Chapter 27

Barrett

Demi and I crashed into each other after my confession, her lips moving in perfect, desperate sync with mine. Somehow, I managed to let her lead me from the private room and out onto the main floor of Athena’s, even though all I wanted to do was get her home.

The only thing that stopped me from hauling her over my shoulder and telling Norris to take us straight home was the fact that she was choosing the ring that would one day, finally, make her mine. For real.

That was more important than anything else. James had been warned of my intentions when I’d rushed back into their house and told them the truth the day before. Even though it had taken some convincing, he approved of my plan.

He had his most trusted shop assistant waiting for us, with hundreds of rings Demi might like on display. It had taken her no more than fifteen minutes to choose, as she’d coined it, the one ring that would rule them all. It was easy to see why Nancie loved her.

After the ring had been secured in one of the iconic royal blue ring cases that symbolized everlasting love to those who bought them, I brought Demi back to my house and didn’t intend on letting her go anywhere anytime soon. I’d given my assistant strict instructions only to bother me if Adam really couldn’t handle something by himself, and then I’d told Adam to handle whatever came his way no matter what.

He’d lamented my loss as a wing man for less than a minute before he abandoned the tough guy persona. “I’m really happy for you, Hart. It couldn’t have happened to a better man. Go win your girl back. I got this.”

Winning her back was my top priority, the only thing that mattered to me anymore. “Cross your fingers for me, brother. I fucked up royally.”

“You did,” Adam agreed. “But if anyone can turn it around, it’s you. Go do it.”

And man, did I do it.

The ride back to my place was a frenzy of lips and hands and pure, unadulterated desire. I’d never been more grateful that Norris was ever the professional. All he’d said when he dropped us at the house were low words of encouragement. “Never let her go again, boss.”

“Never,” I promised him. I had zero intentions of doing that.

In the mad dash to my bedroom, our clothes went flying, and our mouths hardy separated. It was as if we were addicted to each other and desperate to get our hands on our next fix.

Once we were up the stairs, I scooped her up into my arms and carried her to my bed, kicking the bedroom shut behind us. Carefully, I laid her down and took a moment to immortalize the image of Demi half naked on my bed, her lips slightly swollen and a flush on her chest. She was stripped down to her underwear, white lacy things that I couldn’t wait to get her out of. I crawled onto the bed, hovering over her.

“You are exquisite, Demi,” I said against her ear, relishing the little gasp that escaped. “Absolutely fucking exquisite. Inside and out, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”

Kissing a path down her neck, I kept telling her all the things that had been rattling around in my head since I admitted to myself that I loved her. Her hand rested on my chest, and I put mine over it, guiding it to my pounding heart.

“You feel that? My heart beats only for you. You have captivated me. You own me, beautiful. Heart, body, and soul.”

If Adam heard me now, he’d take back every man card I’d ever been given and probably start a state-wide search for my balls but I didn’t give a fuck. It was the truth. She needed to know it, and I needed to wipe every seed of doubt about how I felt about her from her mind.

Demi writhed underneath me. My hands went to cup her face, and I brought my lips down onto hers. The kiss started out slow and deep but quickly turned hard and passionate. I was harder than I’d ever been, and I needed to be inside her. Badly. Now.

But it wasn’t about me. Dragging my fingers up and down her sides, I swallowed her soft little moans and pressed my chest harder against hers when she arched against me. Her legs wrapped around my hips as she started rocking against me. I let her take what she needed, loving the feel of her hot core against my rigid cock until I was ready to explode if she kept it up. We couldn’t have that.

Demi moaned in protest when I pulled away. “No, come back.”

“I’m right here, baby. I’m not going anywhere.” My hands went to her luscious breasts, those perfect creamy globes that taunted me every damn day. I traced the line of her bra, making her squirm and whimper. I pressed kisses to shoulders, letting the straps of her bra fall from them. Reaching around her, I deftly unhooked the piece of lace that was getting between me and what I wanted, letting it fall to the floor.

God, she had the most perfect tits. My mouth closed over one hardened nipple, while my fingers teased the other. I rolled them between my fingers and teeth, nipping and pinching until her fingers dug into the sheets and she cried out.

“That’s it Demi, let me hear you.” In that moment, there was nothing in the world I wanted more than to hear her screaming my name as she came, while I watched her fall over that edge. And that was exactly what I intended to do.

