Page 37 of Built for Mercy

Sophie rolled so I was straddling her hips. She was adorably mussed, her makeup smeared, and practically swimming in my shirt.

So this is what she looks like when she’s undone.

“Not a single time did I consider using my safe word. Like I said, I wanted it and enjoyed it. But after? I just felt…”

I knew exactly the direction she was heading, because I felt that way when I was given the latitude to act on my sexual desires.

“Liberated,” I finished for her. Her eyes lit up.

“Yes!” She frowned. “Is that wrong?”

Shaking my head, I said, “No. This is normal. When you’re in a safe environment to enjoy every part of sex and you trust the person you’re with, you’resupposedto feel liberated. And oftentimes, you don’t know just how much you’ve been holding out on yourself until someone nudges you in the right direction.”

She pulled me down so we were facing each other on our sides. “Have you ever felt this way before?”

I nodded. “When I first started exploring my… darker sides.” I chose my words carefully. “And when I find someone who wants it as much as I do. Which really isn’t all that often.” I hoped my tone saidit’s you.

She twisted her lips. “Yeah. I get that.” She traced her fingers over the tattoos on my right bicep—the one she seemed most enthralled by. “That feeling is addicting. Like I finally let go.”

“Of what?” I prompted, hoping she wouldn’t shut me out now. Hoping she’d understand just how important it was that sex partners be open and honest with one another.

She shifted to prop herself up on her arm, her shiny black hair catching the lamplight. “Of everything. I spend my life consumed by bitterness and anger, and sex was always a temporary outlet. But this is not just a distraction. This is an addiction that could free me from my demons. Allow me to accept parts of myself I’ve kept hidden and surrender my control. I’m emotionally drained now. Like the floodgates have opened. All because of you.”

I tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear, then skimmed her jawline. “It’s fascinating watching you realize these things.” My cock was hard again just hearing her confession. And truthfully, also from rubbing her ass, and now I was thinking about being inside her again, knowing she wanted this as much as I did.

Fuck.

I had never wanted a woman so badly. Certainly had never asked one to stay over after one night together.

Sophie’s eyes landed on my dick before trailing back up my body. The dark look in them made me feel hot and bothered, and it took all my strength to not pounce on her.

“You know,” she said slowly with a seductive smile. “I have an IUD.”

I blinked.

“Detective,” I said in warning, and her smile faltered.

“Don’t go all ‘Detective’ on me. All I’m saying is—”

“I’ve never done it raw before,” I admitted.

“I’ve never been spanked before.” I gaped at her, my jaw clenching. “You want to feel liberated? Then I can’t be the only one trying new things tonight. And certainly not if we’re going to keepfucking.” She threw my earlier words back at me, and itmade me wince. It was a harsh way to put it when that’s not all it was.

I hummed. She had a point, but more than that, now all I could think about was feeling her with no barrier between us. Experience this dark angel of a woman as much as possible.

“Pushing me out of my comfort zone, too?”

Sophie smiled knowingly. “It feels better for me. Another purpose of having an IUD, pregnancy aside.”

I trusted her, but my first instinct was to shut down. As it stood, she was plowing through every one of my regular rules.Was tonight a date?Yep.Telling her to stay over?Yes.Considering fucking her bare without protection?Absolutely.

Especially that last one. Taking pregnancy and STDs out of the equation, it meant more intimacy, and that was not something I was familiar with.

But for her? Fuck, I think I’d do anything she asked me to.

“Okay,” I found myself saying, to my surprise. The grin that lit up Sophie’s face made my heart stutter. I matched her smile, the feeling infectious as she pulled my shirt off her and crawled over me so her legs were on either side of my hips.

She paused to tilt her head at me. “You will never be the same after this,” she deadpanned, almost like she read my mind.