Page 77 of Sterling Clay

“And what if I keep you. What if I want you to stay. What if I love you like I say I do and then prove it every day. What if you’ve never needed saving, butterfly, and I know that about you. What if I do.”

“How can I save you?” She chokes around a bitter laugh, like she can’t possibly understand what I’d need.

“By loving me back, Mavis. Every day.”

Suddenly, she has her arms around me, clinging to my neck, and I’m squeezing her tight to my chest, breathing in relief and her floral scent.

“Stay, Mavis.”

“Yes, Clay. Dutton and I would love to live here with you.”

I pull back so I can see her face, cup her jaw, and kiss her. A kiss that is tender at first. An apology for how things went down earlier. But quickly, the meeting of our mouths turns hungry. We move on to making up for the fight.

Within seconds, Mavis’s back is plastered to the front door again and my body presses into hers. The kiss hits a hundred, but I want more.

“Don’t know what all you planned for tonight, but I’m gonna admit I have a new plan. And I need you to trust me.”

“I trust you, honey. With everything.” Her body. Her heart.

“I want control tonight, beautiful. Let me lead.” I have no trouble letting her boss me around in the bedroom but tonight I want to be in charge. She’s still the boss. Her pleasure is my desire.

Mavis nods and I pick her up by scooping my hands beneath her backside. She wraps her legs around my waist, and I carry her down the hallway to our bedroom. With a backward kick, the door closes behind me, but we don’t need privacy. I have hours to love her like we both need, and I’m not wasting a minute of it.

Once we near the bed, I drop her and she squeals, then I climb over her, continuing to kiss her while running a hand down her chest, covering a breast and squeezing tight before pinching her nipple.

“Yes,” Mavis mumbles against my mouth.

“Want it a little rough, beautiful?”

Mavis chews her lip and I tug it free with my thumb. I’m earnest when I ask, “Need a safe word? A signal that it’s too much?”

“Maybe just hold my hand to reassure me.”

I grin at her, willing to give her anything she needs. “Going to need both of them at times, but I’ll hold your hand whenever I can.”

For now, I notice the dress she is wearing. “Was this for tonight?” The maroon-colored material wraps around her body like the petals of a flower about to bloom, highlighting all her features from the curve of her hips to the midnight shade of her hair.

Mavis nods, rolling her lips again.

“Damn. You’re stunning.” The fabric runs neck to thighs and down her arms. Its casual while sexy and when I tug it upward and over her head, I’m speechless.

Beneath the average dress is an intricate, black bra and matching panties that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Her nipples are erect. The dusty color delicately covered by lace. Velvety straps crisscross around her breasts, trussing them up and emphasizing their size. The panties are hardly more than ribbons of fabric wrapping over her hip with a lace panel over a strip of dark hair.

“Butterfly.” I choke, so overwhelmed by how beautiful she is. So precious to me.

I rub the heel of my hand between her breasts and over her belly before slipping my hand between her thighs, cupping her where she’s already damp and soaking the lace.

“I don’t want to remove any of this.”

“You don’t have to.”

Lowering, I cover her breast with my mouth, sucking at the pert nipple through the lace, teasing her, driving myself wild. At the same time, I place my finger at her clit, pressing on the lace over the sensitive nub. In tandem, I work her breast and stroke her where she’s needy.

“Clay.” Her hands cup my head. Her back arches. She’s on the edge.

I pull away from both her breast and her trigger spot.

Mavis collapses back onto the bed, eyes narrowing at me.