We agreed to operate under a veil of secrecy. If that’s not sustainable, where does that leave us?
Alaric climbs into the tub, and once he’s seated, I move back, positioning myself between his legs. The water is precariously close to the edge now, but I love being submerged and simultaneously wrapped up in his arms.
“Lean back.” He encircles my waist and positions me so I’m sitting on his lap, my back flush against his chest with his erect cock lined up along my center.
With his fingers laced with mine, he glides our joined hands up and down my sternum, then draws circles on my stomach. He keeps a slow, soothing rhythm as he strokes my skin, leaving no part of me untouched. Everywhere he grazes feels good and solid and warm, wiping away all the heartache and stress from the day.
Every touch inspires a sense of reassurance, every caress restorative.
I tip my head back and meet his gaze. “What do you need right now?”
He’s always so quick to tend to my needs, but we both suffered today, and I don’t even know what went down between him and Luca after the event was over.
He nuzzles into my neck, the scruff from his five-o’clock shadow grating against my skin in a way that both tickles and turns me on.
“I just need to hold you. To know that you’re in my arms. That when we’re together like this, I can provide the comfort and solace you need.”
I hum, eyes closing. It’s so like him to turn the offer back on me. I believe him, though. Wholeheartedly. I’ve learned over the last few weeks that Alaric really does revel in taking care of me, in small ways and with grand gestures.
Sighing, I turn my head and rest my cheek on his pec. “You’re sure there’s nothing I can do for you?”
He tightens his hold, and his lips find my forehead. “My sole purpose is to be a safe place for you to land tonight. If you need to scream, scream at me. If you need to sob, because what happened this morning was utter bullshit, I’ll catch every tear. If you need to throw something at my head or curse me out for creating such a despicable human, I’ll stand still and take it all.”
I twist around, hating the reminders of those few moments on stage. When our gazes collide, I’m met with harrowing remorse.
“No amount of apologizing or groveling can counteract what you endured today. Let me be your sounding board and the safe place for you to process.”
I swallow thickly, emotion clogging my throat.
“I don’t think I’m worth all this trouble,” I confess.
Water sloshes as he catches my chin and scowls. “Don’t you dare talk about the woman I lov?—”
He cuts himself off, but it’s too late. I heard it. I see it in the way he looks at me; feel it in his every touch. We’ve never exchanged those words before, and yet it was right there, on the tip of his tongue.
I feel like I’m toppling over the side of a cliff. Breathless wonder and all-encompassing disorientation encircle us as we stare at each other and I silently beg for him to finish that thought.
He doesn’t.
In a gentler tone, he says, “You’re wortheverything. Never doubt how much you mean to me or what I’ll do to ensure your happiness.”
The trajectory of this conversation is overwhelming. Yet I need to be closer.
“Will you hold me?” I ask, turning in his arms.
“Always.” He adjusts my legs by hooking them around his hips. Then he pulls me flush against his chest. Stroking up and down my back, he comforts me in a way that quiets the noise in my head and eases the trembling in my limbs.
Today really was awful. This has gotten messy. But there’s solace in knowing Alaric isn’t questioning what we have.
I’m not questioning us either. If anything, today only solidified my desire to be with him, no matter the cost.
Luca’s unsolicited attack had the power to tear us apart. Instead, it brought us closer.
Awash with gratitude, I squeeze him tighter, then plant a kiss on his neck. He stretches to the side, offering me better access, and I respond on instinct, placing kiss after kiss on all the damp skin I can find.
I work my way to his Adam’s apple, more turned on with each second that passes, aching to feel him slide home.
Nudging his nose with mine, I murmur, “Will you fuck me, please?”
