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I felt his breath, smelled his cologne, and I loved how they intoxicated my senses. My heart raced as the butterflies in my belly grew into white doves that twirled in a dance of utter desire that pooled low in my body, threatening to tear me apart. Then, he finally closed the gap.

Wes kissed me.

46: Hungry

His lips grazed mine, soft and gentle like the first rains of spring, as my hands reached up to wrap around his neck. He drew me closer then, continuing to support my head as his other hand slipped behind my lower back, pulling me into him, flushing our lower halves together. But I grew needy. Months of pent-up, confusing emotions finally finding release caused me to whimper. Sensing my desire, hearing the sounds of my need, fueled him. And suddenly, the tender caresses of his lips became deep and passionate.

Hungry.

Never letting me go, he begged me to let him in, and I happily parted my lips, allowing him passage, relishing as he slipped through and explored. My hands slipped down his shoulders, coming to rest on his chest, gripping the fabric, begging him to give me more. It emboldened him, causing his movements to become quick and desperate as the hand in my hair grippedthe strands firmly, pulling gently. The subtle shift, the cry for dominance, sent a shiver through me, and I gasped.

He inhaled my breath, consuming my soft cry, and before I knew what was happening, I was swept off my feet, his lips never leaving mine. I was tossed onto my back, onto soft sheets that cradled my body while Wes consumed me…his frame holding me captive under the weight of his muscular body.

My hands traveled upwards to caress his face, kissing him back deeply, tasting every bit of him while I shuddered under the touch of his wandering hands. They traveled along my curves, the rise and fall of my chest, and down my sides to my hips, leaving a trail of heat and tingling sensations that threatened to drive me mad.

And I wanted him.

I wanted him so badly. I wanted to be lost forever in his touch, to disappear and never be found so long as I could live and breathe in the warmth of his embrace.

Because I loved him. I loved Wes Calvernon.

May god bless the broken road that led me to him because I would walk it a thousand times again as long as it always led me back to Wes. To the man that had always been there and always would.

Always.

I felt lightheaded, desperate for breath but not wanting to stop. But Wes must have sensed my growing need for air, and his lips slowed. His hands grew steady. And slowly, he planted a final kiss on my lips, then one on my cheek, and another at the base of my neck, before finally resting his face next to mine, his chest heaving as he took rapid breaths. I wrapped my arms around his neck, loving the feeling of his body collapsing over mine, giving into me and allowing me to hold him.

I don’t know how long we laid there like that. All I knew was I never wanted it to end. Eventually, we had to move, andsometime around midnight, Wes rolled off me, lying at my side. I lifted my ringed hand and stared at the honey-colored stone as it glistened.

“Do you like it?”

Glancing at him, I smiled. “I love it. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s a canary diamond. It was the closest thing I could find to gold. You said that was your favorite color, right?”

I couldn’t. I just couldn’t handle this boy. I took in a shuddered breath. “It’s perfect, Wes. It’smorethan perfect.” A tear slipped my defenses, trailing down the side of my face, and I felt his finger wipe it away.

“Is something wrong?”

I sat up, trying to choke back the emotion welling up inside me. Today would bring unknown obstacles. Whatever Charles was going to do, I knew it wouldn’t be good. And that scared me.

“Mara?” I looked over my shoulder at him, at the look of concern on his face. “Is everything okay?”

I swallowed, trying to shove down the anxiety rising within me. “What’s going to happen?” I didn’t have to explain. He knew what I was afraid of.

Wes sat up, wrapped his arm around my waist, and pulled me back further onto the bed. Gathering me into him as he wrapped both his arms around me, his cheek resting on my head while I nestled my face into him.

“It’s going to be okay. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? I’ve got you.”

If it could even be possible, my heart melted again. Because how could it not? How could I not be absolutely and totally in love with this boy? I leaned into him, wanting to be closer than was humanly possible, and Wes drew me in, wrapping his strength around me. I breathed him in, trying to commit this moment to memory. Trying to remember every piece in perfect detail.

“You know,” he said, “I’ve got way more comfortable clothing in the closet.” I stiffened, and then smirked. Wes was slick, but notthatslick. I heard the playful tone skipping on the edge of his voice. “I’m just saying…”

I smiled, enjoying the distraction. “I guess it would be nice to get out of this dress.” And that was true. No matter how beautiful it was, it was ridiculously heavy. And when I looked around, Wes’s king-sized bed was more than half consumed by glittering blue fabric. “Yeah, I’m raiding your closet,” I added playfully, quickly scrambling out of his arms, off the bed, and to the door I was ninety-nine percent sure was the walk-in closet.

And I nailed it.

I slipped inside, ditched the dress and nylons, let my hair down in loose curls around my shoulders, and quickly slipped on one of Wes’s black shirts. And, of course, it looked more like a short dress on me, falling just above my mid-thigh. Blowing out a breath, feeling nervous as a schoolgirl, I left the closet. Wes was still dressed in his slacks, but his shoes and shirt were gone, leaving him in his tight, white tank. He was on the bed, resting against the headboard, one arm under his head with legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. When I came out of the closet, he turned to face me.