Page 23 of Surprising Bones

CHAPTER NINE

BONES

The sky is still dark when I wake up, but the room is lit by a spill of gray and gold through the big glass wall. I don’t move, not at first. She’s here, curled into my side, hair fanned out like a fucking banner across my chest. I watch her sleep, and my heart tries to punch through my ribs.

Eden breathes slow and soft. Her cheek is pressed against my shoulder, mouth half-open, lashes making a delicate fan over her cheek. She’s wrapped herself around me without even knowing it. One leg thrown over my thigh. An arm locked tight around my middle. Like she thinks I might leave.

She couldn’t be more wrong. The idea of moving even an inch away from her makes me break out in a cold sweat. Eden Brooks is mine, and I’ll fucking do whatever it takes to keep her.

If I’m being honest, this should scare the hell out of me. I’ve spent my whole life building armor, layering it up until nothing got through. I’ve seen brothers lose their edge over a woman, lose everything because they got soft. I always swore I’d never be that guy. Never let anything close enough to matter.

Now here I am, head over heels for her.

I run my hand down her bare back and she stirs. A tiny frown creases the skin between her brows. Then she nuzzles in closer, burying her nose against my chest. My heart squeezes so hard it aches.

The sunrise shines in the window, turning her hair into a living fire across my skin. I watch the way it shifts, the color changing from dark chocolate to red to copper. For a long time, I just stare at her, drinking it in, because I’ll never get enough of her.

She wakes up slow. At first, just her lashes flutter, then her brows draw tight, then her whole body goes rigid. I can feel the moment she remembers where she is. With me.

Her head lifts, and she blinks, squinting at the morning. Her eyes are sleepy golden green. She blinks up at me.

For a second, she doesn’t say anything. Her hand flexes on my side, digging in like she’s making sure I’m not going anywhere.

“Morning,” she whispers.

“Morning, sweetheart,” I rumble. My mouth is too dry. My pulse pounds away.

She’s naked except for the blanket bunched around her waist, her tits smashed against my side. I want to drag her on top of me and start all over again, but I don’t. Not yet. I just keep my arm around her and run my fingers through her hair. Something clicks into place inside me, a piece that’s always been missing. I wonder if she feels it too.

Fuck. I can’t resist her. I shift over her, pinning her wrists above her head, my mouth hovering over hers. “I need you again,” I murmur, then crush her lips with mine.

She melts under me, mouth opening right away. I kiss her slow, soft, then nip her lower lip hard enough to make her gasp. Her legs wrap around my hips, pulling me closer. My cock slides along her slit, hot and wet and ready.

I drag my mouth down her jaw, over her throat, sucking marks into the skin where only I’ll ever see them. She rocks her hips up, and I press the head of my cock to her entrance.

She’s wet as fuck, slick and eager. I push in, just the tip, and her whole body bows up, eyes rolling back for a second.

She gasps my name as I slide in slow, inch by inch, watching her face the whole time. The stretch is tight, just like last night, but this time she takes me easier. I fuck into her with long, lazy strokes, hands bracketing her head while she clings to me, her nails digging into my back.

We move slow. No rush, just the pure pleasure of her body wrapped around mine. I watch every flicker of feeling on her face, every catch of breath and flutter of eyelash.

When she comes, she does it silently, biting her lip and locking her legs around me so tight I see stars. I don’t last much longer. I slam in deep and let go, coming so hard I see black for a second.

We lie there, tangled and sweaty, catching our breath.

Eden laughs, quiet and broken. “I love the way you say good morning.”

An idea suddenly occurs to me. She just gave me the perfect opening. I brush the hair out of her eyes, press a kiss to her temple. “If you move in with me, we can wake up like this every morning.”

My little lamb goes rigid in my arms, surprise flashing across her gorgeous face before she laughs, low and dangerous. “Don’t you think that’s a little fast?”

Fuck. I might be moving at the speed of light, but I can’t stop myself. I want to own every inch of her, inside and out. “I mean it, Eden. Move in with me.” My voice comes out like a goddamn growl.

For a second, she just stares up at me, breathing hard, those wild green-gold eyes scanning mine for any hint of a joke. There’s nothing funny about this. I drag my palm up her thigh and cup her pussy, grinning when I find her hot and wet and already clenching for me again.

She shudders, gorgeous hair fanned over my chest, her nails biting into my ribs. “Are you trying to bribe me with sex?” she mutters, cheeks flushed, hips rocking against my hand.

“Is it working?” I smirk down at her as my fingers circle her clit and watch her eyes go wide and glassy. Christ, nothing’s better than feeling her lose control under my hands.