Page 81 of Hold Me Tight

And the quiet, life-altering realization that after years, I finally feel wanted.

30

River

I wake up the next morning to Callie’s warm hand gliding over me, and it feels more like a fucking dream. For a second, I keep my eyes closed and my body still, afraid that even a twitch might break the spell.

Her touch is so damn tentative. Her fingers skim just beneath the waistband of my boxer briefs, like she’s memorizing the shape of me.

Like she wants this.

Wants me.

All I can think about is last night and the look in her eyes when she finally let go. The way her body trembled while she learned how to give herself pleasure. The quiet, broken sounds she made when she fell apart. The way she leaned into me afterward, like she finally felt safe.

In that moment, everything changed between us, becoming more permanent.

Like we crossed some invisible threshold and there’s no going back.

Even better, she doesn’t want to.

She’s not taking a giant step in retreat with the need to regroup.

When her hand drifts lower, growing bolder, I nearly lose it. Before I can say a word, she swings a leg over me and straddles my hips, her bare thighs bracketing my waist.

My eyelids fly open, and I find Callie naked. Her blonde hair tumbles around her shoulders and her cheeks are still flushed with sleep. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful than this woman. My gaze roves over her face, wanting to sear this moment into my brain for all eternity.

“If this is a dream,” I rasp, “please don’t wake me.”

Her lips quirk as a laugh escapes from her. “It’s not.”

Unable to resist touching her, my hands slide upward along her thighs before resting on her hips. Even though every muscle in my body is tense with restraint, I keep my grip light.

“What is it that you want from me, Callie?” I ask, my gaze locking on hers. “I made you a promise, and I’m not the kind of man who breaks his word. You might not understand that right now, but you will.”

Her expression changes. The teasing falls away before being replaced by something raw and open. And it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

She leans in as her eyes search mine. “I want you,” she whispers. “I want to feel you inside me, filling me up.”

Fuck.

The words hit me like a freight train. Hard, fast, and impossible to ignore.

“Are you sure?”

She nods, but it’s not enough.

Not for this.

I reach up and brush two fingers across her lips. “Words, Callie. I need to hear you say it. I don’t want there to be a single second where you doubt this. Or worse, regret it.”

“I won’t,” she says. “I promise. I want you.”

That’s all I need.

When she leans down, the soft swells of her breasts brush against my chest, and I angle my head until my mouth finds her nipple before sucking gently, rolling my tongue against the peak until she gasps, arching into me. Then I move to the other, giving it the same attention.

Her fingers tangle in my hair, tugging as her hips shift against mine.