Page 40 of Silver Linings

twenty-three

. . .

I don’t know what sort of cosmic fate I’ve pleased in a past life for the stroke of good luck, but as it turns out, Hendrix’s place is not very far from the park we’re in.

But the fifteen minute walk is going to feel like an eternity with the way I’m feeling right now.

Thank God Hendrix had the wherewithal to secure my pendant around my neck before we took off, because I am not thinking clearly.

I need to get my hands on him, my mouth on him.

I need to feel his skin against mine, sweat soaked and warm.

I just need… him . With me, around me, inside me.

I’ll burn up from this wanting if I don’t get it soon.

We’ve been dancing around each other for months now, and this craving inside me is like a dam ready to burst open.

Water has already been slipping through my seams for weeks, making my once-sturdy foundation start to crumble at my feet. All because of him.

“Are we there yet?” I whine, impatience lacing my tone as we wait for the light to change.

I can feel the rumble of a laugh in Hendrix’s chest, pressed against my back as the arm wrapped around my waist pulls me closer into him. I can feel it echo throughout my entire body, charting a course from the top of my head all the way down to my toes, curling within my shoes, making me ache.

“Impatience is sexy on you,” he rumbles into my ear, giving it a light nip that shoots straight to my core and has me dancing on the balls of my feet to keep going.

Judging by the groan he lets out and the semi I can feel against my backside, I’d say he’s starting to feel a little restless too.

I press further back into him, and he hisses, “Cruel woman.”

The signal finally changes, and I’m off like a light. I don’t even know where I’m going. I’m just trusting my Spidey-senses will guide me in the direction of his apartment.

“You’re the one who’s been edging us for the last week,” I huff.

“Slow down, sweetheart,” he laughs, catching up to me and hauling me back into his chest, nuzzling his bearded face into the crook of my neck.

Tingles crop up all over my skin from the friction of his stubble.

“We’ll be there soon, and once we get there, I’m not letting you out of my bed for hours .

I want to smell you on my sheets for weeks. ”

I twist around in his grip, bringing his lips to mine and coaxing his lips open with my tongue. He grants me entry instantly, and I devour him, or he devours me—it’s hard to tell with my lust clouding my senses.

Groaning, he pulls away an inch, his breaths panting. “We need to stop, or I’m going to take you right here.”

I nip at his lower lip. “Seems as good a place as any.”

He growls, “The first time I have you isn’t going to be up against a dirty wall in The Village with college kids mulling about.

They don’t get the privilege of seeing you when you’re being fucked the way you deserve for the first time in your life.

They don’t get to see these pretty eyes blown wide, skin flushed, or hear the sounds you make when you’re coming on my cock. That’s for me. Only me.”

I have to admit, the territorial bullshit does wonders for me.

“That isn’t helping matters.” I shift on unsteady legs, breath fanning against his mouth.

“Say it.”

I know what he’s asking of me, what he wants me to confirm so he knows I’m aware of the magnitude of these feelings, what they could mean. This won’t be a one night thing, it won’t be something I can forget and move on from.

“Only for you.” My words are whisper soft as I gaze into his golden green eyes.

He releases a small breath of relief, barely perceptible. “Thank you.” I don’t know if he’s thanking me or some higher power, but it doesn’t matter much to me at the moment.

“We are close, though, right?” There’s a neediness to my voice I’m only vaguely embarrassed by.

“Oh, I’d say we’re both definitely close.”

I swat at his arm. “To your place , you perv.”

He grabs my hand before I bring it back down to my side and kisses the back of my knuckles. “Next block over, Sunshine. I’m ready for you to ruin me for all other women.”

Even the thought of him with other women has my hackles rising, a new feeling for me, and it surprises me that it’s not an unwelcome one.

When he tugs me along after him, a wicked grin on his face, I think he might be the one to ruin me.

We barely make it through the door before I’m on him, pushing him so his back is flush against the front door and I’m sealing my lips to his in a desperate kiss.

Hendrix’s tongue plunges into my mouth setting my body on fire, I meet him stroke for stroke as his hand dives into my hair, cupping the side of my neck to keep me in place.

I don’t know how I have ever lived without this.

Any kiss I’ve ever had before him was inconsequential, paling in comparison to how being with Hendrix makes me feel.

Sensation is sharper, colors are brighter, and the flutters in my stomach turn into a full on swarm.

I feel like I can’t breathe, simultaneously feeling like this is the only thing keeping me grounded, tethered to this Earth and unburdened, like nothing bad could touch me as long as he’s with me.

His hands are wandering a lazy path from my neck down my sides until they settle on my ass, eliciting a groan from both of us as he palms each cheek before reaching under my thighs to hoist me up around his waist. I wrap myself around him with little to no effort and bring my mouth to his neck, sucking on the spot where his pulse hammers against my tongue.

Smiling against his skin, I bite down on the same spot I had been licking, and he groans, dropping his head into my shoulder.

“Doing alright?” I pull his ear between my teeth.

