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“You can.” I tighten my grip on her wrists to remind her I’m here, I’m in control, I’ve got her. “You will. For me.”

Another circle. Another grind. Her whole body jerks. Every movement is a dual torture.

Alex whimpers again, a fragile, desperate sound. I could come just from this, from the sounds she makes, from the way she trusts me enough to let me take her apart like this. It takes every ounce of my willpower, but instead of giving her the final, shattering thrust she’s begging for, I grip her hips to steady her and pull out slow enough that she feels every inch leaving her. She makes a wounded noise, hips chasing, but I hold her in place until I’m fully withdrawn.

The sudden emptiness hits me almost as much as it does her. Alex gasps before she collapses flat against the pillows with a frustrated, broken sob.

I kneel behind her, my chest heaving as my trembling fingers find the buckles of the harness. I unfasten the straps, slipping the gear off and setting it aside on the mattress. Freed from the weight, I take a moment to breathe, my eyes sweeping over the absolute masterpiece I’ve made of my fiancée.

Alex is a puddle on the bed, fingers twisted in the sheets, blindfold slightly askew. Her blonde hair is wild and tangled, splayed haphazardly across the rumpled duvet. Those thigh-highs are still on because I couldn’t bear to take them off. There are marks all over her: faint fingerprints on her hips, fading flogger lines across her ass cheeks, a bloom of red along her inner thigh. She looks like every filthy fantasy I’ve ever had. I crawl up the bed and collapse next to her.

“Come here, love,” I murmur, my voice thick and raspy.

I slide an arm under her shoulders, coaxing her to roll over. She is completely pliable, her limbs exhausted as she lets me turn her face up. I lean over her, bracing my weight on my forearms, and press a kiss to her cheek. My fingers find the knot at the back of her head, pulling the satin ribbon loose. I peel the blindfold away, tossing it onto the nightstand.

The bedroom is fairly dark, the curtains drawn tight, but Alex squeezes her eyes shut. Her brow furrows as she squints, her pupils struggling to adjust to even this dim light after being submerged in total darkness for so long.

“Take your time,” I whisper, brushing a damp strand of hair from her forehead. I keep kissing her, feather-light presses of my lips over her eyelids, her temples, the bridge of her nose, grounding her as she floats back down to earth.

Finally, her long lashes flutter, and those stunning eyes focus on my face, swimming with a dizzying amount of love. A lazy smile curves her swollen lips. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I breathe back. “You did so well. God, love. You’re incredible.”

She makes a small sound, the ghost of a laugh. “I hate you a little.”

I kiss her properly then, the kind of tender kiss that says I’m here, I have you, we made it. Her hands come up, fingers trembling, and find my face. Our tongues slide together in a lazy rhythm, tasting the salt and sweat of our bodies.

As we kiss, I shift my weight, moving my body over hers. Alex is drained; she barely has the strength to part her knees. I hook one of her legs over my hip and slide down to align our bodies, pressing my aching clit flush against hers. Since we’ve both been hovering on the edge of climax for what feels like hours, the initial shock of friction is almost blinding.

We both gasp.

I roll my hips down into hers, pressing tight, letting the wetness between us create a frictionless glide that sends fireworks exploding behind my eyelids. Alex arches her back, pressing upward to meet my thrusts. She doesn’t need to do much; I control the pace, rocking my pelvis in deep circles. The sensation of her swollen clit rubbing against mine is too much and not nearly enough.

“Jo,” she whimpers, her nails weakly scraping down my leg. “Please…”

“I’ve got you,” I tell her, grinding with a sudden, firm pressure.

That is all it takes.

Her body goes rigid beneath me, a beautiful, high-pitched cry tearing from her throat as her orgasm hits. I feel the intense heat of her flooding between our thighs and keep moving through it, slower, helping her ride it out.

I follow a few seconds later. Driving my hips down one last time, my own release crashes over me in violent waves. A guttural groan escapes my lips. My vision whites out, pleasure pooling thick in my core. I collapse next to her, riding out the tremors that shake my entire frame.

We lie there, one of her legs still hooked over me, our bodies pressed together, and let the aftershocks fade. For a long time, the only sound in the room is our harsh, synchronized breathing.

When I lift my head, I find her looking at me, eyes soft and a little glassy.

“Happy anniversary,” I say again, quieter this time.

She huffs a laugh, winces, then laughs again. “You’re never allowed to plan anything ever again.”

Chapter Eight

I give us a few more minutes of boneless silence before I move. Any longer, and Alex will drift off, and I’ll never get her into the tub.

I press a kiss below her ear. “Don’t fall asleep.”

“Mmno.” Her hand drags weakly at my hip. “You’re warm.”