"Bedroom," she manages between kisses. "Now."
I lift her, her legs wrapping around my waist instinctively. We've done this dance before, but it never gets old—the feel of her against me, the way she clings to my shoulders, her lips never leaving mine as I navigate the familiar path to my room.
I fumble with the door handle but after a couple of seconds and Violet’s giggles, I pry it open, dim lights enveloping us, mixing with the gray light filtering through rain-streaked windows. Violet's hands are everywhere—sliding over my chest as she pushes my shirt off completely, tracing the tattoos thatwind across my arms and neck, tangling in my hair to direct my mouth where she wants it.
"See?" she breathes as I lower her onto the bed. "Much better in moody lighting."
I laugh against her collarbone. "Keep teasing, Colton. See where it gets you."
"Where will it get me?" The question sends heat coursing through me.
I pull back just enough to look down at her—curls spread across my pillow, blouse half-unbuttoned, skirt rucked up around her thighs. Mine. At least for now. My heart squeezes painfully in my chest.
"Everywhere," I promise, both answer and vow as I lower myself to her again. "Absolutely everywhere you want."
Chapter 11
This is Worship
William
The lights cut out with a decisive click.
"Shit," I mutter against Violet's neck. The sudden darkness is absolute, complete.
"Power outage?" She sounds different in the dark—closer somehow, more intimate.
"Storm must have knocked down a line."
I shift my weight, careful not to crush her beneath me. Without sight, every other sense sharpens instantly. The scent of her perfume fills my nostrils, the silk of her blouse whispering against my skin as she moves.
A flash of lightning momentarily illuminates the room, painting Violet's face in stark white light before plunging us back into darkness. I catch the gleam of her eyes, the curve of her smile.
"I should have candles somewhere."
"Don't you dare move," she commands, legs tightening around my waist. Her hand finds my face in the darkness, thumb brushing over my lips. "I like this."
The rain intensifies, drumming against the windows like impatient fingers. Another lightning flash, closer this time, followed almost immediately by a crack of thunder that rattles the old farmhouse windows.
Violet stills her hands momentarily. Darkness shrouds her features, hiding her reaction. The vulnerability is terrifying. Exhilarating.
I kiss her deeply, pouring everything I can't say into the pressure of my lips against hers. Managing to find the remaining buttons of her blouse, I work them free by touch alone. The silk parts beneath my fingers reveal warm skin. I trace the contours of her body, memorizing every curve, every dip, every place that makes her breath catch.
"You're trembling," I whisper, the subtle quiver beneath her skin proof of her own vulnerability.
"Am I?" She sounds surprised, unguarded in a way she rarely allows herself to be.
The clasp of her bra was easy to find, and I swiftly unhook it. I slide the straps down her arms, tossing it aside. In the darkness, her breasts fit perfectly in my hands, thumbs circling her nipples until they harden under my touch. Her sharp gasp is music to my ears.
"Beautiful," I murmur, lowering my head to replace fingers with lips. "So fucking beautiful."
"You can't even see me," she points out, voice hitching as I take one nipple between my teeth.
"Don't need to." I trace the underside of her breast with my tongue. "I know every inch of you. Could map you blindfolded."
Her laugh dissolves into a moan as I suck harder. Her fingers tangle in my hair, holding me against her. The storm providesa soundtrack to our movements—thunder rolling as I work my way down her body, lightning flashing as I pull her skirt down around her ankles.
The scent of her arousal makes my mouth water. I trail her inner thigh with my tongue, moving slowly upward.
