SIXTEEN
SHANNON
A MACK TRUCK. THAT WAS WHAT HAD HIT ME THE NIGHT BEFORE.
It was the only logical reason for me to be aching all over. At some point during the night, I’d been run over and then backed over. My entire body was sore, and my head pounded so badly that even turning over nearly did me in.
My memory was skewed. I remembered Matthew being there and us going out to the bar, but I had no idea how I got home or if anything happened between us.
Sitting up in bed, I moaned when my skull rang with what felt like a hit from a sledgehammer. I rubbed my temples and fell back against my pillow. Nausea roiled around my stomach and made me gag.
I was in hangover hell.
It was a bad place.
I never wanted to go there again.
Rolling onto my side, I see a tiny piece of paper with my name scribbled across the top on my bedside table. I snatched the paper from the table and read it.
You’re adorable when you sleep. Also, you snore.
I covered my face with my hands, smiling against my palms. Swiping my phone, I sent him a quick text.
Me: Lies. I don’t snore. I sleep like an angel.
A few minutes passed before he texted back.
Matthew: True. You do sleep like an angel. An angel who snores.
Matthew: How’s the hangover?
Me: Very hangover-y
Matthew: Lol. Bite the dog. It’s the only way.
Me: If I even think about alcohol, I’ll get sick.
Me: I’m sorry if I did anything inappropriate last night.
Matthew: No worries. I like you inappropriate. ;)
I chuckled.
Matthew: You owe me, though. When can I collect?
Me: I owe you? What do I owe you?
Matthew: I went home with a nasty set of blue balls after you groped me all night. Thankfully, I’m a nice guy and didn’t take advantage.
Me: Aw, I’m sorry. Thank you for being a nice guy.
Matthew: You’re welcome. You can pay me back later by having dinner with me?
I smiled. I wanted nothing more than to see him again. I loved being around him.
Me: What time?
Matthew: I’ll pick you up at 6.
Me: Ok. See you then.
Matthew: Think about me today.
I giggled, making my head hurt worse.
Me: I will. You think about me, too.
Matthew: I always think about you.
I set my phone down and covered my face yet again.
What was I getting myself into with him?
AFTER I HAD DOWNED THREE IBUPROFEN, I started to feel human again.
I managed to shower and get to work, which I didn’t think would be possible. I vowed never to drink the night before work again.
When I walked into Franklin’s, Lilly’s eyes went wide.
“You look like death. Are you okay?”
I nodded, dragging myself across the room and behind the jewelry counter.
“Are you sure? I’m not being rude, but I’ve never seen you like this. Did something happen?”
“Yes. Tequila and a few others happened.” I tossed my purse under the counter and flopped down onto the stool.
She giggled. “Oh, you have a hangover? That sucks.”
“Very much so.”
Lilly was in good spirits again, considering what she had gone through recently. I was glad to see her getting back out there and coming back to work. I just hoped she was ready.
The good news was she had Devin. I was starting to see the appeal behind him. He was a nice guy, and he treated Lilly like a priceless item. Not only that, I was starting to understand how she could enjoy his hands all over her. I could understand the bed squeaking down the hallway, and the sounds of pleasure spilling from the room.
Those were all things I was beginning to want more and more, but I knew getting myself drunk to go through with it wasn’t one of my best ideas. Not to mention, Matthew was evidently too much of a gentleman to take advantage. I loved that about him.
“So what have you been doing lately?” Lilly asked. “You seem to be gone a lot. I hope it’s not because Devin is at our place all the time.”
“Not at all. I like Devin. He’s a good guy. I’ve just been out and dealing with things with Grammy.”
I wasn’t confident enough to tell her about Matthew yet. Not to mention, I wasn’t sure how she felt about me being around him after the big blowup at her birthday party.
“How’s she doing? Your grammy? Is there anything you need?”
I knew what she was getting at, but I wasn’t desperate enough to have her ask her mom for financial help. Not yet anyway. I’d been saving every dime I had, hoping I would be able to cover costs when it was time to pay, but so far, it wasn’t looking very good.
I applied for other jobs and everything, but even though there were plenty of places to work, no one was calling me back.
It was stressful, but I wasn’t going to give up on Grammy.
I couldn’t.
And if the time came when payment was due, and I didn’t have the money, then I would go to Lilly. Until then, there was still a chance.
