Maritzia gave him an accusing glare and he rushedto explain.
"I swear it, baby, I looked at your videosof you doing so well in college basketball. I talked to you nearly every twoweeks, not to mention your brothers. Everything in your life seemed so…puttogether. I thought that maybe you had gotten over your crush on me. And Ifigured I would make myself do the same. Please, baby, I fucked up." Therewas a naked desperation in Cade's voice she had never heard before. The cagehis arms made around her shook with the need to grasp her tightly to him. Sheknew he wanted to hold her and not let her go until she understood him.
"I can’t really justify it more thanthat," Cade groaned, dropping his forehead to the top of her breasts."I knew I fucked up the moment I came back and saw your face. I lived inhell for years with Bethany and watched you give yourself to Victor. Sweetheart,I fucked everything up and paid for it twice over. Please, baby, give me achance to make it up to you."
She could feel his hand flatten against themiddle of her back, her loose-fitting pajama tank-top offering littleprotection from the heat of his long-calloused fingers. Silently, his eyespleaded for her understanding, begging her to forgive.
They had both been fools. In love with oneanother but too wrapped up in their doubts and fears to make the first move. Ifonly she had told him how she felt during one of those many phone calls. Couldshe have prevented their years of heartache with other people? Thoughts of whatif threatened to overflow in her head. What if she had been bolder before heleft for the military? What if she had ignored Bethany's presence and simplytold Cade he was breaking her heart? But what-ifs had no value. Looking intohis dark honey eyes she focused on what was in front of her here and now.
"I love you," she whispered.
Cade let out a deep groaning breath and held her tighter."Oh God, I don’t deserve it but I'll take it. I'll take all of it,sweetheart. I have loved you for so goddamn long."
Cupping his face in both hands, she marveled atthe texture of his barely-there beard underneath her fingers. Rubbing her fingersback and forth she relished in the feel of him. Touching him was no longer anoff-limits thought, he was here in her bed right now and he loved her. Tiltingher head to meet his, she pressed her lips against his. The soft warmth of hispressing itself into every memory nerve in her brain so that she could alwayshave this feeling.
Allowing her to guide and take control, Cademoved his lips in time with hers parting them as she tentatively licked theseam of his lips. His body felt like hot iron around her as he groaned into thecontact of their tongues. Maritzia smiled and pulled back noting the impatientgrowl in his chest. Opening his heavily lidded eyes to look at her she couldsee something carnal and needful pass through them.
Letting her weight fall to the side she smiled asCade followed her motion, seamlessly turning himself until she was on her backand he was braced above her, one hand planted on either side of her head.Lacing her fingers around his neck she didn't have to pull hard for him to meether lips again. With a greedy hunger, he covered his mouth over hers. She feltthe warm heavy heat of his hips dropping into the cradle of her open thighs ashis thumb pulled gently at her chin silently coaxing her to open her mouthwider, to let him in deeper. She happily complied. Greedy, slow, hot, and hisdemanding mouth worked over hers. His tongue tasting hers further and furtheruntil he elicited tiny little moans from her as she desperately tried to keepup with the ever-rising tide of his love.
"Cade," she whimpered as she felt hiships begin to rock into hers.
The undeniable press of his hard length into thesoft juncture of her thighs was driving her crazy. Back and forth she couldfeel the stiff column of arousal demanding her attention as he moved. The oncesoft cotton of her pajama shorts and panties were damp with her need and shecouldn’t stop herself from giving out a little cry of need as he bit her bottomlip.
"Sweet Christ," Cade rumbled above her.Placing nipping bites along her neck followed by soothing kisses, Cade's bodyseemed to tremble with pent-up need beneath her hands.
Spreading her legs wider, she grasped at hisshoulders and gave him a pleading look. "Please, Cade."
Pain etched across his face as he took in herexpression and Cade dropped his face to her bare stomach where her tank top hadridden up and let out a deep strangled sound.
"Sweetheart, I told myself I would do thisright." His muffled words were half beseeching plea and half moan.
Confused and far too impatient to try andunderstand, she wrapped her legs around his hips, enjoying his muffled curse inresponse.
"I'm serious," he murmured, pushinghimself up. The thick muscles in his arms bulged as he pushed his torso up andaway from her. Cade gave her a pained look. "I want to do this right. Idon’t want to make love to you for the first time right after any sort ofargument. I love you so much, I want it to be perfect. We have all the time inthe world, Sunshine. Let's do it right."
And though it wasn't a question she could see thewaiting watchfulness in Cade's eyes. Surrounded by the pain of lust denied, Maritziacould see the need in his eyes for her to accept his strange logic.
"But I want you now," she pouted in asmall voice.
Sitting back onto his knees Cade made an agonizedsound in the back of his throat as he scrubbed his face with both hands."Fucking hell, Ritzy baby, you think I don’t? I think I just came in mygoddamn pants and I'm still hard as a fuck."
Sitting up onto her elbows, she looked from theoutline of his arousal in his thin gray pajama pants and back up to histortured expression. "Then why don't we just-"
"Because I don't want there to be anyregrets later," he cut her off. Climbing back up over her body he gave hera hard quick kiss on the lips before laying down beside her, keeping one armpossessively draped over her body, forcing her to turn into him. Face to facehe stared directly into her eyes. "I just don’t want to fuck this up byrushing things."
The last thing they were doing was rushingthings, but she kept that thought to herself. Despite being stillexcruciatingly aroused she nodded her head and gave him a smile.
"Fine, but just how long is thisdoing itright thinggoing to last?"
Burying his face into her neck, Cade let out aragged sounding sigh. "The way my dick is feeling and the way thatinfernal body spray of yours is smelling…I honestly don’t know."
When she didn’t say anything, Cade turned andlooked up at the pout she was giving him and groaned.
"Don’t give me that look, Sunshine," hegroused as he pulled her close and tucked her beneath his chin. "I'm theone going to sleep with a giant boner that just might kill me due to some sortof blood clot aneurysm. Go to sleep."
Unable to keep herself from smiling, she placed akiss on his neck and listened to his responding grunt before closing her eyes.
*
