spoke so gently to me. I took in the moment as the sounds of the honking cars and the smell of the polluted air that swirled around us seemed to melt away.
He rested his forehead against mine, the tension that hung between our lips blaringly apparent. It was the kind of tension one feels before they experience their first kiss with someone new. I wanted nothing more than to lean in the rest of the way and press my lips to his…to know what it felt like to be in his arms in that way.
God, I want him.
My flesh began to throb, my fear turning to lust as I felt myself losing control of the situation. This was not the flirtatious banter or innocent peck on the cheek I was used to. This was so much more than I was able to comprehend at the moment, so I did my best to push him away, but his strong arms opposed me. He wrapped his strong fingers around the back of my neck and pulled me toward him.
Gently, he kissed me on the forehead, and shifted his face slightly from mine. Looking into my eyes, he asked solemnly, “Can I take you home?”
Stella rested her hand on my shoulder. “You’re in good hands. I’m gonna let Cole take over,” she said, winking at me as she walked away.
I shifted my gaze back down to Cole. “Yes, take me home.”
COLE
The drive home was pretty silent. I didn’t know what to say to her, and I’m sorry wasn’t going to cut it. I pulled up to the house and walked over to her side of the car to pull her door open. I went ahead of her to unlock the door, then led her to the bathroom, where I turned the water on to start her bath.
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked.
She just stared at me, her trembling arms crossed, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Do you want me to stay and help?”
She nodded.
I wiped the tears and blood from her face, then I slowly clutched onto the edges of her shirt, pulling it up over her arms. I unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, then slowly pulled them down her legs and over each foot. She turned her back to me, shifting her hair out of the way, revealing the clasp of her bra and the elegant line of her spine.
I hesitated. I wanted her, but I didn’t want her like this. She had just been through a traumatic experience and she was vulnerable. I unclasped her bra, allowing the lace material to fall to the floor. The bruises on her sides and arms were already visible.
I shook my head at the anger I felt toward Catherine, wanting to rip her to shreds. Adeline stood there, waiting. I knew what was left, and I was afraid that if I touched her panties, I wouldn’t stop there.
I hooked my finger under the elastic, sliding the fragile fabric off her slowly. Aside from the bruises, her body was perfect, and I wanted nothing more than to take her in my arms and make sweet love to her…but I restrained myself. I led her into the warm tub that was already three-fourths filled with water. She laid down in it, and I took a rag and wiped the dirt and blood from her body.
She kept her eyes closed the whole time.
“What’s wrong, darlin’?” I asked.
She didn’t reply. I washed her hair, bathing her bruises as gently as I could, keeping my eyes focused on the blood and nothing else, which was a task in itself. Once the night’s events had been washed away, I held up a towel, and wrapped it around her as she stepped from the tub. I picked her up, cradling her like a baby in my arms, and carried her to her room. Laying her on her bed, I turned toward the door, but stopped when I felt a tug at my wrist.
I looked down to see her staring up at me. “Stay.”
I nodded, taking off my boots as I turned out the lights. I crawled into bed and laid next to her, her body fitting with mine like a perfectly placed puzzle piece. Wrapping my arms around her wet body, I slowed my breathing to calm hers.
We didn’t say anything else the rest of the night. We didn’t need to. She fell quietly asleep in my arms, and I in hers. Our first night together couldn’t have been
He rested his forehead against mine, the tension that hung between our lips blaringly apparent. It was the kind of tension one feels before they experience their first kiss with someone new. I wanted nothing more than to lean in the rest of the way and press my lips to his…to know what it felt like to be in his arms in that way.
God, I want him.
My flesh began to throb, my fear turning to lust as I felt myself losing control of the situation. This was not the flirtatious banter or innocent peck on the cheek I was used to. This was so much more than I was able to comprehend at the moment, so I did my best to push him away, but his strong arms opposed me. He wrapped his strong fingers around the back of my neck and pulled me toward him.
Gently, he kissed me on the forehead, and shifted his face slightly from mine. Looking into my eyes, he asked solemnly, “Can I take you home?”
Stella rested her hand on my shoulder. “You’re in good hands. I’m gonna let Cole take over,” she said, winking at me as she walked away.
I shifted my gaze back down to Cole. “Yes, take me home.”
COLE
The drive home was pretty silent. I didn’t know what to say to her, and I’m sorry wasn’t going to cut it. I pulled up to the house and walked over to her side of the car to pull her door open. I went ahead of her to unlock the door, then led her to the bathroom, where I turned the water on to start her bath.
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked.
She just stared at me, her trembling arms crossed, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Do you want me to stay and help?”
She nodded.
I wiped the tears and blood from her face, then I slowly clutched onto the edges of her shirt, pulling it up over her arms. I unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, then slowly pulled them down her legs and over each foot. She turned her back to me, shifting her hair out of the way, revealing the clasp of her bra and the elegant line of her spine.
I hesitated. I wanted her, but I didn’t want her like this. She had just been through a traumatic experience and she was vulnerable. I unclasped her bra, allowing the lace material to fall to the floor. The bruises on her sides and arms were already visible.
I shook my head at the anger I felt toward Catherine, wanting to rip her to shreds. Adeline stood there, waiting. I knew what was left, and I was afraid that if I touched her panties, I wouldn’t stop there.
I hooked my finger under the elastic, sliding the fragile fabric off her slowly. Aside from the bruises, her body was perfect, and I wanted nothing more than to take her in my arms and make sweet love to her…but I restrained myself. I led her into the warm tub that was already three-fourths filled with water. She laid down in it, and I took a rag and wiped the dirt and blood from her body.
She kept her eyes closed the whole time.
“What’s wrong, darlin’?” I asked.
She didn’t reply. I washed her hair, bathing her bruises as gently as I could, keeping my eyes focused on the blood and nothing else, which was a task in itself. Once the night’s events had been washed away, I held up a towel, and wrapped it around her as she stepped from the tub. I picked her up, cradling her like a baby in my arms, and carried her to her room. Laying her on her bed, I turned toward the door, but stopped when I felt a tug at my wrist.
I looked down to see her staring up at me. “Stay.”
I nodded, taking off my boots as I turned out the lights. I crawled into bed and laid next to her, her body fitting with mine like a perfectly placed puzzle piece. Wrapping my arms around her wet body, I slowed my breathing to calm hers.
We didn’t say anything else the rest of the night. We didn’t need to. She fell quietly asleep in my arms, and I in hers. Our first night together couldn’t have been
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