Three hours went by and Lilly and I did our usual things once the store was caught up and all the cases were stocked, which was sitting and watching soap operas on the small TV in the back.
My phone rang, and I pulled it out of my pocket. Seeing Matthew’s name on the screen, I stepped out of the store and onto the sidewalk out front so Lilly wouldn’t hear my conversation.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling much better. Thank you for asking.”
“Of course. So I was thinking we would do a five-star tonight. Are you down with that?”
I hadn’t gone to one of his fancy places yet. It was the least I could do, considering he had gotten me home safe and untouched the night before.
“Okay. Sounds good. What should I wear?”
He chuckled. “Anything you want. You look great in everything.”
“Fine. I’ll wear a paper bag,” I joked.
“Now that sounds hot. Definitely wear a paper bag. Wet it a bit before I get there and maybe I’ll be able to see through it.”
“Pervert.”
“Tease.”
“Whatever. How have I teased you?”
He laughed. “Excuse me but I’m the one who remembers last night, Miss Handsy.”
I covered my face and groaned in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry about that.”
“Don’t be, but the next time you decide to get touchy-feely, make sure you’re sober so I can take advantage. Deal?”
“Deal.”
I wasn’t sure how it was possible, but Matthew was winning me over. Maybe it was because I was starting to see what a nice guy he was. Maybe because I knew most of what people saw when they looked at him was a front. That beneath it all, he was genuine with a heart of gold and a sweet soul.
Either way, I was falling for him, and there was nothing I could do to stop myself.
I went back to my apartment early to dress for the fancy restaurant. I wasn’t feeling one hundred percent, but I was feeling well enough to go out for dinner. When he picked me up, he was wearing an expensive suit and his Rolex.
Men and their watches.
Sexy.
His hair was damp and looked as though he had fingered it into a messy, sexy style. He was freshly shaved with just the perfect amount of hair on his chin and around his lips.
He grinned at me when I opened the door, and his eyes fell down my body in a slow, lazy perusal, making me glad I went home and changed into something a bit more appropriate.
“Damn, Red, your legs are amazing,” he said as his eyes made their way back up from my ankles. “So long and smooth.” He shuddered like I was giving him chills, and I felt myself blush all over.
“Thank you.”
He moved in and pressed a soft kiss on my cheek. “You look beautiful.”
I believed him.
I had never believed anyone when they told me I was pretty, but something about the way he said it and the look in his eyes when he pulled away from me … He sincerely thought I was gorgeous, and I had never felt more fabulous in all my life.
“So do you,” I said.
He did.
Dear God, he looked edible.
I locked the door behind me, and we held hands to his car. His long fingers were warm in mine, and on occasion, he would slide his thumb over my knuckles.
We didn’t drive far before we pulled in front of a downtown restaurant named Bellacino’s. The brick exterior was weathered with age, and the sidewalk was made of cobblestone older than my grammy. A young man in a white coat took Matthew’s keys and parked his car while we made our way to the front door. Surrounded by old gardens and wrought iron fencing, the entrance glowed with the soft romantic light of gas lanterns.
It was beautiful.
A young lady at the door knew Matthew by name and didn’t ask any questions before she took us to the very back and seated us at a quiet, secluded table for two.
It was like we had taken a vacation to Italy. All brick walls and beautiful scenery. The table we sat at was next to a large window overlooking Charleston. Lights glittered in the distance, and I took a deep breath, feeling relaxed as I looked out at the beauty of our city.
I heard Matthew ordering a bottle of wine and chatting with the waitress, but I was still taking in the glitz and gorgeousness of the room. It was definitely a far cry from our little two-star burger joint.
“You okay, babe?” he asked.
My cheeks glowed when he called me babe. I loved it when he called me sweet pet names.
“I’m just in awe. This place is beautiful.”
“Then it’s perfect for you.”
I turned, and my eyes met his.
No one had ever treated me the way he was treating me.
A precious moment in time.
I smiled. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Thank you for coming with me.”
When it was time to order, I lifted my menu and gasped at the prices.
“Don’t look at the prices. Just pick whatever you want,” Matthew said when he saw my expression.
But even though he told me to pick whatever I wanted, I still got the cheapest thing on the menu.
We drank wine with a glowing candle between us, and Matthew didn’t take his hands off me. Whether he was tracing my knuckles with his fingertip or linking our fingers together, he made sure we remained connected in some way throughout dinner.
