Page 455 of Face Off

Charm’s hands close around my face before fear can give the word another meaning.

“It’s better,” she says. “I couldn’t remember how you feel everywhere.”

My forehead lowers against hers.

“Tell me.”

“Your weight. The heat of your chest. Your breath against my mouth.” Her legs wrap around my waist. “I remembered your cock, but I forgot what it feels like to have all of you over me while you’re inside.”

I kiss her slowly.

“I forgot this too,” she whispers.

“What?”

“The way you look at me like loving me and fucking me are the same need.”

They are.

The truth moves through my body before language catches it.

I hold her face and begin moving again. “They have always been the same with you.”

Charm’s eyes fill.

I don’t stop.

“I fucked women I didn’t love, and you know what that looked like now.” I drive deeper, holding her gaze through the pleasure. “They got my body because I didn’t care what they saw.”

Her breath shakes.

“You get my eyes. You get my voice, my history, my name, my bed, and every fucked-up piece of me I learned to protect.” My hips settle hard against hers. “You get love because there has never been a version of touching you where I could separate it.”

“Ryan.”

“That is what you wanted to know when you asked about Temple.”

Her body tightens around me.

“I understand now.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.” She keeps her eyes on mine even while another deep thrust makes them lose focus. “She had sex with you. You are making love to me.”

The phrase should sound too polished for what we are doing.

It doesn’t.

I lower my mouth beside her ear. “I’m fucking you because I have spent seven months wanting inside you. I’m making love to you because getting inside has never been the same as being allowed to stay.”

Charm sobs against my shoulder.

Her arms close around me while my rhythm deepens. Desire, grief, relief, and love become impossible to separate inside the bed. I fuck her slowly enough to feel every place her body takes me and hard enough that neither of us can turn the act into something delicate.

“Stay with me,” I tell her.

“I’m here.”