I kiss her… hard. With all the promise and hope I can muster. And Tessa melts into me, parting her lips before I can even ask for permission.
Her acceptance—or concession—lights a fire in my soul.
I fall back beside her, gripping her leg and hiking it up so it's curled around my hip. Tess whimpers the sweetest sound when the move brings her close enough to feel how much I need her.
She moves her hands to my shoulders, and when I drag her bottom lip between my teeth, she tightens her hold on the tender muscle. I growl into her as I slide my hand between her and the couch and pull her onto my lap in one swift motion.
She rocks into me, rolling her hips as I drag my fingertips down the length of her back, and I separate our kiss only enough to fill my lungs.
"Ruthie," Tess breathes when we part briefly.
I shake my head. "That girl sleeps like a rock." I dip back in, but she doesn't meet me. Instead, her gaze drifts somewhere just past my face.
"But you're sure she'd be okay with this—us?"
My eyes dance between hers, my whole body crawling for her—my palms that run up her thighs, that sensitive skin behind my ear where her fingertips are pressed, that ache between my legs begging for more.
But it's deeper than that.
The way Tess is with Ruthie has always ignited me—how she cares for her so genuinely and how comfortable they are together. But in this moment, when she's desperate and needy, her legs squeezing tightly around mine, her nipples peaked beneath her shirt, her mind reeling over us and what this means and how it plays out… she still manages to put my daughter first.
And that causes everythinginsideof me to glow for her too.
"Positive."
She nods quickly as if that one word is enough to free her from the worry, then finally, she puts her lips back on mine. I palm her ass, my cock twitching between us, and in response, Tess swirls her hips slowly, rhythmically, over my length. I match her motion, the leggings she's wearing and the thin joggers I have on, not enough to stop me from feeling the way I slide perfectly up her center.
Our bodies meet, brush after brush, with her flawless form—and the weight of wanting her—pressing hard against me. The hem of her shirt falls away from her skin, the loose fabric opening enough to make room for my hands. I glide my palms up both sides of her ribs, hooking my thumbs under her bare breasts.
"Fuck, Tess." My voice comes out faint as I hold her full, heavy chest in my hands.
"Liam…" she whispers desperately when I roll her two sensitive peaks between my fingers. She settles more of her weight on her knees as she grinds over me.
We're both eager as she rocks relentlessly, my cock harder than it's ever been as if it remembers exactly what it feels like to find its release withher. She kisses me—messy in the best way—and I react by applying more pressure on her nipples.
She pulls back, gasping, a moan seeping through her lips that shoots straight to the point of friction between us. I get lost for a second in the way her eyes flutter closed, in how much I want to see her fall apart—only to be yanked back to the present by a tightening knot in my stomach.
"Tess," I grind out, hating myself instantly for interrupting the moment.
She slows her pace, searching my face until she stops completely. "What's wrong?" she pants.
I move my hands, gripping her legs as my hips press up into her, still looking for that pressure. "Nothing's wrong," I breathe. "If anything, it's too fucking right."
She runs her hand through my hair, and I suck in a breath. "Not slow enough?" she asks.
I shake my head, running my palms up toward her hips. "No… too slow." I dip one thumb between her thighs. "Jesus," I groan. Her leggings are soaked, and my mouth waters at the memory of what she tastes like this wet for me.
Tessa hums and drops her forearms on the cushion behind me.
"I want more than this," I admit, our foreheads touching. "But when I finally get to have you—reallyhave you… I don't want my kid upstairs sleeping."
She exhales a laugh, nodding her head against mine. "I know," she says, her eyes squeezing shut as if the confession is painful on its way out. "I know, me too."
I kiss her softly, and she melts into me, but when she sucks my bottom lip between her teeth—the tenderness snaps.
My hands dive back under her shirt as I slam my lips to hers. I roll my tongue over hers, squeezing her gently as I deepen the kiss. When we separate, she yanks my sweatshirt over my head.
I instantly reach for my undershirt next. For a brief second, all I see is white, but once it's off and tossed beside me, I watch Tess's eyes trail down my chest. They make their way to the bulge in my joggers, and she licks her lips.
