Page 35

Every time I close my eyes, I’m back there. The smell of gunpowder, the heat, the constant threat. I toss and turn, trying to will the memories away, but they cling to me, seeping into my dreams.
At some point, I fall asleep, but it’s disturbed—jolting awake with the sound of explosions ringing in my ears. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to force my mind to calm down.
The next time I wake up, there’s a warmth pressed against me. My mind is still groggy, caught somewhere between the vivid dreams and the present, and it takes me a moment to realize there’s a soft body in my arms.
Emily.
My breath hitches, and I freeze, unsure of how or why she’s here, but I don’t let go. I can’t.
The familiar weight of the nightmares linger in the back of my mind, and without thinking, I tighten my grip, needing something—anything—to ground me.
She’s here, warm and real, and for the first time in hours, the tension starts to ebb.
I press my face into her hair, inhaling deeply. She smells like lavender, the same scent that’s been haunting me since we first met.
She shifts slightly, turning to face me, and her soft breath fans across my skin. It sends a jolt through me, something primal, something urgent.
“Andrew—”
I cut her off by sealing my mouth to hers. Her lips part under mine, yielding to the hungry desperation that simmers just below the surface.
She doesn’t respond at first and I’m about to pull back when her hands move to my shoulders her nails digging into my skin with a fierce need that mirrors my own.
The memories of war and trauma fade into the background, replaced by the raw, unbridled need coursing through me.
I push her back against the pillows, trailing kisses along her jawline, down her neck. Emily moans and arches her back as I move down her chest. I reach down and pull up her nightdress, until her breasts are bared to my eyes.
She’s so fucking beautiful.
I cup her breasts, feeling their weight and softness in my hands, the nipples hardening under my touch. I suck on one of them, feeling her shiver beneath me as I blow on it.
I then move down her body, kissing every part of her exposed skin. Her heart is beating so fast, I can feel it through her skin. My dick is so hard that it's painful. I want to be inside her, to feel that connection, that closeness. I need this, more than anything else right now.
I move lower, kissing her stomach, then trail kisses down to her hip.
I run my hands up and down her thighs, feeling the muscles tense and relax under my touch. She moans softly as I kiss my way down her inner thigh, slowly getting closer to my goal.
When I finally reach her pussy, I can feel the heat radiating from it. I press a soft kiss to her mound before slowly parting her folds with my fingers.
“Andrew,” she says in a pleading voice.
Hearing her say my name like that does something to me.
It makes me want to take her right there and then. Instead, I slip a finger inside her, feeling how wet she is for me. She moans loudly as I tease her with my fingers.
“Please,” she whispers again, and I groan at the sound.
Pulling my finger out, I spread her legs and arrange myself between then, then lower my head to her pussy.
Her scents of arousal waft up my nostrils and I inhale deeply before plunging my tongue into her core. A gasp rips out of her mouth and her hands grip my head.
I lap at her folds, savoring her every taste and texture.
Emily's hands tangle in my hair as she gasps in pleasure, her hips bucking against my face.
I slide another finger inside her as I suckle on her clit, feeling her muscles flutter around me. Her moans grow louder and more desperate as she nears the edge.
“Andrew,” she cries out, her nails digging into my scalp. “I'm going to...I'm going to come!”