The food was delicious, and when it was time for dessert, we ordered a coffee cake and shared it. By the time we finished eating, I was stuffed and ready for a nap.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, standing.
My eyes trailed over his body as he made his way across the restaurant and toward what I assumed was the restroom.
I sat back in my chair, taking a moment to let my stomach settle and take in the beauty of the room, when the table vibrated and made me jerk. I sat up, trying to figure out what it was when it vibrated once more and my eyes moved over to his iPhone.
He’d left it lying on the table without a lock on the screen and my eyes casually moved over the incoming text.
Corrine: I want you. Tonight?
I wasn’t usually one to look at someone else’s phone, but without thinking, I snatched it from the table and checked the message. Only crazy women checked their man’s phone, so I must have been a complete psycho since I was checking Matthew’s phone and he wasn’t even my man.
My eyes scanned over a message from the night before, and my heart dropped.
Corrine: Up for a late-night fuck?
There were text messages before that one. Dirty ones about blow jobs and naked pictures of her perfect breasts and tiny waist.
I felt sick just thinking about him with another woman, but that was my own fault. Obviously, Matthew was gorgeous. Obviously, women wanted him. He was a man. What had he said before when I’d asked him if it was annoying to be flirted with all the time?
“What man in his right mind would be annoyed by that?”
It was more than obvious he enjoyed the attention of women. Why not enjoy their bodies, as well?
Bodies nothing like mine.
Thin.
Trim.
Toned.
Skinny.
Meanwhile, my thigh gap was nonexistent, and I was about eighty pounds overweight.
There were no defined muscles in my body, and the only thing slim and trim on me was my ankles and wrists, and that was only when I wasn’t bloated.
I realized something else.
The text was from the night before. The same night where he had left me untouched in my bed. Obviously, he had gone to her and got what he wanted. The same thing he didn’t want from me. He’d called me handsy and said I’d left him with blue balls. Surely, I had tried to sleep with him. Yet he had dropped me off at my house and gone to another woman.
The pain lanced through me, making me suck in a strangled breath. I dropped his phone to the table, stood from my seat, grabbed my purse, and walked out of the restaurant.
It was embarrassing, to say the least, being wracked with jealousy. Honestly, I knew I had no right since he wasn’t my property, but it hurt so bad I could feel the tears rushing to my eyes. And the last thing I wanted was for him to see me crying.
I was just going out the door when I heard him call my name. I didn’t wait. Instead, I pretended not to hear him and went through the door.
The weather was chilly, and I didn’t have a way home. It wasn’t like taxi cabs were everywhere in Charleston, but after seeing his phone and walking out, I couldn’t stick around.
So I walked quickly, hoping I could turn the corner and be out of sight before he came after me. I wasn’t that lucky. Just as I was turning the corner, he was calling my name behind me.
I heard the tap of his shoes against the cobblestones and then he grabbed my arm.
“Hey,” he said, out of breath. “I swear nothing happened.”
Great.
He knew why I was upset.
More than likely, he’d gone back to the table to pay and saw his phone opened to her message sitting on the table. Why hadn’t I gone back to the home screen?
“Did you hear me?” he asked, spinning me around to face him.
I didn’t realize my tears had escaped until he reached up and ran his thumb across my cheek to wipe one away.
“I didn’t go through your phone. You had a text and …” I stopped, suddenly feeling crazy and stupid.
I didn’t even know what we were doing anymore, but I was positive I had no right to look at his phone, much less be upset by the messages on it.
“Her pictures. She had an amazing body. Is that the kind of women you like? Because if so, that’s not me.” I motioned at my body.
“No,” he said, his voice sounded depraved. “I mean, you’re nothing like Corrine. You’re what I want.”
Lies.
“If I’m what you want, then why did you leave my bed for hers?”
Again, the tears clogged my throat. I hated being emotional in front of people. Showing feelings was a great way to get them hurt.
“Just forget it,” I said, turning away.
“No.” He grabbed my arm. “I promise you, Shannon. I went home and went to bed. I saw her text last night, but I ignored it. I should have deleted her messages, but I wasn’t thinking. I swear, I’m not messing with her anymore. She was just a fling. You’re …”
He stopped.
The chilly breeze was making me shiver, so he reached out and ran his palms over my arms.
“I’m what?”
Emotional?
Crazy?
Completely freaking psychotic?
That was certainly how I felt.
