Page 18 of Laila Manning (Shadeport Crew #3)

E very inch of my body hummed in a way that only happened when Zeke was nearby. He was electric. Hot. Powerful. And my body responded to him in ways that words couldn’t portray.

They didn’t need to, it was natural.

Instinctive.

Right.

Everything about Zeke felt right, and I ached to just fall headfirst into what he promised me, without a second of hesitation. I was on the edge, ready to jump.

To trust.

To give in and lose myself in him.

“Open your eyes, Dove.” He whispered and my eyes snapped open. I didn’t even realize I’d closed them again; lost to the sensations he was giving me. “There’ s my good girl.”

I moaned, leaning into him, desperate for his praise as much as I was for his touch. Did he know how badly I wanted to be his good girl? To be good for him?

“Please,” I whispered, tilting my head back as I fell into the need he was creating inside of me.

“Please what, Dove?” He asked against my ear. “Tell me.” His breath was warm, and I shivered. “Beg me.”

“Please,” I repeated, fighting embarrassment and hang-ups as he patiently waited for me to give him what he wanted. What I wanted.

Because the truth was, I wanted to beg. I wanted to plead with him to touch me. To kiss me. To make me feel good. To fuck me. God, I wanted to fall to my knees at his feet and show him just how much I desired this. Him.

But I didn’t know how.

I had never desired a man before. Never wanted to be touched. Yet with Zeke, I couldn’t think of anything else.

“I need you,” I whispered. “You make me feral for it.”

He smiled against my cheek and kissed a trail of erotic kisses down my neck and back to my chin. “You don’t even know what that word means.” He paused with his lips hovering over mine, “Yet.”

The second his lips touched mine, I mewled, digging my nails into his hand again and arching into his touch, opening to his coaxing until his tongue brushed mine. His thumb brushed over my sensitive core again, matching the seductive motion of his tongue, gently flicking and rubbing me.

Cautious.

Hesitant.

Thoughtful.

But that wasn’t what I wanted right now.

It wasn’t what I needed .

I slid both hands over his massive shoulders and to the back of his neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. I felt the power rippling underneath his skin as he responded to my need, on the edge of losing control, and for some reason, the thought of him letting go didn’t scare me.

It excited me.

Elora had been right the other day when she referred to him as Mr. Serious because Zeke was always in control of himself. But right now, I needed to feel the edge of that control slip to match my own craziness.

He growled into my mouth, biting my lip as he put more pressure between my legs, and I brazenly spread my thighs wider to make more room for his hand. “I can feel how hot you are through your jeans, Dove.” He growled. “Tell me that’s for me.”

“It’s for you.” I panted. “I’m so turned on.”

“I’m going to make you come.” He promised as he moved his fingers against my clit until I whimpered and cried out in desperation. “I want to hear every sound you make when you come. I want to watch you come apart.”

“Zeke.” I groaned, laying my forehead against his chin as I clung to the back of his neck. “You have no idea how close I am.”

“Then be my good girl and come. Give it to me.” He demanded, and my body caved, chasing euphoria like it was my last breath.

“Yes!” I hissed out between clenched teeth as I rocked my hips back and forth, coming against his hand through my jeans like a teenager.

“Fuck yes.” He growled against my lips, “That’s it, Dove. Come for me.”

“Oh, my God.” I gasped, sinking back into the couch as my chest heaved from exertion. I caught my breath and slowly opened my once again closed eyes and found Zeke smirking down at me with that predatory gaze. He looked smug and excited all at once, and I smirked back. “What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful before.

” He winked and leaned down to kiss me, and I eagerly returned his affection, like it was natural and normal between us.

I looked down between us and noticed the large bulge tenting the front of his towel, and I was secretly glad I hadn’t let him go get dressed before I invited him inside.

He watched me, noting where my gaze was pinpointed. “I’m sorry.” He reached down quickly and adjusted himself, not that it did any good because he was obviously large, and the towel offered no concealment. “Hey.” he said, lifting my chin to look away from his lap and into his eyes. “Ignore it.”

“What?” I shook my head slowly, confused.

“This isn’t about me. This was about you.”

“But—,” I stammered, still not grasping what he meant.

“Shh.” He pressed his thumb to my lips, silencing me. “Thank you. For giving me this gift. For allowing me to touch you. It was incredible to watch.”

