tight, most people were intimidated by him. I wasn’t. I knew who he was.
I knew the man beneath the gruff exterior that he showed everyone else.
“I love you, Hayes Woodson. And this is exactly where I want to be. So don’t worry about the future right now. We’ll always be okay, because we’re Hayes and Sav, right? Peas and carrots.” My voice shook. “So how about you just stay true to your word and love me with everything you have today?”
“I can do that.”
“Show me how you feel about me,” I whispered.
He didn’t need to speak a word for me to know that was exactly what he would do. He took his time undressing me, peeling off my jeans and then my bra and panties. Kissing every inch of me as he did so.
My skin burned with desire as his lips moved down my body. I tugged at his sweater, wanting to feel his skin against mine. He pushed to stand and pulled off his sweater, his gaze not leaving mine. I sat forward as I watched him unbutton his jeans before reaching for the zipper. My mouth watered at the sight of him. My heart pounded at the way this strong, powerful man had just been vulnerable with me.
For me.
I loved him.
Loved him in a way I’d never loved anyone.
I wanted that to be enough.
And tonight, it was enough. He moved to his nightstand and opened the drawer.
“Have you ever been with anyone bare?” I asked.
His hand froze on the drawer pull, and he turned to look atme. “Never.”
“Me either,” I whispered. “But I’m on the pill. And I want to feel you. All of you.”
His lips turned up in the corners the slightest bit. “Well, I can’t say no to my wife, can I?”
“You haven’t yet.”
He climbed onto the bed, hovering above me as his long, thick erection rested against my lower stomach. His mouth covered mine, and our tongues tangled as my hands moved to his hair, urging him even closer.
His mouth pulled back, and his lips trailed down my jaw and neck as he nipped at my earlobe. He licked and sucked a trail along my collarbone and down to my chest. His tongue swirled around each hard peak, and I arched into him, spreading my legs wider so that he could settle between my thighs. I squirmed, desperate for more, as his lips found mine again.
“You sure about this?” he asked, his eyes so earnest it nearly broke me. He was so worried about hurting me. Had anyone ever cared for me the way that Hayes did?
“Yes. I want this. I want you.”
“You have me, Sav.” He shifted, and I felt the tip of his erection tease my entrance. “You’ve always had me.”
