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“Yes,” he murmured against my lips. “Do you want me to stop?”
“I want you to make me come.”
His hand left my hair, and he scraped nails against the side of my neck, then down to pinch at my nipples. My skin heated again, my chest heaving with breath. I was so close. I could feel the pinpricks of my orgasm drifting over my skin. His lips moved from mine to my pulse, and he scraped his teeth over it as both of his hands moved to my ribs.
He dug his nails in, searching, searching until, “Oh fuck. Oh fuck,” I gasped. I was so worked up, so primed to feel him. My legs immediately began to spasm, but he didn’t stop. He didn’t even slow down. He stroked his firm touches all around the most tender parts of my body where I could feel it the most.
My vision went white at the edges, and I knew my heartbeat was a little too fast, but I didn’t care. I gave myself to him—exactly as I was. Exactly the way he wanted me.
“I’m coming, I’m coming. Kiss me.”
His lips returned to mine just as my climax rushed through me. My body slammed back against my chair, my chest arching against his. I rubbed back and forth, trying to feel as much of his body as I could, and his kiss gentled as my breathing began to even out.
“Fuck.” My voice was thready and soft.
His fingers reached up and pressed against the side of my neck. “Too much?”
“No.” I took a few calming breaths, and I knew I was okay. Pushing him back, I stared into his eyes. “I didn’t realize how much I needed that.”
“I think I did,” he said. And shit, he was probably right. I’d spent most of my adult life ignoring those tiny little things that most people didn’t.
I never jerked off. My pleasure was eighty percent emotional, and I wasn’t sure I would ever like myself enough to get worked up high enough to come on my own. So I ignored it when I had needs. And when they became too much, my default was to call Roget and let him work it out of me.
Now, I had Aleric.
“Talk to me,” he said.
I realized I’d been quiet for too long. “Thank you.”
His brow furrowed. “You don’t need to thank me. I lo—” He stopped, his face bright red, and he looked away.
I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t let another chance to say it pass. Cupping his cheek, I drew him close. “Aleric.”
“I’m sorry. I’m?—”
“I love you.”
His body froze, lips parted. His wide, frantic eyes were the only thing moving, darting around my face like he was searching me for a lie. “Camillo.” The way he said my name was shattered, terrified, and hopeful.
“I love you,” I said again. “I’m in love with you.”
His eyes closed, and after a moment, I saw tears sitting at the base of his lashes. Shit. Shit. Had I ruined this?
“Sweetheart. Aleric, please look at me.”
He shook his head firmly. “No. I can’t.”
“Why not?” I wasn’t going to take it back, but I would humble myself and beg him not to panic and leave me. “You don’t need to say it back. But I needed you to know.”
He sniffed. “It’s not that. I’m crying.”
It took everything in me not to laugh with relief. “What does that matter?”
“Because I don’t cry, okay! I mean, I cry on cue for camera, but I haven’t…” He swallowed thickly, then finally blinked his eyes open, and a couple of tears rolled down his cheeks. “I stopped letting anyone see me cry after…everything.”
My heart twisted in my chest.
“It’s been a very,verylong time since anyone has said that to me.”