“You’re holding back,” she says, placing her hand over my heart. “Don’t.”
“It’s been a long time for me. If I let go, I’m not going to last.”
“I don’t need you to fuck me for a long time, I just need you to be with me fully when you do.”
“I’m with you. Fully.” Dropping to my elbows, I cradle her head between my hands and thrust deeper. Harder. Faster.
Each stroke elicits a gasped exhalation, followed by a throaty moan as I grind and rock against her clit.
Claim. Cherish. Submit. The words roar in my head. Not the adamant inner voice. These are rutting words. Mating words.
“Grüsh.” Writhing and panting, her cunt clenches around my cock as she comes.
With a gravelly moan, I follow her over, rutting her hard and deep and relentlessly as I pump her full of my cum.
“God,god…” she cries out, her nails digging into my butt, holding me deep in her tight cunt as she bucks against me through another climax that milks more cum from my instinctually thrusting cock. Her moans and cries and panted breaths give way to a soft laugh and whispered “wow” as her muscles go pliant, triggering my rut to end.
I slip from her spent body, her breath catching when I’ve withdrawn completely. “Did I hurt you?”
“No, but we sure made a mess on the upholstery.”
The sight of my cum oozing from her pussy pulls a proud hum from deep in my chest. And stirs my cock to thicken and rise.
“I remember that sound.” Smiling up at me, her hair moves like golden waves as she shakes her head. “You might be ready to go again, but my body is out of practice and needs some recovery time.”
Meaning she doesn’t want this to have been aone more for old time’s sakefuck. A good sign. Still, something is on her mind. Her tells haven’t changed in the years I’ve been away.
“I would never place expectations on you, if that is what’s causing your lips to twitch and the creases to deepen between your eyebrows.”
She huffs a small laugh. “Being six years older than the last time you saw me is why the creases have deepened.”
I am not the only one who uses deflection to avoid giving a truthful answer. I know her as well as I know myself, and pushing her to reveal her thoughts could result in the opposite. “You are as beautiful now as the day we met, Cate.”
“Thank you. And thank you for not holding back with me.”
“I know now that holding back with you is not possible.” The bench seat isn’t wide enough to lie beside her, so I gather her into my arms and settle her on my lap. “I regret that it took me so long to understand and welcome that truth.”
Her hand stills its soft ministrations along my ear, emotions swirling in her eyes as she looks into my eyes. But she doesn’t question the meaning of my statements. She simply waits.
If this is to go further, the next step has to be mine. A beat goes by, but the inner voice that hasn’t relented in my time away remains silent. No urging, no advice.
Because I no longer need to hear it.
Chapter Nine
CATE
Whatever Grüsh was about to say is interrupted by my phone ringing from the pocket of my discarded pants.
“That’s Hope’s ringtone. Why is she calling in the middle of the night?” Scrambling off his lap, I dig the phone free and bring it to my ear. “Hi, is everything okay?”
“Cate, it’s Ogram. I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour. Hope went into labor a few hours ago, and now they’re prepping her for an emergency cesarean section. She’s asking for you before they take her in.”
“Of course. I’m leaving now. I’ll be there in ten minutes,” I say, stabbing the end-call button.
“What happened?” Grüsh says as I toss my phone onto the nearest table before hurrying to dress.
“The baby is coming via C-section and Hope wants me there before going into surgery.” Stuffing my phone into my back pocket, I turn to kiss him goodbye, but he’s already on his feet, pulling on his clothes.
