The first slow lick drew a startled, breathless sound from her. I took my time, exploring her with my tongue—long, deliberate strokes over her folds, circling her clit with soft pressure, then sucking gently until her hips lifted off the bed. Her fingers tightened in my hair as her breathing grew ragged.
“Jasper… oh…”
I slid one finger inside her, then two, curling them slowly while my mouth continued its worship. She was slick and warm and perfect, her soft moans filling the room as her thighs began to tremble around my shoulders. I stayed there until her body tensed and she came apart on my tongue with a quiet, shuddering cry, her hand pressed over her mouth as if trying to contain the sound.
Only when her tremors eased did I kiss my way back up her body, tasting the salt on her skin. I reached for the nightstand drawer, took out a condom, and rolled it on under her shy, heavy-lidded gaze.
I settled between her thighs again, braced on my forearms, and looked down at her—hair wild across my pillow, skin flushed, lips parted. The sight of her beneath me, open and vulnerable and mine, cracked something wide open in my chest.
I leaned down until my forehead rested against hers, our breaths mingling, and whispered the truth that burned through every part of me. “I’ve waited forever to be inside of you. You know that, don’t you?”
Her breath caught. Her fingers tightened on my shoulders as I pressed forward slowly, entering her inch by inch, savoring the tight, velvet heat of her body enveloping me. When I was fully seated, she let out a low, trembling moan. Her eyes met mine, wide with wonder and pleasure.
“Don’t move yet,” she breathed. “It’s been a while?—”
“For me too.” I stayed perfectly still, letting her adjust, my heart thundering with love and restraint. “Take all the time you need, sweetheart.”
After a few deep breaths, her body softened around me. “Okay,” she whispered. “I’m ready.”
I began to move, slow and deep, rocking into her with deliberate care. She met every thrust, our bodies finding a natural rhythm. Her hand slid into my hair, her back arched, and she whispered my name against my jaw.
“Jasper… Jasper…”
“I’m here. I’ve got you.”
“Don’t stop.”
“I won’t. God, I never want to stop. How can this be so perfect?”
I slid an arm beneath her back, drawing her closer until no space remained between us. She wrapped her legs more tightly around my waist, ankles locking at the small of my back. The deeper angle let me grind against her with every slow, rollingthrust, my pelvis rubbing firmly against her clit. Each grind sent sparks of pleasure through both of us.
The river murmured steadily through the open window, underscoring our mingled breaths and her quiet, urgent sounds. I kept the rhythm deep and steady until her body began to tremble violently beneath me, her inner walls fluttering wildly around my cock.
She came a second time with a sharp, helpless cry that broke into a long, shuddering moan, her whole body seizing and pulsing around me in intense waves. The tight, rhythmic contractions dragged me over with her. I groaned her name, burying myself as deep as I could go as my release crashed through me in powerful pulses.
Afterward, I stayed buried inside her for a long, trembling moment before gently withdrawing, disposing of the condom, and rolling to my side. I pulled her against my chest and drew the quilt over us. Her hand rested over my heart as we lay tangled and breathing hard.
I loved her so much it hurt.
The truth settled deep inside me, warm and undeniable. I loved the way she handled books like treasures, the care she took making a grilled cheese, and how she spoke to her cats as if they were old friends. I loved her quiet courage and the perfect trust of her body curled against mine now.
But I still hadn’t told her I wanted the job.
I held her closer, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
She stirred against my chest. “Jasper?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“You’re thinking too loud.”
I smiled faintly and kissed her forehead. “Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you here.”
I pressed another kiss to the top of her head and whispered into the dark, “You’re everything I’ve ever needed.”
In the morning, I woke to the river’s murmur and the weight of Cara sleeping against me. Pale gold light filtered through the window as I lay still, savoring the sight of her in my bed.
When she stirred and lifted her head, eyes soft and unguarded, my chest tightened with pure joy.
