Page 114 of Hold Me Tight

The truth is terrifying.

My heart hammers as I push upright in bed, the only sound the slow, steady rhythm of River’s breathing beside me.

With trembling fingers, I reach for the hem of my tank and drag it over my head. The thin cotton slides across my skin and then pools beside the bed. My underwear follows, slipping down my legs in a whisper of fabric before I let it fall to the floor.

I shift the covers before straddling him, my knees bracing on either side of his hips. The sheets rustle around us, the quiet movement amplified by the hush of the room. River stirs beneath me, a low murmur falling from his lips. His brow furrows and then relaxes, his body stretching instinctively toward mine.

His eyes flutter open. “Callie?”

I lean down and kiss him, savoring every second as his arms circle my waist and draw me closer. A groan vibrates through him as our mouths move together.

His hands skim over my bare skin, awakening every nerve in their path.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, voice hoarse as his lips brush mine.

I press my forehead to his. “Nothing. I just need you.”

His grip on my hips tightens, and the feel of him does the impossible and grounds me in this moment. “You have me.”

His words are gentle and fierce all at once. A life preserver in the dark I can cling to.

I exhale as my fingers curl around the waistband of his boxer briefs. Slowly, I ease them down over the firm lines of his hips, past the powerful cut of his thighs, until he kicks them off.

I shift, letting my body glide against the thick ridge of his cock. The friction is instant, and it sends a thousand shivers racing across my skin.

My spine arches as every nerve ending sparks to life, drawn to the heat of him.

I don’t just want this man.

I need him. Every inch, every part of him pressing into me until there’s nothing left between us.

Nothing in my life has ever felt this right.

Or this real.

Like something I never truly believed I could have but stumbled into when I needed it most.

“Callie,” he groans. “That feels so damn good. You feel so damn good.”

His fingers flex against my hips, digging in just enough to keep the control from slipping through his hands.

Every breath he holds is a silent promise that he’ll never rush me. That this will happen on my terms.

And that only makes me want him more.

I move slowly, teasing him, rocking my hips until I’m soaked and aching, until every part of me throbs with the need to be filled.

To be his.

His jaw clenches, the muscles in his arms trembling with the effort not to rush ahead, but still, his gaze never leaves mine.

He waits patiently.

He’s steady and unshakable.

Instead of demanding, he offers every part of himself.

And when I can’t take another second of space between us, I shift and guide him to my entrance. The thick head of his cock presses against me.