My knees nearly buckled beneath me. My lips trembled. She must’ve mistaken that for getting ready to speak, because she covered my mouth with two fingers.
“You don’t have to say it back. I know you’re probably not ready. You may never love me. I understand that, and I don’t want to pressure you into anything you’re not ready for. I know you said you won’t love me. And that’s okay. But I want you to know that I love you. I want you to know that you are worth something to me. Not because you saved someone I love. Not because you’re a hero. Not because you’re my best friend’s brother. And not because you’re gorgeous and muscular and physically perfect.” She smiled. “Just because you’re Talon Steel, and I’m really glad I met you and that you’re in my life. And if what I have with you lasts no longer than the next minute, I will still be glad I met you, and I will never regret falling in love with you.”
My eyes stung. Yes, tears threatened. My body was simultaneously numb and coursing with every emotion imaginable. I love you too, Jade. I love you too.
She continued, “And now, I really want to go to your bedroom and make love with you.”
My hard cock thought that was a great idea, but what I really wanted was to savor her, to make this about her, good for her, more than I had the other night. And maybe, just maybe, I would be able to repeat the words she had said to me. Never before had I longed so much to say those words, but I was truly scared. Scared that I wasn’t what she thought I was…and I knew I was not. When she found out about me, she would no longer love me.
I cupped her cheek and stroked it softly with my thumb. “You didn’t need to say all of that, blue eyes. I’ll be happy to make love with you.”
“I didn’t say it for any other reason than I wanted to say it. Although I do think that’s the first time you’ve referred to the act as making love instead of fucking.” She let out a giggle.
“Come with me.” I led her down the hallway to my suite, Roger following along.
I would take her slowly this time, even though my cock was straining.
I pulled her pink sweater over her head and tossed it on the chair. I unclasped her bra and freed her beautiful breasts. Her nipples were hard and taut, and I pinched one of the pink-brown nubs.
She jolted. “God, I love it when you do that.”
So did I. Her nipples and breasts were a fucking work of art. The finest sculptors couldn’t have carved anything more beautiful.
She reached for my T-shirt, but I swatted her hand away.
“Let me,” I said. “Let me take care of you this time.”
I pushed her down on the bed, removed her sandals, and then unbuckled her jeans and slid them over her hips. Only her leopard-spotted panties remained between me and her luscious body. I didn’t want to go straight for her hot pussy, even though I knew it was wet. I could smell her musk, and it was making me crazy. No, I would do something for her. Even though I hadn’t been able to give her the words she had given me, I could at least give her tenderness with my body.
I leaned over her, still fully clothed, and kissed her softly on the lips. She opened her mouth to meet my tongue, but instead of taking it, I moved to her cheek, raining tiny kisses over the apple, up to her temple, and then down to her earlobe. I tugged on it lightly and nibbled around the outer shell of her ear. She sighed softly. I probed into her ear with my tongue and then continued down the side of her neck, kissing little trails across her jawline, her cheek, to her other ear, where I repeated my action. Then I kissed her neck, giving her little love bites, refraining from sucking hard and marking her, even though I yearned to do so.
I kissed across her chest to her shoulders, down her arms to her hand, where I sucked each of her fingers into my mouth. I kissed back up her arm and across her chest again, reveling in the soft sweetness of her flesh. Ignoring those amazing breasts demanded all my willpower, but I did it, determined to show her all the tenderness I never thought I could. I kissed over to her other arm, grazing over the soft skin with my lips.
“Talon, please. My nipples.”
“Shh,” I said against her skin. “In good time.”
I kissed a spiral pattern around her breast, not stopping until I made it to the areola. Then I gave the boob a squeeze and moved to the other one.
She squirmed against me. “I’m going crazy here. My nipples need you.”
I chuckled against her silky skin while spiraling around the other breast. Her skin was like the finest silk under my lips as I kissed it, swirled my tongue into it, tasted the sleek texture of her.
She squirmed more but didn’t ask me to pleasure her nipples again. I slid down to her abdomen and rained kisses over it. When I got to the beautiful pussy between her legs, I summoned every ounce of self-control I had to make a detour and kiss down her thighs, knees, all the way to her beautiful feet, toes painted light pink. I kissed each toe and glided back up again, avoiding her pussy and sliding down the other leg.