One to Love (One to Hold #4) (17 page)

“Just til I get the basic sketch. Hold still, and I’ll be quick.”

Starting at the top of his head, I quickly drew an oval, shading a bit along his jawline before going back and placing guide dots where his eye and nose would go.

“Drop your chin,” I said, glancing up quickly and then back to the paper. My hands were flying—I wanted to get a good outline of him. His bicep peaked, and I knew he was getting tired.

“Just a little bit more,” I whispered, quickly adding the angle of his elbow, the circle of his fist against his head. The rest I could fill in from memory. “Okay, you can relax now.”

His arm went down, and he quickly scooted over to look at the pad. “Hmm...”

I couldn’t help laughing. All I had done was the outline of him. “I’ll fill in the rest later from memory.”

His eyes traveled up to my face, studying me intently. “You can remember me that well?”

“You’re pretty unforgettable.”

He reached forward and placed his palm against my cheek in that way again. His fingers threaded into my hair at the base of my skull, and his thumb slid lightly over my mouth.

“I’d only seen you once, and I couldn’t get you out of my mind.” His thumb tugged at my bottom lip, and I was pretty sure I’d implode if he didn’t kiss me soon. “Only, it was so dark, I thought your hair was black. But I knew your eyes were blue.”

I couldn’t tell if I moved or if he pulled me, and it didn’t matter. Warm lips covered mine, and my mouth quickly opened to allow his tongue to curl inside. Dropping my sketchpad, I shifted forward so I was on his lap in a straddle. My knees were bent, and his hands spanned my back, holding me tight against his firm chest. Our kiss was ravenous and intense, and I loved the feel of his large hands traveling up my skin. One rose to the top of my dress and into my hair. The other traveled down, under my skirt, cupping my ass through my panties.

The memory of last night was so sharp in my mind, I couldn’t help a little moan when he touched me. It was all he needed before his fingers were threading into my underwear, slipping into my wet opening.

“Kenny,” he groaned, breaking our kiss and dropping his head against my collarbone. “I want you so much.”

“I want you.” My fingers threaded into the sides of his hair, and his hand that was at my neck, moved around to unfasten the tiny buttons at my chest.

One by one, they popped open, revealing my bare skin underneath. A little hum, and he reached around to grab the center of my back, lifting me slightly before he pulled a tight nipple into his mouth.

“Oh, god,” I gasped, leaning back so he could have better access to my body. My change in position rocked my hips over his erection, and I couldn’t resist doing it again.

That caused his chin to rise, releasing my breast with a light sucking sound before he kissed the bottom of my chin, lifting me entirely from his waist so we could stand. He led me inside and paused only a moment.

“Down the hall to the right,” I said in a voice almost desperate.

In a moment, we were in my bedroom, and he laid me back against the mattress. My dress was open to my waist, revealing my breasts, and he grasped my waist in his large hands, running his tongue up the centerline of my torso before closing his lips over my skin.

“You taste so sweet,” he said.

“It’s this... organic lotion,” I sighed over the need aching in my core. “Edible.” Another sharp breath as his tongue touched my skin.

“It’s good.” He stood briefly to discard his jeans. His shirt was still on, but I wasn’t in the mood to fuss over details.

We were both ready, and I licked my lips as he rolled on the condom. Eyes darkened at my gesture, and in one swift motion, he was on the bed, sliding between my thighs.

“Oh, yes,” I hissed, lifting my hips as he filled me, stretching every part of me like before.

His mouth moved from my shoulder, up my collarbone, to my neck as his hips rocked slowly into me. I wanted him to fuck me hard like he had the night before, but he seemed to be pacing himself, going slower this time.

“I want to taste all of you,” he groaned, moving a little faster. “Your skin is like sugar.”

“Oh, god,” I moaned. The rocking of his hips was hitting my clit, causing sparks to radiate down my legs with every thrust. “Just don’t stop.”

That seemed to make him move faster, and the building sensation was making me crazy with desire. It was tingling and sparkling, and if he dared stop, I was sure I’d die. He didn’t, in fact his forcefulness was back. His head lifted, our eyes locked, and the burning lust I saw there pushed me over the edge.

