His thoughts scattered away as he focused on her. The way she was pinned to the bed as she took everything he wanted to give her, the way his breath came in short bursts against the side of her neck, the way their sweat drenched them both, and the way the need to come overtook him.
"I'm close," she whispered, and closed her eyes.
"You're squeezing me so tight right now, I can barely keep my shit together. So do it, Lou. Come. Show me how much you love us like this."
God, he was so close, and he needed the release more than a junkie needed a high. He chased it, craved it. And when the telltale tightening began, he groaned in desperation. Rougher than he had before, he pressed his fingers against her clit, giving her the extra pressure she needed to get off.
"Six, oh God, I … " The oxygen was sucked out of the room as she exploded, crying out in relief and release.
Six continued to pound into her, milking every last moment of her orgasm until she was left breathless and panting. Stars fluttered in his peripheral vision as he sucked in air. Lou opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder at him. She was right there with him. Really with him. Etched on his soul.
"Please, Six," she begged. "Make me come again."
Six looked at her, pinned her with his eyes as he thrust in and out, every muscle in his body defined. "Lou," he shouted, and through the sheer strength of his orgasm, he could feel the moment she went over the edge again too.
"Goddamn," he moaned into the comforter beside her as he continued to slide inside her. Slower now. Pressing hard up against her, holding it, before pulling out. "Every single time with you, Lou."
Silently, after removing the condom and crawling onto the bed, they lay there quietly for some time, just holding each other.
"Do you feel like telling me what happened tonight?" Lou asked, eventually.
"I thought about that after I left earlier. I have memories from things I've been involved with. Memories that I can't shake. I don't regret any of the things I've done, but I can recall every one of them. I was just trying to save you from having to deal with having memories like that yourself. I wasn't trying to patronize you."
She ran her hand down his stubbled jaw. "I appreciate you trying to do that. But I need to know what's happening. It's my problem. Not yours."
"I get that. I really do," he said, brushing her hair from her cheek. "And if you were a regular client, I wouldn't feel so conflicted. But the idea of you getting hurt freaks me out like nothing else … but I get it. Just … can we do it in the morning? Over coffee."
"As long as that's a deal, yes."
Six exhaled. "It is. I just want to enjoy this. Us, right now. Listen, I don't want you to think this was just another slip of control on my part. I'm done trying to pretend this isn't happening."
Louisa paused for a moment, then said, "Good."
"Good?" Six asked, unable to hide his grin.
"Well, it's not like I haven't made my position perfectly clear," she said, her eyes wide and bright.
"Oh, that's right, you wanted me to show you … What did you say? Oh, that's right … Show me how good it can be to just fuck and really mean it. So how did I do?" He reached for the light switch and plunged the bedroom into darkness.
"It was fine," she said, but he could hear the laughter in her voice.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back up against his chest. "Just fine, Lou?" he growled in her ear, and she giggled.
"Okay, perhaps a little better than fine."
"I fucked you senseless, and you know it."
"Good night, Six."
"Good night, Lou."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Every single time with you, Lou.
Lying next to a sleeping Six, she thought back to the way he'd taken her the night before. Embarrassment had battled with need at first. She'd felt exposed on her knees and had been convinced her ass must have looked huge from that angle. But it had been something she hadn't realized she was longing for. For someone to want her so badly that he'd come to her despite injuries and despite "rules" saying they shouldn't. Someone willing to overcome the odds and still want her.
She wasn't exactly sure what he'd meant by the words he'd said, but there had been so much reverence in his tone that she hadn't felt the need to ask him. Not all questions needed answering. Then she grinned. Answering questions had been her life, but for the first time she realized that it wasn't everything. Sometimes you didn't need to know the answers. Sometimes you just had to feel them.