Page 51 of Sweet Heart

I trail my fingers over her collarbone, tracing the dip beneath her smooth skin. My tongue darts over my lips before my eyes meet hers again.

“Then…” I drag out the word. “Tell me what you need...” I pause. “Please.”

She blinks and, much to my amusement, her cheeks flush even darker. What in the world is she thinking about?

Chapter 19

Cat

Mary’s eyes sparkle as she looks down at me, and I am tempted to flip her onto her back so that I can kiss that grin off her face. I nip at her jaw, and she chuckles. Her whole body moves under my fingers, and it might just be the most delightful thing I’ve ever held. When she sits back to look at me again, she is glowing. But she still raises her eyebrow in anticipation of my answer.

I feel the heat flame my cheeks. It’s bold to assume, but everything indicates that this is headed toward us sleeping together. I don’t want her to remember this moment as a spontaneous act. This is a choice. Our choice. And for the life of me, I can’t do that on this couch. I’m already feeling the strain in my back, and it’s way too small to hold us both.

I look at her. At the blonde hair framing her soft face, the blue eyes sparkling back at me, and her kiss-swollen lips. My fingers curl softly into her waist, as if I can hold on to this moment.

“Take me to your bedroom?” I feel the rush of blood as the heat now colors the rest of my voice, and, for the first time in my life, I stammer. “If… that’s… that’s what you want as well?”

I’ve never sounded so small, but this moment is too big, and we both know it. She is quiet for a beat, and I feel my heart racing. But then she exhales on a laugh, and her grin widens. My muscles instantly relax at the sound.

“Yes, Cat,” she huffs almost incredulously, shaking her head at me. “I very much want this.”

She chuckles again as she takes my hand to her lips and presses a soft kiss against the inside of my wrist. My racing mind stills instantly as she stands and softly tugs for me to follow her. She doesn’t say another word but laces her fingers with mine and guides us to her bedroom. I almost stumble into her, lacing my arms around her waist from behind, softly kissing the nape of her neck as we go. Her contagious giggles fill the apartment, and every cell in my body responds to them, filling me with something light.

We move with such familiarity and comfort that I feel completely at ease. When we enter the bedroom, I don’t even bother to look around. For some reason, I already know exactly what it will look like, what kind of space it is. For someone with such a busy mind, Mary makes sure her surroundings are calm. One of the many interesting things about her.

I push the door closed behind me with my heel, and she slowly turns back to face me. She doesn’t rush to kiss me or to fumble with the buttons of my jeans, but she does reach for my lips with her free hand. Her fingertips barely stroke them, the touch so featherlight that it tickles. I take her hand and press a slow, warm kiss to each knuckle before I step closer to her.

Mary guides my hand to her cheek and holds it there while she leans into my touch. I bring up my other hand to frame her face and kiss her slowly and soothingly until she goes pliant under my touch.

I startle when the backs of my knees hit the bedframe, and I break the kiss in surprise. When did we start moving? Did she just… Mary’s eyes are soft when she moves her hands onto my shoulders. She doesn’t push me onto the bed but offers gentle pressure that allows me to decline if I want to. I don’t.

When I sink onto the mattress, I expect her to straddle me, but instead she takes a step back, increasing the space between us. She tilts her head slightly to the side, blinking once, twice, before moving her hands toward the button on her jeans. My breath stutters when she undoes it agonizingly slowly and peels them off along with her panties.

As she stands bare in front of me, my own words echo in the back of my mind. Let me see all of you. She didn’t just strip. She didn’t just offer her body. Mary allowed herself to be vulnerable in front of me, just as I have been in front of her.

My lips part as I look at her, see her. The way her waist dips before curving out into her hips, the soft, glistening patch of curls, the little scar at her hip. My eyes roam over her as she breathes unevenly under my gaze. I let out a soft sigh, a breath I didn’t know I was holding, and reach for her. Mary instantly steps forward, letting herself be pulled in.

I let my fingers glide over her smooth thighs, and she shudders. The reaction sends a wave of desire through me. She is so close that I can smell her, a light muskiness and something so natural I can’t even name it, and I wonder what she will taste like. Tranquila, Katherina, slow down. I force myself to look back up at her and let my hand fall away from her body. She frowns until my hand finds my own buttons, and then her eyes widen.

The sound of the zipper is loud against the tension that hangs between us, and we both blink at the noise. Mary huffs out a breath that could be a laugh, and my lips instantly tick up. I am about to discard my slacks and underwear when she sinks to her knees in front of me. Every movement in me freezes instantly.

“Let me?”

Her voice is soft, but her eyes shine. She is enjoys taking charge and, to my surprise, I am too. I nod, feeling myself beam down at her, and I lift my hips so that she can pull the fabric down. She doesn’t rush it. Once it is over my hips, she slows. Her knuckles graze the skin of my thighs, leaving a hot trace in their wake. A soft sound escapes me, and Mary actually grins up at me while she tosses the clothes to the side. ¿Cómo?

Having her in front of me like this, vulnerable and open, is intoxicating, but my resolve is thinning, and right now, I need to feel her against me. I lean forward over the edge of the bed and place my index and middle fingers under her chin. Her eyes instantly find mine. Dios, this woman is going to kill me.

“Come here.”

It isn’t a question, but it isn’t a command either. It is an invitation that she willingly accepts. She rises to her feet and steps close enough for me to glide my hands over her hips. I tilt my head back to keep my eyes on her and nod softly before drawing her into me. Her knees land on either side of me, and she lowers her body against mine. I fall back against the soft duvet, and then I am covered by the warmth of her.

“Sí, eso, Maria.”

Her lips find my neck, where she leaves a trail of warm, open-mouthed kisses. My body tingles with every one of them, and my breathing grows heavy. I feel the heat swirl through my body down to my core, and suddenly, my body begs for more. I put my hands on her hips and flip us in such a quick motion that Mary yelps in surprise and gapes up at me. My lips tug up, and I kiss her deeply. I feel the mix of a chuckle and a moan in my mouth, and I grasp at her with a little more strength.

I only break the kiss to press my mouth under her ear and trail soft kisses down her neck, the hollow of her throat, and her collarbones. Each one causes a little tremble in her, which only spurs me on even more. I gaze up as I trail my kisses even lower down her sternum and see that her eyes are fixed on me. I pause above the soft curve of her breast. When her lips part in a soft sigh, I kiss her reverently before taking it in my mouth. My nails scrape gently along her sides, and Mary arches her back, pressing even more against me. I can barely breathe, completely submerged in her, but I refuse to move.

I groan in pleasure and release her with a soft nip of my teeth, press a soft kiss against the red spot, and trail my mouth further down her ribcage. Mary lets out a high whimper, and I gaze up at her to see her throat working hard. I press my fingers firmly into her hips to ground her just as much as I need to ground myself. A smile curves my lips as I kiss her hipbone.