Chapter Twenty-Two

Cliff

I sauté the mushrooms and set them aside before heating the cast iron pan up to a level that’ll sear. Taking out the steaks, I add some salt to them, and some pepper before taking out some potatoes and scrubbing them in the sink.

Cutting them nearly in half, I place them in tinfoil boats. I get a bit of butter and thrown it in a pan to melt before chopping up some garlic cloves and adding it to the butter. As everything cooks, I see her watching me.

“I suck at cooking,” she says, “or I’d help.”

“I could teach you,” I say, thinking back on the good memories I have of myself and my mother in the kitchen. She’d thought it was important that I know how to feed myself, since I’ve always been a big eater.

It might be fun to teach Addie what I know.

“I’d like that,” she says wistfully as I pull the melted butter and garlic off the stove and pour them over the potatoes before sealing up the tinfoil and throwing them in the oven.

With everything heating and cooking, I walk over to where she’s sitting on the counter and place my hands on either side of her hips. She leans in and kisses me, and I feel parts of my self-control slipping way. I want her, and I want her now.

There’s no denying that this woman has taken something from me, but she’s given me so much more.

Gripping the counter so hard my knuckles ache, I maintain my control and manage to back off. Her hands capture my shoulders, and she stops me from moving too far away.

“Make love to me tonight,” she says softly. The words are not a question but lack the force for me to call them a demand. It’s something in the middle, a softly spoken, gentle request that hits me harder than either a question or demand would have.

I nod, pressing my forehead to hers.

It’ll take every last ounce of self-control I have to make love to her rather than fuck her to relieve this agony deep in my body, but if that’s what she wants, I’ll do everything in my power to give it to her.

We stay close like that, in silence, until the potatoes warn me it’s time to throw the steaks on. I leave her side and take the steaks and lay them carefully—seasoned side down—on the hot pan. They sizzle and I salt and pepper the other side of them as they cook.

“How do you like your steak?” I ask.

“Seared on the outside, bloody inside,” she says cheerfully, and I nod. A girl after my own heart; she likes it the same way I do. Leaving them to cook, I walk back over to be close to her.

“Want me to set the table?” she asks, and I give her a quick kiss on the lips.

“Sure,” I say, feeling unable to keep my hands to myself. Grabbing her hips, I pull her off the counter and she slides sexily down the front of my body before her toes touch the floor.

The look on her face is pure shock and excitement. I see it in the slight part of her lips, the electric green of her eyes, the hunger in her tongue as it touches her top lip.

But I step back.

Walking over to flip the steaks, I watch her set the table. Her every step is graceful; her hands are delicate as she places napkins. She comes back into the kitchen as I open the silverware drawer to help her out.

She takes what we need and a couple of wicked-looking steak knives. I pull out the potatoes and unwrap them. The scent of garlic butter fills the air as I put them on the plate, still steaming hot and delicious.

The steaks are good to go, and I plate them up and walk them both over to the table. She works around me, getting ice water and taking her place at the table.

I sit opposite her, and we smile at each other.

“I’ve got wine and beer,” I say, but she shakes her head.

“I don’t drink,” she says, and I nod.

I can echo that. “I rarely drink,” I say, thinking about how I’d prefer to always be in full control of my mind and body. “Dig in,” I say, and we both pick up our silverware and begin to eat.

While she eats, she makes yummy noises and looks around the place, her eyes still alight with the same excitement she’s had since coming here. I love seeing her so animated.

We chat about everything and nothing as we eat. I fill her in on memories, she tells me about her parents. We joke and talk, laugh and eat, and simply enjoy each other.

She’s so refreshing, so honest and kind. It baffles me how someone could ever try to hurt her.

When we’re finally done, I walk her upstairs and she vanishes into the bathroom. I head to the downstairs and grab a spare toothbrush, knowing that garlic and mushroom isn’t the best kissing breath.

When I’m minty fresh, I head back up and she pops out of the bathroom. She meets me, her arms around my shoulders as she kisses me. She’s sweet and minty as if she’d had the same thoughts.

I pick her up, and her legs wind around me. There’s a new fire in her kiss, a new kind of desperation that mirrors all the stress we’ve been running from. It’s like she’s certain she’s going to die and needs to just have this moment here with me.

I lower her onto the bed, my hand behind her head as our tongues battle and dance, finding no middle ground. She’s quick to find the hem of my shirt and pull it up over my head and off. She tosses it aside and kisses me again.

