When I lean away, he slides the ring on my finger. “It’s us now, Hadley. Forever. You got that, right?”
I blink away my tears. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
The happiness that reaches his expression does something crazy to my heart, as he seals his mouth over mine, gently guiding me into the kiss. Slowly and surely, he begins to deepen the kiss until he has me moving closer, nearly climbing onto his lap.
His heated chuckle brushes across me as he leans away. “I’ve got another surprise for you.”
“Do you?”
He gives me a big grin and rises, lacing his fingers with mine and tugging me forward, toward his glass dining room table. “Do you remember when we talked about going on a proper first date?”
I smile. “Yes, I remember you being old-fashioned and saying to be a couple we needed a proper date.”
He drops my hand and gestures to the glass-topped table. “I think it’s time we do that, don’t you?”
“Ah…” I glance at the empty table, thinking if a dinner date was his plan, he definitely needed me to help him set a table properly. “Are we having dinner or something?”
“No, you’re not having dinner, I am.”
I glance sideways at him. “Okay, then, what are you having?”
“You.”
Chapter 22
Ryder
I allow myself the right to let Hadley tremble for a minute longer than I should, enjoying the way she’s breathy with desire. Day after day, month after month, she’d teased me. Now my only plan is to show her exactly what it means to be mine.
Not wasting any more time, I place the blindfold into my back pocket and step forward, grabbing the wireless vibrator off the kitchen counter, where I’d left it in preparation for tonight. Her eyes flare as I return to her and turn the vibrator on to high. I tuck my fingers into the waistband of her yoga pants, pulling them out to put the vibrator into her panties, leaving it there against her clit. She gives me a lovely, soft moan and I smile, letting go of her pants, ensuring the vibe is exactly where I want it. On her clit, warming her up.
Those
same heated eyes roll back in her head as I trail my fingers along her face, then seal my lips over hers. Careful of the stitches on the back of her head, I drag my fingers through the hair framing her face, then slide my touch down her neck, slowly enticing her to react under my touch, until her breath becomes heavy and fast.
It’s only when I have her right where I want her—aching for me in the way I ached for her—do I reach for the hem of her shirt and gently ease it over her head. I kiss her shoulder, unhooking her bra at the back, and slide my tongue along her collarbone to the other shoulder while I pull the fabric off her shoulders.
She shivers when I bring my lips back to hers. I delve my tongue into her mouth, exploring the ways she likes to be kissed, learning the ways she reacts. I can practically smell her desire in the air, and I definitely feel her ripe body, all curves and heat, against my hard planes.
Her moans become a singular sound of need as I reach inside her pants, take the vibrator out, and turn it off, placing it on the counter next to me. “More?” I turn and ask her.
“More,” she rasps.
With her sizzling eyes on mine, I grin at her and slide her yoga pants and panties down to her knees. Once she steps out of them, I take her hand.
“Come.”
She follows me as I lead her to my dining room table. There, I assist her until she’s lying on her back in the middle of the table. Perfectly laid out for me. I gaze upon her, this woman who dug her claws into me and never let go. Her back has a slight arch, her erect nipples pointing up to the ceiling. I drag my fingers along her body, introducing her to my touch this way. A touch that only belongs to a man determined to own a woman’s body for the moments she’ll allow him to.
Slowly, I make my way around to the end of the table, dragging my fingers gently along every inch of her beautiful body, causing her to wiggle and squirm under my touch. “Do you know how long I’ve waited to have you…just like this?”
She moans, and it’s the only answer I need. Because I get it; I’m overwhelmed by her, too. We’re unleashed in a way we haven’t been before.
When I reach her shoulder, I remove the blindfold from my back pocket and gently place it over her head until I’m sliding it down over her face, ensuring I stay far away from the stitches that are lower down on her head. Then I do what I ache to do: I lean down and kiss her mouth, licking my tongue across hers and sucking it into my mouth, tasting every little inch of her, until I’ve had my fill.
“Are you hurting at all?” I ask when I break the kiss.
“No.”