“You’re definitely not a fling, and I love your body. At least what I’ve seen of it. Corrine was just there. Someone who was unattached like me, but it’s different with you. I never took her to dinner or kissed her on a swing. She’s never slept at my place. We’ve never even eaten a meal together. She’s got nothing on you. Please believe me.”
His eyes were wild as he tried to convince me, and something about the desperation in his voice was gradually melting my resolve. Not to mention, I had no right to look at his phone. He wasn’t mine. I didn’t own him.
I nodded.
“You believe me?” he asked.
Again, I nodded. “I’m sorry,” I apologized.
His eyes got wide and confusion swept across his brow. “You’re sorry?”
“Yes. I had no business touching your phone. Who you’re with and not with is none of my business. Honestly, now that the moment is over, I’m totally embarrassed that I got a bit jealous.”
His face cleared, and a tiny smile tugged at his lips before he let go and laughed.
“What’s funny?” I asked.
“If you’re apologizing for being jealous, then I suppose I should apologize, too.”
It was my turn to be confused. “I’m not following.”
“The night you slept on my couch and you were talking in your sleep, you mentioned another guy. I hated it so much that you were dreaming about someone else. It made me … well, jealous.”
My mouth popped open. “I wasn’t dreaming of anyone. More like having a nightmare. Trust me. Another man in my life will never be a problem.”
He sighed, running his hands through his dark hair and chuckled. “I guess we’re both a bit crazy then, huh?”
I nodded, feeling a smile pull at my mouth. “Yeah, I guess so. The best ones usually are, though, right?”
He laughed. “That’s true. Come on.” He slid his fingers between mine, and I let him.
“What are we doing now?” I asked.
“Do you want to go back to my place?” He lifted my hand to his mouth and softly kissed my knuckles.
I nodded, biting my lip to keep from grinning. “I do, but first, more wine.”
His place was becoming comfortable. More so than my own apartment, which was bizarre.
I kicked off my flats as soon as we entered his place and the lights clicked on.
“I’m stuffed,” I said, hopping onto one of the kitchen stools while he went for a bottle of water.
“Me too. Thirsty?” he asked, holding up a bottle of water.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“So,” he said, coming over to where I was sitting. Leaning against the counter at my side, he took a drink from his water. “What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. What do you want to do?” I asked.
I grinned, the wine from the restaurant buzzing through my veins just enough to relax me.
He chuckled. “Don’t ask me that.”
I pulled him closer to me, swinging my stool around until I could rest my knees against his thighs. He was technically between my legs, yet he wasn’t touching anything that was begging for his touch.
He reached out, fingering a strand of my hair. “I’ve never been this way with a woman before.”
“What way?”
“This way,” he said, motioning back and forth between us. “It’s always been just sex and nothing else.”
I leaned back. “I’m sorry.”
“No. I like it. I like what we are doing.”
I had no idea what it was we were doing. I knew where my mind was, but I wasn’t sure about where his was. I didn’t want to think something was there that wasn’t.
“What exactly are we doing?” I asked, afraid his answer would hurt me.
I was well past caring for Matthew. I had fallen. I just wasn’t sure how far I’d fallen yet.
“We’re spending time together. Getting to know each other. Then we’ll see where it goes, I guess.”
“Where it goes sexually, or where it goes emotionally?”
He leaned in, pressing his lips to mine sweetly. “Both,” he said against my mouth. Moving his lips to my cheek, he pressed yet another kiss there. “I’m not hiding from you, Shannon. I can be honest. It’s no secret I want to have sex with you. You’re driving me crazy physically, but more times than not, I’m not thinking about sex when I’m with you.”
I swallowed, feeling my heart kick into overdrive. “What are you thinking about?”
He kissed my ear before leaning back and looking me in the eye. “I’m thinking about how special you are. How you’re more to me than just a quick fuck.”
Grabbing him by the sides of his face, I pulled him in to kiss me. Our mouths molded together, and I lost my fingers in the hair on the back of his head. Sliding to the edge of the stool, I opened my legs wider, allowing him to slide deeper between my legs. My dress scrunched up my thighs, and the cool air was making my skin pebble.
I pushed forward, rubbing myself on the front of his pants, needing to feel the friction there. He pulled back, his mouth swollen and wet, and his eyes wide and willing.
“If you’re not ready, I understand. We can stop. Just say the words.”