My back arched as the orgasm shook through my thighs. I cried out his name. His mouth covered mine, and I felt his groan rumble against my chest as he continued hitting me hard and fast. It was amazing and unbearable, and I didn’t want him to stop.

“Shit, Kenny.” His mouth broke away, and he slammed into me two more times before holding inside me, jerking with his orgasm. “Fuck,” he whispered through a ragged breath. A few smaller thrusts, and I felt his heart pounding in his chest against mine.

He relaxed in my arms, and I only wanted to hold him. He was buried deep inside me with my legs wrapped around his waist. His forehead was pressed against my neck, and in the afterglow it felt like our bodies melted together.

Lips moved against my skin. He kissed my neck softly before lifting his head to look into my eyes. “You made yourself for dessert?”

I laughed, breathing through my nose, as my fingers trailed a line from his forehead to his neck and shoulders.

“I actually bought angel food cake with fresh berries and whipped cream.”

“Mmm,” he leaned down to kiss the side of my jaw, slipping his tongue out and tasting me again. A ripple of shimmering aftershocks flowed through my shoulders. “That sounds good, but you’re more delicious.”

He rolled to the side, sliding out of me, and I sat up. “Give me two minutes.”

I scooped up the thin white tank he’d loaned me the night before, and in as short a time as possible, I was back, cleaned up and carrying a large slice of cake covered in mixed blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. A generous dollop of whipped cream was on top.

Slayde had straightened the bed and sat with his back against the pillows. His green tee was still on, but with the sheet across his lap, I could tell he was nude from the waist down. His eyes traveled from what I carried down my body as I entered, and a spark simmered low in my stomach.

“Why so modest?” I teased, climbing on the bed beside him. Crossing to him on my knees, I forked a bite of cake and held it to his mouth.

He opened and took it. “I don’t understand.”

“The shirt.” I took a bite of cake. “I saw all of you last night, you know.”

“Mmm,” he looked down. “It was darker then. We were in the moonlight.”

“So I only get to see you in the moonlight? That doesn’t seem fair. Are you a shifter or something?”

He laughed. “Wrong nickname.”

My mind swirled around his words until finally it became clear
Slayer
. “You don’t have to hide your ink from me. I think it’s cool.”

His lips tightened and he looked down. “It’s not who I am anymore. Or who I want to be.”

Setting the cake on the nightstand, I turned back to him. His eyes rose to mine, and I tried to fill my gaze with warmth. “If you want to tell me, I’d like to listen. If not, I understand.”

He reached past me to the nightstand, dipping his finger in the whipped cream. “It can wait.”

Tracing his finger over my lips, he left a trail of cream on my mouth. His eyes darkened as he watched before leaning forward to lick the sweetness away. It was intensely erotic, and my lips parted allowing my tongue to meet his.

Finding the edge of my tank, he lifted it over my head, returning his hands to cup my breasts, rolling my nipples between his fingers. I moaned into his mouth as I reached for his shirt. I needed to feel his skin against mine again.

He allowed me to lift his shirt, but as soon as it was off, he turned me so my back was against his chest. One hand moved from my breast downward between my legs, and I moaned, dropping my head back against his shoulder. Sensations flooded my brain. His fingers circled my clit, and as he kissed a line from my neck to the center of my shoulders, the light scruff of his beard sent chills flying through my torso.

“Oh, god,” I felt like I was vibrating in his hands. They left me briefly to apply the condom, and then he was back, leaning me forward, his body never losing contact with mine.

My ass was lifted as he slid into me like a knife through butter. One of my arms was bent behind my back, and he grasped it as he thrust, bracing my hips with his forearm, his fingers still circling between my thighs.

He hit me deeper than he’d ever gone, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I saw stars. They were already shooting through my body making me tremble with desire.

“So beautiful,” I heard him murmur, and in that moment, the tightness burst through my limbs.

“Oh, Slayde... Slayde...” I moaned, fisting the sheets in one hand. My other was still pinned behind me as he used it to drive himself deeper into my clenching insides.

