I want him so bad.
All of him—all the time.
“Please?” I whimper.
At my words, I watch his eyes turn a shade darker, then he slips his finger into me all the way.
My back arches, and a loud moan roars from my throat. I grab onto his shoulders, suddenly needing the support. My eyes want to close, but I force them to stay open. I want to see Hero. I want to see him for every moment of this. He keeps thrusting in and out of me while keeping pressure on my clit with his thumb.
I feel like I’m burning up from the inside out. Every fiber in my body is scorching, the flames burning me alive. I’m panting and moaning so loudly, I briefly wonder about the neighbors hearing me.
Hero stares back at me like I’m the only person in the whole world, and I wish nothing more than for him to always look at me this way.
The pressure deep inside me keeps building and building and I come to a point where I can’t keep my eyes open any longer. They squeeze shut as the sensations overwhelm my body. Waves of pleasure drown me, consume me, leaving me behind like a jellyfish washed up on the beach.
I lean forward, resting my clammy forehead against Hero’s as the last tremors run their course throughout my body. I sink blissfully into his warmth, his entire body encompassing mine. I try to open my eyes again, but the stupid things won’t work. I feel comfortable and tired, so damn tired.
Hours, or maybe even minutes tick by, and I’m faintly aware of Hero picking me up and carrying me somewhere.
My head falls into the softness of the pillow, and his manly scent washes over me as he places me on the bed.
He covers me with a blanket, his lips pressing faintly against my forehead. I want to ask him to stay, but I’m too far gone. Half my brain is already asleep, and in the next instant, so is the other half.
Sometime in the middle of the night, I wake up. The room is dark, and it takes me a moment to regain my bearings.
I frown. I’m in Hero’s bed, but it feels wrong without him here. The room is empty and cold, and I feel alone, so alone.
Remembering how he carried me to bed last night, I almost kick myself for being too tired to make him stay, or at least try to.
I throw the covers back, uncovering my legs, quickly realizing I’m bare from the belly down. Ugh, he must not have wanted to disturb me. Sneaking out into the living room on tiptoes, I grab my pajamas from the floor and slip them on.
Hero is laying on the couch, his eyes pinched closed, his breathing even.
I can’t help but stand there like a stalker and watch him sleep. The only light in the room shines in through the window, and though it’s a small sliver, it’s enough for me to make out his well-defined chest as it rises and falls in an even rhythm.
I nibble on my bottom lip, quietly shuffling back and forth on my feet. My eyes never leave his sleeping form.
I wonder if I could lie down without him waking up. I know he said it couldn’t happen again, this whole sleeping together thing, but I need him. I need his touch, his warmth. Holding my breath, I crawl on top of him as gently and quietly as possible, just as I did the night before.
He stirs slightly, and I freeze, my muscles tensing, the air in my lungs stilling. I hear him mumble something in his sleep, but can’t make out what he’s saying.
Once I’m sure he’s back in a deep sleep, I lay my head down all the way, until my cheek is pressed flat against his chest.
My eyes close at the calming sound of his beating heart. I take a deep, slow breath. The mixture of Hero’s shower gel and his own unique scent rushes through my nose, filling in the final missing piece.
This is it. I’m home.
Chapter Fifteen
Hero
I don’t dream often, and when I do, it’s mostly nightmares about the night I took my stepfather’s life. Not tonight, though. Tonight, I’m dreaming about my sweet Elyse. In my dream, we’re happy and worry-free, holding hands, kissing, laughing…
We’re together.
We are outside, walking on a sunny day. The air is sticky. Her hair shimmers golden in the sunlight, and her skin glows with happiness. I tell a joke, making her giggle, and can’t help but pull her into my arms and hold her tightly to my chest. Closing my eyes, I bury my face into the crook of her neck and breathe her essence in. Her flowery smelling hair tickles my nose as I do.
When I open my eyes again, her giggles have vanished, and the sunny outdoor scenery is replaced with the dull backdrop of my living room ceiling.