They found a steady rhythm, matching each other stroke for stroke.
He grunted between ragged breaths and didn’t care when the headboard thumped against the wall.
When he changed the angle of his thrusts, she cried out, and he guessed he’d found that sweet spot. Liquid heat rushed through his veins as he increased the pace. He was moments away from coming apart, but tried his best to hold on a little longer.
Her keening grew louder as another orgasm built inside her. When she went over the edge this time, she took him with her. His bellow of ecstasy reverberated throughout the room—yeah, the neighbors probably got an earful that time. Hell, he didn’t care if the entire town knew he’d just had the most explosive sex of his life.
When their breathing finally slowed, Seth eased onto his side without putting any distance between them. His thumb rested against her cheek as she gave him a sleepy smile.
He didn’t know when or how it happened, but whatever this was between them had become something he didn’t want to live without. Two weeks ago, that realization would've sent him running.
Now, it only made him pull her a little closer.
Chapter 20
Sunlight slipped through the narrow gap in the curtains and stretched across the bed, pulling Shylo from sleep one reluctant inch at a time. She kept her eyes closed and burrowed deeper into the pillow, unwilling to surrender to the morning yet.
A weight rested across her waist. Behind her, the solid presence of another body pressed against her back, the steady rise and fall of a chest brushing against her with each breath. The awareness came before the memories.
Then everything from the night before returned, and a smile tugged at her mouth.
Seth.
She remained exactly where she was, cocooned beneath the sheet with his arm draped across her middle. Beyond the curtains, a vehicle passed on the road into town before the sound faded into the distance. For a few moments, she allowed herself to enjoy it, even though that was probably a mistake.
The problem wasn't waking up beside him. The problem was realizing she wanted this again. More mornings spent tangled in the sheets, lazy conversations before either of them had to face the day, and time with the man sleeping beside her that wasn't measured in hours.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd woken up feeling that content, and the realization carried implications she preferred not to examine before coffee.
Or maybe ever.
The thought almost made her laugh.
She shifted slightly, and Seth made an indistinct sound behind her before pulling her closer. The unconscious gesture sent an unexpected rush of affection through her. He wasn't even awake, and somehow, he still managed to make it difficult to remember all the reasons getting involved with him was a bad idea.
A few weeks ago, her focus was on Shane, the inheritance, and what she intended to do once she had enough information. Now, she was lying in a motel bed, wishing the morning would slow down because eventually Seth would have to leave for work.
As though he sensed her thoughts, he stirred behind her. His arm moved lower, and his hand squeezed her thigh. A second later, his voice broke the silence. “Morning.”
Sleep roughened the single word, making it sound delicious.
She rolled onto her back and looked at him, immediately regretting the decision. His dark hair stuck up in several directions, and stubble shadowed his jaw. The lopsided smile he offered her made her stomach flutter in a way that was becoming entirely too familiar.
“Morning.”
His gaze narrowed slightly. “You've been deep thinking again.”
“That's a serious accusation before coffee.”
“I know you.”
The words shouldn't have affected her, but they did.
Something inside her squeezed as she held his gaze. The simple statement carried more weight than he probably intended. Nobody knew her here. Not really. Not the version of herself she'd spent years being or the secrets she’d carried since arriving in Hazard Falls.
But Seth knew pieces of her. Enough that she wanted to give him more. But she couldn’t. Not yet.
She reached up and brushed her fingers through his hair, attempting to flatten one of the stubborn sections sticking straight up. The effort failed immediately.
