Beth was a quivering mess of desire, and Ken was barely holding himself back. The wildness wanted to take control, to fuck rather than make love, but love was what they needed. Love was what would heal them.
Without another word, Ken positioned himself between her thighs and pushed his cock deep inside her wetness. They both gasped at the feeling of being connected so intimately, their bodies made into one.
"Oh, Ken," Beth moaned breathily. "Ken, please, I need more. Oh, you're so big."
He could feel her inner walls stretching to accommodate his size, and for a moment, he worried that he was hurting her. "Are you okay?"
If she hadn't had sex in a long time, could it be comfortable, even after he'd worked so hard to prepare her? But she was so slick that he slid all the way inside easily, and though he went slow at first, Beth rocked against him in a rhythm that their bodies remembered even when they'd forgotten.
"Yes, more," she sighed. "That feels so good. Oh, shit. Ken ... Ken!"
They moved together perfectly, their bodies and minds soaring high in clouds of lust. There were so many things he wanted to relearn with Beth by his side. He wanted to rediscover what forced her to make those small, high-pitched moans.
Or what kinds of thrusts had her clawing at his back, lost to the animal inside of her. He experimented with each slow movement until he found the rhythm she seemed to be enjoying the most. Then he thrust into her deeper, harder, and Beth's cries grew louder, her body shaking with pleasure. She braced herself against him, nails slicing into his shoulders. He didn't care. The dull pain only added to the pleasure.
As their lovemaking came to a head, the sheets became tangled around their bodies. They writhed in ecstasy, their bodies slapping together in a sweaty, blissful mess.
It was as though Ken had floated beyond his body; he existed in an aura of love and lust, his soul intertwined with Beth's for the first time in so long. Everything went hazy and white, and he couldn't see a thing, but he knew in his soul that this wasright. That by being together, the mate bond they'd all but lost would come together again.
Beth's body kept him stable, anchored him to the world he needed to be in. To be with her. Then all at once, the world shattered around Ken. Their mate bond reforged in a slap of heat and electricity, and the suddenness sent him falling back into himself. Thunder crashed through him, and in one final thrust, his climax came. Fire blazed up and down as he squeezed Beth tight against him. He couldn't let her go. Wouldn't. Never again, would they be apart.
Beth tightened around him, pulsing with heat and lust as she, too, exploded into the abyss of lust. They gasped for breath and clung desperately to each other, unable to breathe another word.
"Ken," Beth gasped breathlessly as she came back to herself. "That was ... wow."
"Yeah," Ken agreed, collapsing beside her and pulling her into his arms. "Just ... wow."
They laughed and stretched out, just enjoying the heat of their bodies, the rush of emotion leftover from their intimacy. Lying there on the bed together afterward, heart pounding from excitement and exertion, Ken knew that this was where he belonged: wrapped up in the arms of the woman he loved more than anything else in this world. And no matter what challenges life threw at them next, nothing would ever tear him away from her again.
Chapter 8 - Beth
Morning came slowly, like a reluctant guest. Golden light seeped through the curtains, and it was easily the most beautiful morning Beth had ever woken to. Warmth enveloped her, radiating from the powerful muscles of Ken's arms as he held her, even in sleep, as though he couldn't stand for there to be the slightest distance between them.
She sighed with joy, snuggling closer to Ken. Her face rested on his defined shoulder, her nose pressed to the taut cords of his neck. She had memories of waking up with him like this—the glow of after sex, extended until a lazy morning they spent in bed together—but none of those memories compared to the real thing. Or being able to experience it for herself for whatfeltlike the first time, simply because time had gotten away from them both.
Ken stirred beside her, his shimmering, emerald eyes filled with so much love and adoration it made Beth's heart ache. What a change from the man who'd looked at her with such hate less than two days ago.
"Good morning," he murmured, almost as slur, as if he was drunk on sleep, and on her.
"Good morning," Beth replied, smiling up at him. Her heart fluttered as though she were a teenager again, not a middle-aged woman with a daughter. How did love make her feel so young again?
Ken grinned and brushed his nose against hers in a gentle nose kiss before claiming her lips in a deep, searching kiss. She sighed into his mouth and relaxed against him. It was long and languid, a morning kiss that held all the promise of an amazing day together, an amazing life. When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathless.
"I could get used to this," Ken said, his eyes filled with humor. His hands roamed down her back, searching the curves of her body for something more. "I haven't slept that well in years."
Beth's heart swelled and she pressed her forehead to Ken's, overcome with emotion. "I love you," she whispered.
Ken's eyes widened fractionally, but he didn't say anything.
Heat burned up her cheeks. "I—I'm sorry," she blathered. "I know it's been a while for you, but for me, it's almost like we were together only a few days ago. I—I forgot."
He stared at her for a long moment before his arms tightened around her and he buried his face in her hair. She smelled of sex and vanilla, and he breathed her in greedily. "It's okay, you don't have to apologize," he finally whispered. "I love you too. I've loved you since the first day we met, and even in the years you were gone."
Relief flooded Beth's system. She hadn't realized how much she'd needed to hear those words until they came out of Ken's mouth. Such a simple reassurance that changed everything about her life. The entire trajectory. If he loved her, then he forgave her. They could move past the magic that had ripped them in half, leaving them both lost and wandering for years. They could find their way again, together, pushing beyond the darkness to create the life they'd always dreamed of together.
A home, a life, a family.
Beth's heart squeezed, and she leaned in to kiss Ken again. They were both smiling when their lips met, the rest of the world fading away as the future stretched out before them, full of endless possibilities and wonders. Ken's hands roamed farther, cupping her ass and pulling her against his hardness. His cock pressed against her stomach, igniting memories embedded deep in her body. The way he'd filled her up last night, kissing every part of her with such love and adoration, she could have died happy.