I propped myself up on one elbow, watching her watch my fingers drawing patterns down the soft skin of her chest, then her stomach. Heat radiated off of her as I played with the elastic waistband of her panties, tracing the outline of the skimpy things until her hips bucked up.

“Barrett, please.”

“We’ll get there, beautiful. Let me savor this.”

“Savor it later,” she groaned.

I couldn’t stop the grin spreading on my face. I fucking loved this woman. “I can’t. I’m in the moment.”

Her hips rolled again as her half-lidded eyes found mine. “Are you ever going to touch me in this moment?”

“Yes,” I said, pressing my thumb down on her clit and wishing that I could have recorded her answering moan.

I pushed her panties aside and ran my fingers over the seam of her wet pussy, up and down her slit but avoiding any more contact with her clit.

“You feel so good, Demi. I love how you greedy your pussy is for me.”

I kept stroking, dipping my fingers into her, then withdrawing. Again and again and again. The flush on Demi’s chest deepened, and her lips parted, the sexiest little moans and gasps falling from them as she rode my fingers. Her eyes fluttered closed, her forehead marred in concentration as she sought out her release.

“Barrett, I need more,” she pleaded, her walls clenching at my fingers.

“I know, baby.” I kissed her deeply as I slid two fingers into her and pressed my thumb to her clit. Bringing my head to her chest, I drew a nipple into my mouth and bit down with just the right amount of pressure. A couple of strokes later, she was writhing and moaning under me, her hips bucking as her cleft clamped onto my hand.

“Look at me, Demi. Let me see you come.”

She did, finally screaming my name as she contracted around me. I stroked her through it, dangerously close to the edge myself, just from watching what had to be the most fucking erotic sight I’d ever seen.

When her eyes finally opened, it was like she could see all the way to my soul. And that was it for my self-control.

She must have sensed it, because she tucked her thumbs into her panties and rolled them off. I was still wearing my boxers, but I lifted my ass and kicked them off when she reached for them.

“I need to make love to you, Demi.”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, you do.”

I positioned my cock at her entrance, and my head nudged into her wetness. Slowly, I sank into her heat, my eyes glued to hers, until I was buried to the hilt. She fit me so perfectly. Demi moaned when I drew out and gasped as I slid back in, never once breaking eye contact with her. Again and again.

“Fuck, you feel too good,” I groaned. “So tight. I want to live here, Demi. I want to set up camp and never leave again.”

“Please do,” she breathed as she clung to my shoulders, moving in perfect rhythm with me. The bottom of my spine started tingling way too soon, but the way her muscles were sucking at my cock was too much.

“Barrett,” she groaned.

“Right there with you, baby.” My breathing was ragged, and my voice strained. My thighs started to shake, and my balls drew up just as she came. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I came with a loud groan, my cock twitching as I filled her.

I collapsed, still inside of her. Careful to keep my weight from crushing her, I nuzzled my face into her neck and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder. I couldn’t stand not having my hands on her, so when I finally rolled off of her, I brought her with me. Her head rested on my chest, right above my heart.

“There is something that I should tell you,” she mumbled, pressing light kisses on my skin before she propped herself up on her elbows and looked me right in the eye. “I love you, too.”

A feeling of elation, unlike I’d ever felt before, swept over me as my lips curled into an uncontrollable smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

With that one word, well, following the four others, Demi Fowler made all of my dreams come true. I brought my lips to hers and kissed her with everything that I was. Heart. Body. Soul. It all belonged to her, and I made sure that she knew it from that kiss, as sure as she did from the words I’d said earlier.

When we finally broke apart, Demi sighed happily and crawled closer to my side as I stroked her silky hair.

“I can’t believe I was so wrong about you,” she said.

“What do you mean?” I asked sleepily. As much as I would’ve loved to go another round, the day, and the sleepless nights that had come before it, were catching up with me. Also, if Demi wanted to talk, I would listen. Always. I wasn’t making that mistake ever again.

“My parents were so callous and cold when I was growing up. Money was all that mattered. I thought that you were just like them, that you sat around in this ivory castle of yours, counting your treasures all night long.”

It hurt to hear her say it, but whatever hurt I felt was completely overshadowed by joy that she was back in my bed and the knowledge that she loved me. The cherry on the cake was the classic solitaire ring that sat in my safe, soon to take up residence on her finger forever.

“You’re my greatest treasure, baby, and you will be forever,” I promised her, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.