Mellie grips the hand cupping her face and closes her eyes, her lips parting slightly and fingers brushing over my skin.
I place my free hand on her other cheek, framing her face and leaning forward. With my forehead pressed against hers, I close my eyes as well, just breathing in her scent and letting her presence wash over me. She smells like lavender and vanilla, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever smelled. I want to bottle it up and put it on a shelf. Savor it forever.
“I’m really glad you’re here, Mel,” I whisper.
“I’m really glad you asked me here,” she whispers back. Her eyes open and we each tilt back, studying each other. “I’m sorry that it took me so long to see you. But I see you now.”
I let out a breath. “I’ve always seen you. You’reallI’ve ever been able to see.”
Mellie closes the distance between us, gently pressing her lips to mine. I slide my hands to the back of her head, winding intothe loose hair under her messy bun. With a tight grip, I pin her in place. A soft sigh parts her mouth open at the same time mine does, and I sweep in with my tongue, tasting her. Something clicks into place inside me, a missing piece of me that has been aching and empty, finally filled up to the brim and threatening to spill over. It started as a trickle at the waterfall, but here in my home, it’s a tsunami, threatening to consume me whole.
Her hands sink into my hair and she pulls me closer. I can taste the lingering flavor of icing on her mouth, and nothing has ever tasted sweeter to me in my entire life. Our tongues explore each others’ slowly, like we have all the time in the world.
And the best part is, we do.
The feeling intensifies as her hands roam over my body. Her soft touch travels down my biceps, coming to rest on my back and gripping me tightly.
I stand, wrapping her up in my arms. All I can think about is how I want, how Ineedher closer to me. Pulling back with a groan, I run my finger over Mellie’s mouth, her full, pink lips swollen from my own.
“Now, I’m gonna need you in my bed, because I believe I said it was your turn.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
RONIN
Mellie giggles as I reach down and wrap an arm under her knees, pulling her up to carry her into my bedroom. The lights are off, but I have a small salt lamp lit on my dresser and the room is cast in a light, rosy glow.
Standing next to my bed, I place her back on her feet. Mellie reaches up to take my glasses off of my face and places them on my nightstand. Her gaze is soft as she pulls me down to kiss her, our tongues entangling as our hands roam each other's bodies. I want to take my time with her, revere her in the way she deserves, as I’ve wanted to for my entire adult life.
I find the button to her jeans and unclasp them, slowly pulling the zipper down without breaking the kiss. I gently ease them over her hips, and she wiggles them down to her feet, stepping out of them and kicking them off to the side. I pull back for a moment, taking her in.
She takes my fucking breath away.
We find our way to my bed and she lays down, her light hair loose from her bun and splayed across my pillows. The image of her laying inmy bed, in nothing but her tank top and underwear—it tugs on my heart, pushing that deep emotion I’ve beenshoving down right up to the surface. I’ve never seen a more stunning sight.
“You are so beautiful,” I tell her.
She smiles, her dimple winking at me in the dim lighting. The rosy lamp has her cast in a pink glow, her body practically alight.
I shed my shirt and jeans before I lower myself over her, leaning down to place a kiss on her lips. “So, so beautiful,” I whisper, letting my lips skim over her skin. Moving to her neck, I place a kiss on her throat. “And I’m going to worship every single inch of you tonight.” My teeth graze over her neck and she lets out a soft moan.
I reach for the bottom of her top and she lets me guide it up over her head before laying back on the pillows. Her lacy, light pink bra matches the delicate panties she has on. I run my hand over a breast, placing a light kiss on the exposed skin. Mellie strokes her hands up my bare back, leaving a trail of heat in her wake.
Kissing my way down her body, my lips graze and suck at every soft spot they can find. She sighs quietly and I pull away, leaning back to see her face.
“Is this okay, Mel? We don’t have to do this. If this is too fast?—”
She cuts me off with a finger to my lips for the second time this evening. “Oh, don’t you dare stop, Mr. Kane,” she murmurs, her eyes heavy with desire. “I’ve got you right where I want you now.” She smirks.
“Oh, is thatso?” I say coyly. “Well then, allow me to continue.”
I place another light kiss on her stomach before lowering myself down her body. When I get down to her underwear, I instead move to her thighs, placing my lips on the inside of her leg. Her hips thrust up, seeking friction, and I pin her down against the bed by the hip. I run my tongue over the skin where it meets the edge of her underwear, and she lets out a whimper.
The sound is like a drug to me.
“Ronin, you’re killing me,”Mellie complains.
“Patience.” I run my fingers over the fabric. The material is soaked already and a low groan escapes my throat. I place a kiss right at her center and she moans, trying to lift her hips against the hand that pins her to the bed.