My response was pulling him back to me and kissing him hard. I wanted him. I was done waiting. He was the one. He was who I wanted. I had known for a while, but it was time I acted on it.
My hands slid down his back until they were resting on his hips. I tugged him forward, enjoying the feel of his hard cock rubbing on me through our clothes.
“Oh God, that feels good,” I mumbled.
Reaching between us, I began to unbuckle his belt. I wanted to have sex with him, but more than anything, I wanted to touch him. Caress his hardness. Feel his heat.
Once he was unbuckled, unbuttoned, and unzipped, I pushed down on his boxers and pants until his cock popped out and fell against my inner thigh.
It was hot against my skin, and the feel of skin on skin made me moan in pleasure.
“Are you sure about this, Shannon?” he asked again, desperation lacing every word.
“God, yes. I’m so sure,” I said, pressing into him again and enjoying the fact only a thin layer of lace now kept him away from my wet folds.
My fingers slid over his heat until I was gripping him. Moving my hand up and down, I enjoyed the feel of the muscle beneath his smooth skin.
Laying his head back, he hissed between his teeth, and a pained expression moved over his face.
“Fuck, Shannon. Your hands, baby. Your fucking hands feel incredible.”
Continuing to explore, I moved my hand lower, letting my fingers glide across the loose sack hanging below his cock. He closed his eyes and dropped his head onto my shoulder.
“It’s so smooth and hot,” I said in awe, enjoying my explorations.
I had never touched a man like this, and I was glad he was allowing me to explore.
“You say that like it’s the first cock you’ve ever touched,” he said, pressing a kiss to the side of my neck.
Before I realized what I was saying, the words flew out of my mouth. “It is.”
Everything paused, and he pulled away. His eyes skimmed over my face to see if I was joking, and then his brows pulled down in confusion.
“Wait,” he said, laying his hands over mine and stopping my explorations. “How many guys have you been with?” he asked.
I didn’t quite know how to answer his question. In my mind, I had technically never been with anyone. The only time was when my body was taken against my will, and during that time, I checked out. I remembered him above me, taking me with a roughness that burned. I remember his crescent-shaped birthmark, and then everything went black until I found myself in the middle of the cornfield.
Then again, I had technically been penetrated by one man. Still, I couldn’t allow myself to consider that sex. It wasn’t making love. It wasn’t even consensual. I had never had sex in my life as far as I was concerned.
“None,” I answered honestly.
Because I hadn’t been with any men.
He wasn’t a man.
He was a coward.
An animal.
Dirt.
No.
Lower than dirt.
His eyes widened in shock, and he sucked in a breath.
“You’re a virgin? How’s that possible? I mean … men must chase you, right?”
I shook my head. “Most men don’t like overweight women, Matthew.”
He snorted. “You’re not overweight. You’re fucking perfect.”
“I’m not. We both know I’m not, but thank you for saying it.”
“No,” he said, capturing my face in his hands and forcing me to look him in the eye. “Listen to me. I don’t give a fuck what anyone says; you’re perfect.”
He kissed the tip of my nose.
“Beautiful inside and out.”
He kissed my right cheek.
“Sexy as hell.”
He kissed my left cheek.
“And I’m so honored that you’re here with me right now because I’m no fool; I know you’re too good for me. What I’m doing with you is wrong, and I know that. You deserve so much better than me, but I can’t stay away from you.”
I kissed him, tasting all that he was. “Then don’t,” I whispered again his lips.
He kissed me hard, pulling a soft moan from the back of my throat. My body pressed into his, begging for him. Ready. So completely ready.
“You’re driving me crazy, Red.”
“No. You’re driving me crazy.”
He backed away, pulling me to a standing position. He reached for the hem of my dress and began lifting it.
“I know you hate them, but I only have one question.” His hand slid up the inside of my thigh before he dipped a finger in the top of my panty line and ran it across my lower stomach. “Will you let me lick all your curves?”
Biting my lip, I nodded.
He tugged my dress over my head, leaving me in nothing but my bra and panties. His eyes devoured my body as he smacked my hands away when I tried to cover myself. Slowly, he peeled my bra straps down and began undoing the back of my bra.
He leaned over, latching onto my nipple, and a wild moan escaped my lips. I had never felt anything so potent. Every time he sucked on my nipple, a tugging sensation pulled at my clit as if he was sucking there, as well.
