Page 126 of Burn

“Hmm,” he considers. “Nah.”

He flicks the toy off and —Fuck!

“Think, Donnelly,” he says, and I can hear the smile on his lips. “What could I want to hear from you?”

Before I have a chance to think, he turns the toy back on.

I’m sinking. Drowning. My wrists strain against the cuffs, and he’s lucky I love him.

Oh.

The realization hits me as my orgasm builds up once again, my motor skills stumble, and my words catch in my throat. My voice is low and breathy, and all I manage is, “I…”

“You, what?” There’s an edge of pleading in his voice.

“I… love… you…” The words are broken and feel like they take eternity to get out, but as soon as the last word is out of my mouth, he slams into me. I’ll never adjust fully to his size, and it knocks the wind out of me. With the toy pulsating on my clit and his cock buried deep inside of me, my orgasm slams through me.

It starts low, spiraling out through my body. My feet dig into the bed, and Adrian shifts with me, wrapping his arm around my hips and pulling me into him, hitting me deep and hard. The waves of pleasure crash into me again and again, and the sounds that fill the room — my sounds — are feral.

I think it lasts several minutes, and by the time my orgasm begins to ebb, I’m a sweaty, trembling mess. Adrian is still buried inside of me and slowly lowers me back to the mattress and nuzzles his face into my neck. For a moment, we’re still. Both of us breathing heavily against each other.

He presses a soft kiss to my lips. It’s gentle. It’s the kiss equivalent of worship, and it makes me feel precious, like I’m the single most important thing to him. He reaches out, unlocksthe cuffs, and pulls my shirt off, allowing me to see him for the first time since we arrived. The usual lust he usually wears like a badge of armor when he fucks me is missing. His expression is soft.

It’s love.

He rubs my wrists, massaging at the sore indents, and then pressing the same soft, gentle kiss into each of them. I can barely think, so I just watch him treat me like a piece of priceless China. He tosses the cuffs, toy, and my shirt onto the floor, and then pulls the blankets over us, tucking me into him.

He sighs into me as he wraps his arms around my body.

“You good?” he murmurs into my hair.

I nod.

We’re still and silent for a minute, and I’m starting to drift off when he quietly speaks.

“Say it again.”

I shift, turning to look into his eyes in the dark. They’re wide, glassy, and they say so much more than any words ever could. They communicate his joy, anger, and fear.

And I love every deep, dark piece, so I whisper, “I love you -- so fucking much.”

He takes a deep, stuttered breath in, closing his eyes like he’s soaking in the words. When he exhales, he laughs. “Happy birthday, babe.”

I turn over to face him and curl into his arms, drifting off into the most blissful, dreamless sleep.

My dreams are reserved for moments I’m wide awake with Adrian.

North Star

Lex

A Few Months Later

“Welcome to Torhaven,” the flight attendant says as we touch down. “Thank you for choosing us as your trusted method of air travel. The weather is frigid out there. Hope y’all brought your jackets!”

I open the shade on my window. Frigid is right. The airport is blanketed in a thick coat of fresh snow, and despite the cabin being overly warm, I shiver. After spending a week in the Georgian heat, I’m not looking forward to the typical North American winter in Torhaven. The butterflies in my stomach wake up when I think about seeing Adrian. I hate the cold, but I love coming home to him.

My flight was delayed taking off, likely because of the snow, and I fidget impatiently while the rows ahead grab their bags and clear off the plane. While I wait, I turn my phone on and fire off a quick text.