I decide at this moment to make it my mission to drive him as crazy tonight as he’s done to me over the last week. I want him absolutely out of his mind, so blissed out, he doesn’t know up from down for days.

I can feel his hard length behind the fly of his jeans, holding me up so I’m just barely grazing the top of his erection.

So slowly, he doesn’t notice, I shift slightly downward, rolling my core over the tip of his cock, rocking back and forth as well as I can in this position.

He grunts, gripping my ass to stay my movements, holding me firmly against his body.

He brings his face in front of mine. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Set me down.” I drop a brief peck to his mouth.

He slowly lowers me to the ground, my body dragging down his in a delicious descent of friction. When he sets me on my feet, I don’t stop my trajectory, slowly sinking to my knees and looking up at him from my position on the floor.

“So that’s a yes to killing me then.” He looks like he’s in pain, and I revel in every moment, knowing I’m the one making him feel this way, that I drive him as crazy as he does me.

“Maybe just mild torture.” I grin and reach for his belt buckle.

He stops my hand. “You don’t have to do this.”

I can see in his eyes how desperately he wants it. He’s trying to be noble, like he has been for weeks, and it makes me fall a little more each time. But I’m done with him being a valiant knight. I want him depraved. I want to see him unleash and lose control, in me—in us.

“You’ve been taking care of me every day for a week.” I loosen his belt buckle, unbuttoning his pants.

“That doesn’t mean you o–” his words catch as I grab onto the bulge in his pants, “–owe me this. Fuck. ”

“I’ll stop if you want me to,” he squeezes his eyes closed, as if seeing me on my knees before him hurts, “but you’ve been taking care of me for a week, and it’s been so good. But I’m going crazy not knowing what you taste like, feel like. Can I?”

“Christ,” He gives me a look that says are you insane before he nods his consent.

A devilish grin ignites across my face as I unzip the fly and pull the denim down his legs until he’s able to toe out of them.

I finger the edges of his briefs, pants discarded off to the side, before I reach my hand in gently to grab ahold of him.

The grunt he emits when I finally make contact with him has my own panties dampening beneath my clothes.

I give him one firm tug before I remove my hand so I can pull his briefs down and bring him out fully. “Holy shit,” it’s almost vulgar how perfect he is.

His cock juts up, leaking with pre-cum, and I have to resist the urge not to lick my lips at the sight.

“If you keep staring at me like that, I’m going to come before this even starts,” his eyes are dark as onyx, and there’s a sheen of perspiration lining his brow from the effort of holding back.

“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” Another firm tug as I inch closer and closer.

Bringing my mouth within an inch of his cock, I give it a teasing puff of air that makes him twitch in my hand.

It earns me a deep sigh, and when I look up at Hendrix, every visible muscle in his body is pulled taut with restraint, eyes laser focused on me.

It’s a heady look, addicting to be the sole focus of his attention.

Without breaking eye contact, I run my tongue in a teasing caress around the head before I suck the tip into my mouth.

“ Fuck! ” He throws his head back so quickly, it hits the door behind him, but I don’t stop my ministrations to check if he’s alright.

I swirl my tongue around the crown before taking in another inch, my hand holding him steady at the base. Hendrix mutters incoherent curses as he reaches around to cup the back of my head gently while I draw him further into my mouth, cheeks hollowing, until he’s as far as I can get him to go.

“You have no idea how beautiful you look with your mouth full of me.” He affectionately rubs the base of my head.

I’m suddenly too hot for the amount of clothing I have on, boiling from his words and my actions. I pull back quickly and pull my sweater over my head, letting the cool air of the room temper my skin, my nipples peaking under the black lace of my bra.

“Your turn.” I wink and bring him back to my lips, licking from base to tip before pulling him back into my mouth.

Hendrix’s breathing notches imperceptibly higher as I bob my head up and down on his length.

He follows my order to take off his shirt, and I feast my eyes with a golden torso dusted with light patches of dark hair.

I notice the dark lines of a tattoo emerging out of the left side of his briefs, but curiosity will have to wait.

I relax my mouth to take him deeper until he hits the back of my throat, causing him to yell out and pull my head off him with a squelching pop .

I look up at him, sitting back on my heels, lips swollen and wet. “Why did you stop me?”

“The first time I come inside you will be inside your pretty pussy. I was seconds away from exploding.” I smile up at him, this curious look of devastation on his face. “You have no idea what you do to me, Silver.”

“Tell me.” I bet it’s the same as what he does to me.

He shakes his head but pulls me up to my feet, keeping a hold of me so I don’t lose balance.

Then, he brings his mouth down to mine and shows me what I do to him.

His kiss tells me I drive him out of his mind, that this connection is so much more than physical desire.

His body aches for me, yes, but his mind does too.

This infallible feeling I get when he’s touching me is because he understands me more than anyone ever has, he sees me for all that I am, and he wants me more for it.

He wants all my broken, tired, happy, successful, stressed, angry, and joyous moments.

Because they’re mine, and he wants me. All of me.

“More,” I mumble against his mouth before he grabs my hand and leads us into his bedroom.