"You know, the bond between parent and child is a special thing, just as siblings share a bond of their own. Having either ripped away is a harsh process to go through. I don't discredit what you went through. Nor would I do the same to a spouse losing their partner in life. But there's something terrifying in losing a part of the bond you share with a sibling. Parents are meant to grow old before their children, not the other way around, that's a different feeling as well to go through."
"You're right, each loss is different." There's a harsh truth to her words, but it’s enlightening to hear.
"Everyone deals differently." She lets out a breath. "I barely came home after his funeral. Dustin and I grew apart. We still talked, but not as much. Then when I moved home, it felt strange. Dustin and I talked at the wedding. He told me that he was going to fix what was broken, like he felt it was his fault."
"Your brother’s death was an accident," I tell her gently.
"It was, but that's not what he was talking about. It's our relationship I think he blames himself for. We drifted from each other," she explains. "It's why he's become so protective. He doesn't want to lose me again."
It made sense. Now more than before. I get him protecting his sister, being there for her. It's not that he wants to be overprotective, but rather trying to be the protector he thinks his sister missed out on after they lost Davis.
Holding Delaney to me, I listen to her tell me a few more stories about her dad and brother. I give her a couple of my own about my parents growing up. The whole time we immerse ourselves, the feelings I have for her dig even deeper. I knew I was falling, but I think I've already fallen. She's hooked her place in my heart.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Delaney
"Ride me, sweetheart," Tyler rasps beneath me, his hands gripping my hips with an urgency that sends shivers down my spine. I shift my weight, adjusting to find that perfect angle, that sweet spot where pleasure builds into something overwhelming.
"God, you feel amazing. I love having you inside me. So thick," I whisper, rolling my hips in a slow circle that makes him groan. His eyes lock with mine, dark with desire in the dawning morning filtering through the curtain of his bedroom.
“Don’t play around, Laney,” Tyler growls, sliding his hands from my breasts down to my waist, his touch feather light.
“Tyler,” I moan, digging my nails into his chest, grinding down on him. “It’s so good.”
“Fuck,” Tyler groans, gripping my hips all the tighter, taking over the slow pace I set for myself.
I gasp as he drives deeper, his hands guiding my movements with a firmness that leaves me breathless. The rhythm changes from slow and sensual to something more primal, moredesperate. My nails dig into his chest as I brace myself, matching his pace with a hunger that surprises even me.
"That's it," he growls, his voice rough with need. "Just like that. Fuck, your pussy is like a damn vise squeezing me."
"Yes," I breathe, my head falling back as sensation overwhelms me.
"I want your eyes, sweetheart."
I refocus my eyes on his and all that's him, taking in the beads of sweat on his skin, turning him golden, almost otherworldly beneath me. Unable to hold myself up further, I lean forward, capturing his mouth with mine, tasting the salt of his skin as our tongues dance together. His hands slide from my hips up to my hair, rolling us until I’m beneath him, arms hooking my legs up to his shoulders. The way he rotates his hips, his cock going even deeper, further drawing out the connection between us.
"You're so beautiful like this," he murmurs against my lips before he draws away, his breath hot and ragged. "I love watching you ride me, but there's something about taking you like this that I like just as much."
The compliment sends a fresh wave of desire through me. I hold tight to him as he thrusts deep with each stroke. My body arches off the mattress, seeking more contact, more friction, more of everything he's giving me.
"Don't stop," I whisper, my voice barely audible over our combined breathing.
"I couldn't if I tried," he groans, driving into me with renewed intensity.
The pressure builds at my core, a delicious tension that coils tighter with each thrust. I feel myself getting closer, that familiar sensation of being on the edge of something wonderful.
"Tyler, I'm going to . . ." My words dissolve into a moan as pleasure crashes through me. I dig my fingers into his shoulders, holding on as waves of ecstasy wash over me.
"That's it, sweetheart," he encourages, his pace never faltering. "Let go for me."
My body trembles beneath his, every nerve ending alive with sensation. Just as my climax begins to wane, Tyler buries himself deep inside me, his own release triggering a second wave of pleasure that leaves me gasping for air. My body convulses around him, milking every last sensation as we ride out our shared climax together.
Breathing heavily, Tyler collapses over me, mindful of my stomach, and rolls us to our sides. I moan my displeasure at losing the connection with him as he pulls me close. I rest my head against his chest, hearing the hammering pulse beat of his heart. It's nearly in unison with my own.
"That was . . ." I trail off, unable to find adequate words for the way he went about waking me this morning. Never in my life have I woken to a man between my thighs, head buried in my sex.
"Best way to wake up," Tyler finishes, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Think that's how I'll wake you up every morning."
