The rhythm between them grew rough, raw—nothing careful, nothing restrained. Only hunger, only the shuddering build of release as she drove herself higher, chasing the edge until it broke over her in a wave that left her shaking and clinging to him, her cry muffled against his neck.
He crushed her close, his breath tearing ragged from his lungs, holding her as if the world outside those drawn curtains no longer existed.
She collapsed against him, chest heaving, her skin stuck to his with the heat of what they'd just done. For a long moment, the only sound was their ragged, uneven breaths, like they'd outrun the world to land here.
Then, her eyes flicked to the door. In her mind, she imagined David barging in or the neighbours.
"Oh God," she groaned, covering her face with her hands. "The front door isn't even locked."
He chuckled low in his throat, still catching his breath. "Aye, well, anyone comin' in would've got an education."
She peeked through her fingers, then glanced down at the tangle of sheets beneath them. "At least we didn't ruin the sofa."
His head snapped towards her, disbelief and a wicked grin colliding on his face. "That's it? That's all ye've got tae say? After I just gave ye the best orgasm of your life, woman?"
Her lips twitched, fighting a smile. "Well...the sofa was new."
He groaned, dramatic and exasperated, pulling her tighter against him. "Ye're no good for my ego, lass."
Sage slid away from him to walk to the door. She felt ridiculous because she was no siren, but she could feel the burn of his eyes on her arse. She turned back and leaned against the doorframe, heart drumming, courage rising like a dare. "So, do you want to...christen the bed?" she asked, her invitation clear.
Euan's grin was instant, wicked and warm all at once. "You really have to ask?"
Before she could second-guess herself, he scooped her up in a fireman's lift. "Euan!" she squealed, holding on for dear life as he carried her towards the master bedroom after taking the stairs in a run, ”you are going to throw your back”.
“I have been training for this moment since I met you,” he joked as he strode in.
"What am I doing?" she laughed nervously.
"Oh, I could give ye a few suggestions on what I would like ye to do," he teased, his voice deliciously rough.
She peeked at him through her fingers, suddenly shy. "I...want to see you," she admitted softly, but faltered. "But maybe...could we turn out the lights?"
"Not a chance," he murmured, setting her gently on the bed. His gaze burned in the half-dark room. "I've waited too long to hide from this."
Chapter 41
Upstairs, with the unfamiliar creaks of the new house around them, they slowed down. The frantic urgency had melted into something more careful. Euan's lips traced the slope of her shoulder, his hands mapping the curves she kept trying to shield.
He caught her wrists gently, pinning them to the mattress as his gaze met hers. "Why are ye hidin' from me, Sage?" he asked, voice low but rough, edged with sincerity.
Her thoughts tangled, breath catching as heat rushed to her cheeks. "I'm not... I mean, it's just...my boobs are too big, and I've got stretch marks, and my belly isn't—"
The words tumbled out in a rush, each one more fragile than the last."So, ye'r tellin' me you tick all the boxes, and I shouldn't be complainin'? Big boobs, tick. A little meat on ye'r bones; what's not ta like? Battle scars, sexy," replied Euan, ticking fingers off. "Here are a few of mine. I can get grumpy as hell, I have a scar on my face after a bike accident—it’s under the beard—and I am likely to get a little soft myself if you keep feeding me like this."
Euan's mouth curved in a tender smile. He leaned down, pressing a kiss just below her ribcage. "Christ, woman. Ye think I see flaws? All I see is you. And I've been dreamin' of you for months."
Sage gave him a look that was equal parts exasperated and fond. "You're ridiculous, you know that? You'll give yourself a disc prolapse hauling me up the stairs like that."
Euan only grinned. "I like to live dangerously."
She rolled her eyes and gave his backside a swat, meaning it as a joke, but her hand lingered, smoothing over the firm curve before she realised what she was doing. Her eyes went wide. "Wow. That's just...muscle. Mine wobbles."
He barked out a laugh, catching her wrist before she could pull away. "Does it now? Let me check again." With one swift tug, he pulled her flush against him, his big hands bracketing her hips before sliding lower, squeezing one butt cheek, then the other.
"Hmm." He tilted his head, lips twitching in mock seriousness. "Just comparing."
She gasped, half-scandalised, half-delighted, until he murmured wickedly in her ear, "Aye...but I'll need tae do this again. Together this time."