“That makes me feel like a science experiment,” I stated plainly as he leaned back to get a better look at me. The hostility in my voice was palpable, but I couldn’t stop it. “Are you saying that’s it? We’re not doing anything else?”

“Yes, that’s all we’re doing.” He responded firmly, and I sputtered in shock. “Stop.” He commanded as I unraveled, “Take a deep breath and talk to me. Why are you upset?”

“I—,” I stood up, detangling myself from his hold to pace the small space. “Don’t you want—?” I started, but shame burned so brightly in my stomach that I stopped before I could finish.

“Laila.” He warned, catching my drift anyway .

“Never mind. Just go.” I turned my back on him and busied myself with the supplies discarded on the coffee table.

“No.” He argued. “Stop.”

“Please just go. This is all embarrassing enough without the awkward ending.” I was such an idiot to think he was actually interested in me.

He was repulsed by my body.

Just like I knew he would be.

Exactly how he should be.

“Laila.” He barked as I left the living room and took the supplies to the bathroom. “Just talk to me. Don’t shut down.”

“I can’t.” I felt my walls crumbling and panic building and knew I needed to end this conversation before it got any worse. “Please just go.”

“Do you think I don’t want you?” He followed me and stood in the doorway, blocking my path out. “Laila, talk to me.”

“I can’t.” I cried, closing my eyes, and hanging my head in defeat at the sink. “Please, Zeke. Just go.”

“No.” He stepped behind me and pressed his body against mine, pinning me to the sink with his hips.

“Does this feel like I don’t fucking want you, Dove?

” He ground his hips again, rubbing his erection against my ass, and I groaned, hating how the night turned.

“Feel how hard you made me and then look me in the eye and tell me you still think that.”

“Zeke.” I shook my head.

“What are you feeling right now? Tell me.”

“I don’t know how.” I stared at him in the mirror and hated the tears that sparkled in my eyes.

“Try.” He wrapped his hands around my waist and stood patiently behind me. “For me. ”

My desire to please him, to give him this, caused a sigh of frustration to slip from my lips. “I feel—” I closed my eyes, “Dirty.”

Zeke tensed behind me, and the tears slid over my cheeks again for the second time tonight. “Because of what I did?”

“No!” I cried, opening my eyes and staring at him in the mirror. “Because you didn’t want me to do it back.”

“Laila.” He deflated behind me and closed his eyes like the information pained him.

“You’re not dirty. I didn’t stop this because I don’t want you.

” He forced me to face him, and he wrapped one hand around the side of my neck, using his thumb under my jaw to keep my head tipped back so I was looking at him.

“I stopped because I want to give you so much pleasure, you’re cross-eyed with it before I take even a second of pleasure from your body.

” He kissed me, and instead of fighting him on it like I should have, I melted into it.

“You’ve spent too much time seeing to other people’s pleasure, Dove.

It’s time you were worshiped the way you deserve to be. ”

“I don’t want you to make up for other people’s sins.” I cried, shaking my head.

“I’m not.” He pressed his forehead against mine and held me firmly. “But I will heal your wounds, Laila. Because that’s what someone does when they care about you. They better you and help you.”

“I just want to be normal.” I cried, hating that everything he was saying was the right thing. Because I didn’t want there to be any right or wrong things to say anymore. I just wanted to be normal.

“You’re not normal. And neither am I.” He kissed my lips, slowly coaxing me to kiss him back like I had before.

But instead of the carnal need behind the kiss like earlier, there was something deeper and more heartfelt in it.

“I don’t want your normal, Dove. I want your wounds, your insecurities, and your hesitations.

It’s in these that I prove to you how much I want you.

It’s in moments just like this one that we grow together.

Tighter and stronger than a normal couple that is shallow and only surface deep. ”

“I don’t know—,” I hesitated.

“Well, I do.”

I smirked and took a deep breath, trying to relax and unwind, the whole night had been a whirlwind of emotions from the moment I walked up the driveway. “If you say so.”

Zeke left shortly after our moment in my apartment, going back to work for Ryker.

Before he left, he kissed me and told me he wouldn’t stay away for so long again this time.

I didn’t know if he meant it, and a part of me believed he only said that so I wouldn’t feel used after what happened between us.

But I wasn’t sure.

I did know, however, that I didn’t feel used.

Quite the opposite, actually.