While he worked my breasts, his fingers slipped into my panties, pushing them down my ass and over my thighs until they were loose enough to drop to my ankles. He tickled my hip, his fingers walking their way over my flesh until he was teasing my clit with the tip of his finger.
“Oh, my God. Matthew,” I breathed his name.
He captured my cheeks in his other hand, pinching slightly to get me to look him in the eye.
“I’m going to stick my fingers in first. I want to touch you inside.” He breathed. “This is your warning. Don’t freak out on me, okay?”
I nodded, ready to feel some form of penetration. My inner walls were clenching, pushing my juices out with the want to be filled.
His fingers moved down from my clit, sliding over my soaked folds until his middle finger was circling my opening. I thrust, not being able to wait any longer, and he chuckled, the deep vibrations of his laughter sending a wave of longing through me.
“Slow down, baby, I’m going to ease that ache soon enough.”
I melted. The way he was talking to me and touching me was driving me toward an orgasm.
His fingers swiped around my center once again, and I whined, needing to feel him before I burst. I was seconds away from begging when he pressed two fingers into me, bending his fingers deep.
I sighed in relief.
My knees went weak, and I leaned onto the countertop, hoping it would keep me from falling.
“Is this okay?” he asked, his blazing blue eyes lingering on my face.
“Yes. Please, Matthew,” I begged, needing more of everything he was giving me.
He pulled his fingers out a bit, my body naturally trying to suck them back in. Then he thrust once more, pulling them out and pushing them back in, in a rhythm that had my toes curling into the wood flooring beneath my feet. His thumb glided over my clit sending a jolt of sensation through me until I began to shiver.
“I love seeing you like this,” he breathed. “Look at you. You like having my fingers inside you, don’t you, Red?”
I nodded, wishing I could speak over the heavy breaths that pushed from my body.
“Say it, Shannon. Tell me you like it.”
He fucked me with his fingers faster, pushing me toward the brink and holding me over the edge.
“I-I-I do,” I stuttered. “I like it so much.”
Just as I was about to fall over the edge, he stopped, pulling his fingers from my body. He grabbed my hand, pulling me into the living room and laying me back onto the couch I’d slept on before.
He ripped his shirt over his head and pushed his pants and boxers down until he was kicking them off. He was glorious. His body large and bronze with beautiful tattoos and muscled in all the right places. There were cuts and dips forming paths I knew I wanted to explore with my fingertips.
He moved between my legs, slid a condom over his length, and gripped himself, running the head of his cock between my folds. “If you like my fingers, you’re going to love this,” he said.
Then he moved forward, resting his elbows on the couch at the sides of my head and pressing his hips forward.
“Okay?” he asked once more.
I nodded, biting my lip to keep from begging.
With one quick thrust, he filled me, and I moaned in pleasure, loving the fullness of having him deep within me.
I never knew it could be like that. I never knew I would want someone inside me so badly it ached.
He moved, his body digging deeper and deeper into me with each thrust of his hips. I had never felt anything so amazing. It was nothing like before. There was a glide to each thrust, and my body accepted him, welcoming him inside and allowing him to touch every nerve ending in my body.
“You feel amazing,” he muttered, kissing me between thrusts.
My body climbed higher and higher, reaching for the ultimate pleasure. My toes curled into the couch, and my breaths came in short, loud bursts.
“Come on, baby. That’s it,” Matthew urged.
And then I was dangling over the edge again, waiting for him to push me into oblivion. Leaning back, he cupped my ass cheeks, lifting me until he was touching a new spot within me.
I fell, plummeting over the side and taking him with me. I yelled out, my body splintering into a million pieces and showering over him. I clenched my eyes closed, experiencing something I never had before and marking my memory with the glory of an amazing orgasm.
His voice slid over me as he called my name over and over again, releasing himself inside me and filling me deep with his wet heat until he was spent. He paused above me, pressed inside with everything he was, and then his body relaxed as he fell on top of me.
He buried his face in the side of my neck, his hot breaths panting against my skin as we both came down from our rush. I stared at the beautiful ceiling above me while his body rested on top of mine. My eyes glided over the history of his house and its intricate carvings, and I imagined myself carving out my own historical moment in that room. One where the old me died and a new Shannon was born.
Matthew had pushed me past my memories and gave me new ones. And when I snuggled into his side and slowly began to doze off, I did so feeling safe and loved in the arms of a man I trusted.