I pick her up and turn her so she’s straddling my hips and we’re sitting on the edge of the bed. Pulling her shirt over her head, I bury my face in her breasts. She’s so soft, so sweet.

With quick fingers, I unhook her bra and drop it to the side before kissing her nipples and just enjoying her softness and sweet scent. Her hands press to my temples as if she’s not willing to let me go.

I grab her hips and push her back until she’s standing. Freeing her of her pants, I whisk them and her panties down. She smells hot and wet, sexy as fuck and too good to deny. Every bit of me is desperate to bury the hard length of me deep within her, but I hold back.

Her hands lower to my pants, and she works my button free, then my zipper. I stand up with her, and she pulls my pants off, then my boxers, and I feel her freeze.

I kiss her, knowing words won’t help. With hands on her hips, I sit down and pull her into my lap. She does as I urge her, and pretty soon, my cock is nestled between her body and mine. I give her time to get used to the thought of this, the feeling of me, and how much control I’ve got.

I want her to know I’m not just going to hurt her.

To my surprise, she rises up on her knees, lifting her body, and I enjoy being face level with her breasts again. She lets out a moan, and I adjust so when she lowers, she’ll be taking me.

I give her control, as hard as it is to keep from grabbing her hips and just pulling her down hard on me.

She begins to lower slowly as I take one of her nipples in my mouth and revel in the taste of her. She’s so fucking sexy.

“Cliff,” she whispers, and I release her and look up into her eyes.

“Good girl,” I growl, and she blinks. Placing my hands on her hips, I gently guide her down and she whimpers as her pussy stretches to fit me. She feels so amazing, her wet heat closing slowly and painfully around me. I grit my teeth.

“You’re amazing,” I tell her, and she gasps. “It’s okay, shhh,” I say as I feel her begin to stress. With a thumb, I find her clit and begin to work circles around it. And suddenly, she’s on fire as she slides down harder with a whimper of desperation.

It’s all I can do not to push her down and hold her firm with me as far in her as I can go. I kiss her, then nip at her lips with my teeth, feeling the strain as she sits still, her body adjusting to me as I tease her clit.

Then, she’s moving against me, and I move my hand as our bodies work together in a rhythm as old as life itself. Her tits crush to my chest as she clings to me, her hips rocking hard and fast.

It’s an incredible sensation, her heat enveloping me, her wet, sweet pussy hugging my throbbing cock.

“Oh, god, Cliff,” she says, her voice thrilled, as if this is more than she ever expected.

“Fuck,” I grind out, “you’re fucking sexy.” Her hips move quicker, and I feel her belly tighten. I fucking love how fast she’s there on the edge of oblivion. It’s like her body was made for me, designed just for me to please.

I slide a hand behind her back and press my palm flat to her skin. She’s amazing in every possible way. And she’s mine. Because now that I’ve had a taste of this, there’s no way she can just walk out of my life when all of this is over. I have to find a way to keep her.

“Cliff,” she whispers, her eyes focusing on my lips. I kiss her before answering.

“Yes?”

“I’m going to come,” she says, triumph in her voice.

“Good girl,” I say, and I feel her muscles tighten and spasm around my cock. The sensation is all it takes to drive me over the edge, and she gasps as I swell within her.

“I’ll join you,” I say, and she cries out.

I press my lips to hers to quiet her, and her tongue finds mine. The kiss is desperate as our souls bare all and our bodies explode together. I feel my balls gather in tight, and I fill her with everything I’ve got as her pussy continues to milk me hard.

Her cries fade into those cute little gasps I love, and our lips part. I hold her as her body goes limp in my arms. Together, we lie back on the bed. With her on my chest, I feel her relax as she listens to the cadence of my heart and I wonder what I’m going to do if she ever decides to leave.

Because I’m in too fucking deep. Everything about her drives me mad in just the right way.

Suddenly, everything Dakin has said makes more sense. His reactions and how his life changed when Camille came into the fray is less alien to me now.

Because when the right person comes along, you just know.

I feel her breathing even out and know she’s fading fast. So I readjust and place her on the bed before pulling the covers over her. She gives me a weak smile, and I brush a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

“You’re amazing,” I say as I press a kiss to her forehead.

But I know she’s out based on how deep and even her breathing is. I stretch out next to her, wondering when my feelings for her had slipped into something so deep. And I realize it wasn’t an all-at-once thing. It happened bit by bit, piece by piece, inch by inch over the last few weeks since she came into my life.

Pulling her close, I hold her and just enjoy her heat.