The Darkest Hour(47)

"I could stay like this forever," she murmured.

Had he been so transparent? He was thinking the exact same thing. It did odd things to him that she seemed as content as he did.

He continued stroking her arm, simply enjoying the sensation of touching  her. She snuggled a little deeper into his embrace, and he smiled as  her hair fell over his lips and nose.

"Feeling better now?" he asked.

"Still a little jittery, but yes, much better now that I'm here with you."

A surge of pleasure shot through his chest. He didn't tell her, but his  insides were pretty much toast. He was amazed he could even lie here so  calmly and hold her when he was still screaming what the fuck in his  head.

Never did he want to relive the terrible moment of Sean calling him to  say Rachel was in danger of going over the bridge. Never. And to know  that only Sean's quick actions of jerking her out of the truck saved her  still had the power to drive him to his knees.

She shifted and elevated herself so that she could look down at him. Her  hair had grown some in the last weeks, and thanks to a trip to the  stylist with his mom, the ends had been trimmed and layers had been  added.

Her small hands spread out over his chest and she smoothed them upward to his shoulders.

"Ethan?"

He looked at her, knowing that in this moment she could ask him for damn near anything and he'd tell her yes.

"Would you mind too terribly if I made love to you?"

He swallowed and swallowed again. Here was this beautiful woman, a woman  he loved more than anything. The woman he'd married and lost. Now she  was here, like a dream, asking him so sweetly if she could make love to  him.

Dear God, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

"I'd love nothing more," he managed to croak out. It sounded better than  oh hell yeah, even if that was what his cock was screaming.

She smiled, and her eyes turned sultry. The fear and anxiety was  replaced by a warm, earthy glow that sent shivers down his spine.

He used to love it when she took the initiative in bed, but that had  stopped when he'd started pushing her away. It didn't take too many  times of getting shot down before she stopped making the effort.

His body reacted, leaping to life at the promise of seduction in her  gaze. He let his hands linger on her arms as she shifted more so she  could straddle him on the couch.

Some of the wounded bruising so prevalent in her eyes had been replaced by an almost playful light. He could drown in that look.

"I want to touch you," she whispered.

"Oh God, baby. I want you to touch me too."

"Will you undress for me?"

There was a shyness now to her gaze, and she dropped it slightly,  refusing to meet his eyes. He picked up her hands and brought then to  his mouth. He kissed each finger and then carefully shifted from  underneath her.

He rolled, putting his feet down to get up from the couch. Then he  turned back to her and reached for the fly of his jeans. There was a  spark of curiosity in her eyes, coupled with desire.

He was so aroused by her open perusal that he had a hard time prying the  jeans down over his erection. When it sprang free, he sighed an audible  sound of relief.

Her eyes widened in appreciation, and he hardened further, until his  cock stretched painfully upward toward his navel. Forgoing the idea of  being playful and teasing, he ripped his T-shirt over his head and  tossed it aside. Then he stood before her nude, wanting her so damn much  it was all he could do not to toss her down on the couch and ride her  long and hard.                       
       
           



       

She looked uncertain and nervous.

"Tell me what you want me to do, baby," he encouraged.

Instead of directing him, she scooted forward on the couch, the T-shirt  she'd changed into hanging around her knees. She glanced up at him once  and then reached hesitantly until her fingers circled him.

He let out a groan as the tips danced over his erection, stroking,  petting lightly. Sweat broke out on his forehead when she cupped his  balls, squeezing with just enough pressure to drive him insane.

He wasn't going to survive this. He was trying to be good. Patient and  understanding when every instinct screamed at him to take his woman and  make love to her until she forgot both their names.

Then her lips found him and he forgot everything but her. It was just a  light kiss. And then a playful lick. She grew bolder and he grew harder.

His fingers curled into tight fists at his sides. He clenched and unclenched until he lost all the feeling around his knuckles.

"You taste good," she murmured.

Ah hell.

She licked a circle around the head, paying particular attention to the  crease at the back and to the slit at the top. She was making him crazy.  Absolutely stone cold nuts.

"Rachel, baby, God ..."

Teasingly she slid her tongue up the shaft and then underneath so she  could suck gently at his sac. His toes curled into the carpet and he  strained upward, wanting more of that delectable mouth.

She gripped him tight with her hand and rolled outward, following her  lips back up to the tip. Once again she licked delicately, and then  without warning, she sucked him into her mouth, taking him deep.

"Ahhhh!"

He sank into the hot velvet clasp of her mouth. Her tongue rasped along  the underside, the friction delicious and unbearable. When he reached  his depth, she sucked gently and then with more force.

His fingers stuttered clumsily through her hair until he gripped the top  of her head. He rocked up on his toes and then forward, thrusting  deeper. He was about to crawl out of his skin. It was itchy, alive, and  the most exquisite, torturous pleasure he'd ever experienced in his  life.

"Baby, you need to stop," he groaned. "I'm going to come. I can't hold out any longer."

She pulled carefully away and leaned back, eyeing him as she licked her  lips like a satisfied cat. Jesus, it was all he could do not to shoot  his wad here and now. He reached down and pinched the head of his cock  between his fingers and tried to chase away the erotic images that  floated in his head.

"If you come now, are you done for the night?" she asked curiously.

"Baby, the way you're looking at me, I think I'd be hard again in about five minutes."

It probably wasn't true, but damn if he didn't believe it as excited as he was.

"Then I definitely want you to come now."

The husky timbre of her voice washed over him. His cock jumped in his  hand, as if to tell him to get the fuck away and let the woman do the  handling. And he was only too willing to let her.

Her hand replaced his, cool and soft. For a moment she fondled,  exploring the lines, tracing a path to his balls and then back again.

He needed her mouth. He was going to come soon, and he wanted in her  mouth, wanted to be deep with her lips circling the base, his balls  resting on her chin.

As soon as she parted her lips to take him inside, he thrust hard and  deep. She sighed around him, a sweet, breathy sound of satisfaction that  sent shards of pleasure all the way to his toes.

It should be him making love to her. It should be him laying her down  and kissing every inch of her body. But God, he needed her so bad. He'd  missed this, missed their openness. He'd never appreciated her until it  was too late, and now he was determined to live every moment and never  take her for granted again.

Fire started low in his pelvis. His balls tightened and his cock swelled  until it felt like he'd split open at the seams. She was so in tune  with his body. He loved that. She instinctively tightened her grip,  giving him that extra pressure he needed.

Up and down she worked with her hand, hard and tight. She sucked him deep, hollowing her cheeks.

The world around him blurred. All he could process was the sensation of  her hot, moist mouth wrapped all around his dick. It was heaven and hell  all rolled into one.

"I'm going to come, baby," he warned. He even tried to pull away so he wouldn't spill into her mouth, but she wouldn't allow it.

She held him at the back of her throat and swallowed. It was all he could stand.

With a hoarse shout, he began coming. The first jet exploded from his cock, painful, nearly excruciating in intensity.

She swallowed rapidly and sucked him deeper, working her hand up and down.                       
       
           



       

He pulsed a second and a third time and then again. He threw back his  head and closed his eyes as he strained forward. Both hands tangled in  her hair, pulling her closer until he felt his balls brush over her  chin.

He'd never come so hard and so much in his life.

When he regained his senses, he glanced down to see his hands buried in  her hair. He immediately let go, worried he'd been too rough, but she  remained where she was, perched on the edge of the couch, her mouth  gently working him down from the most intense orgasm he'd ever  experienced.