Page 62 of Close to Heaven

The last time he’d held a woman like this had been in high school, and that was only because he’d been too scared to try anything else. In recent years, when he’d been in bed with a woman, it had only been to have sex, and there’d been no cuddling involved.

While he was lost in thought, Avery wriggled her bottom against him, which caused him to suck in a harsh breath.

“Oops. Sorry.”

She didn’t sound sorry, though. She sounded amused and flirtatious, which was only making him more aroused.

“Try to get some sleep,” he said. He was glad he’d caught some winks earlier, because there was no way he was going to sleep now. Every nerve ending crackled with awareness, and everywhere their skin touched felt on fire.

Knowingly or not, she gently caressed his arm that was around her; her fingertips were soft and delicate. “This is nice.”

“Um-hmm.” Nice was not the word he’d use to describe how he was feeling. He subtly tried to scoot his hips back, but she immediately closed the gap again. “Are you cold?”

“Not at all. Are you?”

“Nope. I’m good.” Burning up was more like it.

She trailed her hand down his arm and entwined their fingers together. For some reason, holding hands felt even more intimate than lying in bed together.

She was quiet for a few minutes, and he assumed she was finally falling asleep, but then she did something that blew him away. With her hand atop his, she slowly guided it under the front of her shirt. She paused on her stomach, and he figured she’d stop there, but he was wrong. Without uttering a word, she moved his hand further up until it covered her bare breast, and then she let go.

If this was a test of his willpower, he failed miserably. He was only too eager to touch her, to feel the warm weight of her breast and tight peak of her nipple. Since she’d initiated it, he kept going, tracing her nipple and then plucking it with his fingertips.

The room was quiet but for the sound of their breathing, and maybe it was the silence that gave him the courage to continue. He slid his hand to her other breast and fondled it too. She responded by thrusting her chest forward and her hips back, gently circling them against his erection.

Having convinced himself she was off limits, he felt an air of the forbidden, and under cover of darkness and secrecy, his desire became unleashed. Nestling his face into her neck, he inhaled deeply, and when he blew out his breath, she shivered. Still, they didn’t speak.

He nibbled on her soft skin while simultaneously playing with her breasts. He felt a vein in her neck pulse against his lips as he slowly trailed his hand down and slipped it under the waistband of her sweatpants.

He paused for a moment, giving her a chance to stop him, but instead, she arched her hips toward his hand.

She was usually so talkative that her silence made this feel even more erotic. She was responding with her body instead of words, and what a spectacular body it was.

He moved his hand down further and was shocked when he discovered she wasn’t wearing panties. Had she done this for him, or did she usually sleep that way? He filed the thought away under ask her later and continued his exploration.

He sucked on her neck while his fingers found their mark. He skimmed over her slick entrance, and she drew in a breath. He gently probed her soft folds, alert for every movement, every sound that assured him he was doing things right.

He found her sensitive nub and drew tight circles around it. Soon she was bucking wildly into his hand, chasing her release as he teased her into a frenzy. She still didn’t speak, but her moans and sighs became louder until she let loose with a long, loud wail. He held her close as she climaxed, nestling his head between her neck and shoulder, pressing his chest tightly against her back.

As she floated back down, he slowed his movements until her muscles went limp. Then he removed his hand and wrapped it around her waist.

Even if nothing else happened between them, he felt satisfied because he’d pleasured her. Not that he was opposed to the idea of something more happening. However, for now, he simply held her close and waited for her to drift off to sleep.