Past her hips, her thighs, her knees, her ankles. Drop them off the side of the pallet. She's watching me. Both hands fisted in the bedding.
I look at her. All of her.
"Keer—"
"Wait."
The soft curve of her stomach and the freckles on her thighs.
She's smiling again.
I move up her body, settle between her thighs, brace myself on my elbows over her. My weight off her but everywhere. Chest above hers. Hips between hers. Mouth at her ear.
"I'm going to taste you."
She makes a sound.
"Spread your legs for me, Melori."
She does. Slow. Watching me.
"My girl."
I move down.
Then I'm there. Between her thighs. Her smell everywhere—wet and warm and Mel—and I press a kiss to the inside of her thigh first, soft, then the other thigh, and she's already shaking, already trembling—
I lower my mouth to her.
She makes a sound I'll think about for the rest of my life. High. Broken. Surprised. Her hand goes to my hair and pulls and I groan against her and the vibration makes her thighs lock around my head.
"Sorry—sorry—"
I push her thighs back open. Hold them open. Eye on her.
"Don't be sorry. Strangle me with those gorgeous thighs all you want. Move how you want. I want to feel it."
I work her with my mouth. Slow. Tasting her. Learning her. Finding what makes her sound break. What makes her hips chase me. What makes her fingers go tight in my hair. Her thighs shaking around my ears. Her breath broken pieces of my name.
She breaks.
Sharp and sudden—her body curving up off the pallet, my name cracking out of her throat, her hands fisted in my hair pulling hard enough to sting, her thighs locked around my head and her hips rolling against my mouth as the wave goes through her. I work her through it. Slower as the shaking eases. Gentle. Until she's twitching and her hand is pushing weakly at my forehead and she's laughing—actually laughing, breathless and dazed.
"Oh my—wow, that's—that was—"
I pull back. Wipe my mouth on my forearm. Look up ather.
"That's one."
She's flushed all the way to her chest. Hair stuck to her temple. Eyes glazed.
"What—"
"You heard me."
"Keer—"
"Come here."
