Page 128 of Leave a Mark
“I’ve never felt so loved.” She let herself mirror the smile that spread across his face as she linked her fingers behind his neck. “Lee Hawthorne, meeting you was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Right then, she shouldn’t have been afraid to say the three words that could have left no doubt about what she meant. And she wanted to say those words, but even though she knew — and felt — how much Lee loved her, coming out and saying them still took courage, and she was fresh out.
So when her words failed her, Wren put her mouth to better use. Rising up in his lap and tugging him down to her, she kissed him with the force of four days of longing, one month of loving, and nineteen years of loss.
Slipping her tongue past his lips and earning a moan from his throat, she kissed him with all the love he deserved. And he deserved everything. She snaked her fingers through his hair, letting her nails run over his scalp, and she felt him shiver against her.
Lee’s ready response was all she needed. Shifting in his lap, she put a knee on either side of his hips and gently pressed into him until he reclined on the arm of the couch. His hands moved down her back and landed on her behind. He tugged her closer, and this time she shivered as her soft sex ground against his hard length.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he murmured into her mouth.
She nodded, seeking his tongue again before coming up for air. “Four days never seemed so long.”
He swallowed more of her kisses, panting now. “Never again, okay?”
The anguish in his words pierced her, and she held him tighter. “Never again.” It was a promise. One she wouldn’t ever break.
Wren slipped her hands under his shirt. She savored the contradiction of his smooth skin and solid muscle that flexed under her palms as he shifted beneath her. His own hands moved under her blouse and seared her with their heat and hunger.
And heat spread up her torso and down to her thighs. The blouse needed to come off. She sat up, pressing her core even deeper onto him, and they both groaned. A ridiculous amount of buttons stood in her way.
“Help me.”
“Yes.”
Four hands conquered a dozen buttons, and her blouse hit the floor. Lee’s shirt was easier, joining hers in a matter of seconds. He sat up and lifted her, sweeping under her knees until he cradled her again.
“What are you doing?” she asked, breathless.
Lee stood with her. “The last time you were in your underwear in my house, my parents barged in. I’m not letting anything like that happen again.”
“Good point.”
He carried her across the house and closed his bedroom door behind them. Lee eased her onto his bed and held her by one ankle, standing over her.
“I feel it’s only fair to warn you that I’m about to kiss every one of your tattoos,” he said, slipping off one of her boots.
She propped herself up on her elbows to watch him.
He ran his hands up her calf and frowned. “Tights? Oh my God, Wren. Don’t ever wear tights. It’s a crime to cover your skin.”
The other boot dropped to the floor. He reached under her and grabbed the band of her tights and panties. “These are going away and never coming back.”
He peeled her free to the sound of her giggling. His smirk was nothing short of delicious. “You think I’m joking.”
She laughed outright. “That lacy black bra, I can handle,” he said, his eyes blazing with lust. “For a little while anyway.”
Lee ran his hands up and down her legs before taking a foot in each. He lifted her left and planted a kiss against it. “I love these bluebirds,” he said, moving to her right. He kissed the bluebird but then rotated her foot, bringing her arch to his lips.
She gasped when his teeth grazed the flesh, and her elbows gave. “Lee…”
“Mmm,” he murmured, pleased. “Should Ibiteall of your tattoos?” His lips swept up to the feather on her left calf, and she trembled when she felt his teeth. She closed her eyes and drowned in sensation.
“Peacocks… sparrows… love birds…” He moved up her legs, kissing and nibbling, while Wren panted. “Who knew they’d taste so good?” Lee pushed her across the length of the bed, climbing on between her knees. He flipped up her skirt, cool air biting her naked flesh and making her gasp again.
She opened her eyes and locked them with his. His half-wild look made her want to pull him down to her, but Lee had other ideas. He never took his eyes off her as he dropped his mouth between her legs.
“Oh God, Lee.” Her fingers found his hair as her control shattered, the pleasure condensing thought to all but a single word.Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