I came so hard, my eyes squeezed shut, and in two more swift moves, he fell over me, a ragged moan rippling from his chest. Gasping, he released my arm, circling my waist, holding me tight against his chest.

His heart beat at my back, and I heard his breathless whisper. “So fucking good.”

We lay that way, still connected, pulsing for several moments longer. I was snug against his body, eyes still closed, and his mouth was pressed to the back of my shoulder. I wanted to kiss him, so I moved forward before turning in the bed to face him.

Blue eyes smiled down on me as I touched his cheek. “I love the sound you make when you come,” I whispered, stretching my chin up to kiss his lips.

They parted and he licked inside, smooth and hungry. “You make me crazy. You’re so small, and yet so...”

“Responsive?” My nose wrinkled with my laugh, and he smiled back.

“I was going to say open.”

“Same thing.”

Resting my head on my hand, I traced a finger along the letters inked at the top of his chest. From the corner of my eye, I noticed his lips tighten, but I asked anyway. “What does it mean?”

He rose onto his forearm and reached for the white tank he’d taken off me. It was over his head and covering his torso faster than I could see anything lower.

“It was my fighter name,” he said, turning his back to dispose of the condom before lifting the bottle of water I’d left on my nightstand. I watched him almost drain it before leaning back against the headboard again. I pulled myself up beside him.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You had a career as a fighter. Lots of guys do that.”

His eyes dropped, and he looked at his hand, opened then clenched into a fist. “That name reminds me of what I was. It keeps me from going back there again.”

My voice was quiet. “What happened? Did you have an accident?”

He expression was so pained in that moment I almost couldn’t bear it.

“Nevermind,” I said fast. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry for asking.”

He met my eyes, brow clutched. “I used to be pretty messed up. It took a lot of work, but I learned to be a different person, to control it. Now I’m trying to start over and live a better life. A saner life.”

Smiling, I lay my palm flat against his cheek. “I hope you’ll let me help you.”

“You already have. More than you know.”

––––––––

I
didn’t spend the night with Kenny. I wanted to. Everything in me wanted to sleep with her all around me, make love to her again and again, the way we had the night before. But I had to get away and think about what was happening here. I had to think about the questions she was asking and how I wanted to answer them.

With disappointment heavy in my chest, I told her goodnight, claiming I needed to get an early start the next morning. I left her standing in her doorway, beautiful in my dark green tee, after kissing her soft lips once more.

Everything about her called to me. For the first time in years, I wished my life were different and I could approach her like a regular guy. Not like a broken-down has-been with more baggage than a trans-Atlantic flight.

She deserved better, yet she wanted me. She touched my face and asked me to let her see inside my darkest places. Now I had to decide if I was brave enough to say yes, to risk losing her by granting her request.

* * *

W
e hadn’t met for an early morning workout in a few days. Yesterday, she’d been sleeping so well, curled like a kitten in my bed, I’d left a note and went in without disturbing her. This morning, she was there, waiting for me when I arrived.

“Ready to train?” She smiled as I entered the boxing room.

My brow relaxed at the sight of her in tight black exercise pants and a dark purple sports bra. Her hair was wrapped in a messy bun on her head, and I was certain I’d never seen anything more adorable.

“You bet,” I said, and she skipped over to kiss me. A little groan breathed from my throat. “Mmm, unless you keep doing that.”

“I missed you last night.” Her eyes sparkled with her smile, and she held her hand up. “Help me with my other glove.”

The thin black gloves she wore were fingerless and had gel cushions over the knuckles. They strapped around her wrists and were meant to stabilize and protect her joints against the impact. She’d already pulled on one, so I held the other at the center of my chest. Lifting her hand, palm facing me, she opened her fingers to push them into the slots.

That’s when I saw it—a tiny black teardrop inked in the center of her palm. A cool flush washed through my insides but I held my expression steady. I knew what that symbol meant, any tattoo artist would know what it meant, and for the first time since I met her, I considered the possibility that she might have secrets of her own she didn’t want to share.

She didn’t seem to notice my change as she lifted her now-gloved hand to eye-level at her cheekbone. “Ready when you are!”