Page 29 of Phoenix's Rising
But not before asking.
Cole took from her without asking. Treated her body like his property, like her consent didn't matter. I won't do that. Won't ever do that.
I pull back slightly, looking into her green eyes. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes." No hesitation. Her voice is breathless but sure.
"Because if we do this," I continue, needing her to understand, "I'm going to make sure you never forget this moment. I'm going to worship every inch of you, and make you feel things you've never felt before. I need you to be absolutely sure this is what you want."
"I want this moment to eclipse everything I went through. Want something good to remember instead of just pain and fear. Can you do that?"
Can I give her something so good it overwrites years of abuse? Can I make her feel cherished instead of used, wanted instead of tolerated?
I'll damn well try.
"I'll do my best," I promise.
I guide her toward the bed, laying her down gently. She watches me with those wide green eyes as I climb over her, caging her in with my arms.
"Tell me if anything feels wrong," I say. "If you want me to stop, if something hurts, if you need a break. This is about you, Ivy. Your pleasure. Your comfort. Understood?"
She nods. "Understood."
I reach for the hem of her shirt, pausing to give her one last chance to change her mind. When she doesn't protest, I pull it up and over her head.
Fuck.
Her breasts are incredible. Full and soft, pale skin dusted with freckles, nipples already hard from arousal. The sight of her laid out beneath me, chest heaving with each breath, is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
I don't waste a second.
I lower my head, taking one nipple into my mouth while my hand comes up to grip her other breast. She arches her back, a moan escaping her lips as I suck and tease, my tongue circling the stiff peak.
Her hands fist in the sheets, her eyes half-lidded with pleasure, bottom lip caught between her teeth.
She looks like a sinful goddess sent specifically to make me sin.
And I will. I'll sin tonight. I'll fuck her and make her cum, make her forget about everything bad in the world. It's the least I can do to show her how much I want to care for her, protect her, cherish her.
I switch breasts, giving the other the same attention. My saliva coats her skin, dripping down the curves as I worship her with my mouth. She's making the most incredible sounds: little gasps and moans that tell me I'm doing something right.
"Phoenix," she breathes, and hearing my name like that, desperate and needy, nearly undoes me.
I kiss a path down her soft stomach, loving every curve. Cole was a fucking idiot for not appreciating her body, for making her feel like anything less than perfect.
She's soft where I'm hard, smooth where I'm scarred. Complementary opposites that fit together in a way that feels inevitable.
When I reach her jeans, I look up at her. Her chest is flushed, rising and falling rapidly, and her eyes are squinted with desire.
"Please," she says. "Please continue. Just… Don't be afraid of what you'll see."
The words are strange. Uncertain. Like she's expecting me to recoil from something.
"What do you mean?" I ask, my hands on the button of her jeans.
"You'll see."
Curious now, I unbutton her jeans and slide them down her legs. The fabric catches slightly on her curves, and I take my time, revealing inch after inch of pale skin.
