Page 26 of Silver Sanctuary (The Silver Springs #3)

“That title might not be officially yours yet, Lacy. But when I say it, I’m reminding you of the promise that, one day, very soon if I have my way about it, you will be my wife.”

Her flesh pebbled, and a tiny shiver, only slightly visible to him, rolled through her body.

“Well then. Does my husband want me to take care of that rather large bulge in his pants, or am I just going to put myself to bed?” Lacy lifted the edge of her shirt with one hand, the motion giving him a perfect view of the triangle between her legs.

He forgot about his cock, his mouth flooding at the idea of touching her, tasting her, hearing her scream out his name as he licked every inch of her through her orgasm.

Lacy used her free hand to run her fingers over her stomach and down to her hip before sliding her hand to the exact spot Nash wanted to touch for himself.

“Fuck,” he growled. His hands captured her face as he bowed slightly to press a kiss to her lips. “I want you, Lacy, but I have to know you’re okay with this. That you’re healed enough that I won’t hurt you. I don’t want to ever hurt you.”

“I’m fine—better than fine. I want this. I want you.” Lacy’s hands went back to the edge of her shirt, only this time, she didn’t raise it a little to tease him. She brought the whole thing up and over her head, the fabric falling to a heap on the floor.

“Christ. You’re perfect.” His hand brushed her hair over her shoulder.

And then he let his fingers explore over the curve of her collarbone, down her shoulder and right arm.

and back up to dance over the side of her breast. Her gorgeous, dusty rose nipples hardened to peaks, just begging for his lips to taste.

He couldn’t wait a moment longer. His lips lowered, sucking her nipple into his mouth. He rolled his tongue against the hardened nub, loving the moan that escaped from her lips. Lacy’s hands combed through his hair, stopping to tug at the roots when he let his teeth graze over the sensitive flesh.

“Nash, that feels so good .”

He chuckled as her nipple popped out of his mouth. “I love when you say my name, baby, but fuck. The way you moan it just like that… I think that’s my favorite. Now, sit your gorgeous ass on our bed so I can taste you properly.”

She shook her head.

“No?” he asked.

“It’s not fair that I’m standing here in my birthday suit and you’ve still got your clothes on.”

In ten seconds flat, he went from fully dressed to standing in front of her, naked.

“Much better.” She smiled, her eyes hooded as she drew a trail all over her body with her gaze.

Nash pulled her into his chest, kissing her as he guided them to the bed.

His cock pressed against her stomach, already weeping at the thought of sinking inside her.

They fell, his arms outstretched to try and catch their landing on the mattress.

With her hair splayed out all around her head on the pillow, Lacy looked like a goddess.

“You are so fucking beautiful, Lace. The woman of my fucking dreams. You don’t know how long I’ve wanted this moment—waited for it to happen.”

“Show me,” she begged. “Show me all the things you’ve been dreaming about.”

Now that, he could do.

“Hands above your head, Lace. No touching me—not yet. I don’t want to embarrass myself too quickly here.”

“Why would you…” Her brows furrowed, the cutest little worry line forming between them.

“There’s been no one, for a very long time.”

Her head lifted off the pillow. “How long?”

“Ten years. Or longer.”

“Why? You’re so handsome. And literally the sweetest, most protective man I’ve ever met. How are you not having to beat women away with a baseball bat?”

“Well, first, I would never do that to a woman.” She scoffed, but he just continued.

“And second, I got sick of meaningless sex. Gage found his wife and had his son and I just saw how in love they were and I wanted that—I wanted to wait for that. Even when I watched him go through the unimaginable pain of losing them, I knew it was worth it. So I waited. I waited all this time… for you.”

“I don’t deserve you,” she whispered.

“Yes, you do. You deserve better than me, but I’m not giving you up. So I’ll work every single day to be the man you deserve.” He kissed her cheek, her jaw, her shoulder. His lips pressed against her chest, right between her breasts. And then his hand came up and rested against her belly.

It was so flat—smooth without any stretch marks.

Lacy must be one of those women who had the genetics to be able to carry a baby without getting them.

That didn’t matter to him. The stretch marks on her hips and thighs were sexy as hell to him.

If she carried his baby one day and got them on her belly, he’d worship them every day .

She went still under his touch.

“What are you doing?”

“Thinking about when you were pregnant with Embrie—what you looked like. How cute your belly must have been. Do you have pictures, Lace? I’d love to see them.”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

He pressed a kiss just below her belly button. “That’s okay. Are you on birth control?”

“I have the implant in my arm. It’s good for the next three years.”

“Okay.”

“And… I was tested as soon as I got to Silver Springs. Everything came back clean.”

Nash’s brows pulled together. “Okay. Are you sure this is what you want, Lace? We don’t have to?—”

“I swear, Nash Caldwell, if you do not get me off soon, I’m going to take matters into my own hands and you’re not going to be allowed to touch me while I give myself at least three orgasms. So, do you want in on the game, Coach, or are you going to watch?”

“I can do way better than three orgasms.”

Lacy rolled her eyes, but he felt her hips shift beneath him as her legs opened. “Don’t make me beg again.”

Nash kissed her hip before moving his body down so that his head was directly between her legs.

Ignoring his own need, which was painfully hard between his own legs, Nash licked her from opening to clit.

He circled the firm bud a few times before popping off, loving the way Lacy’s hips bucked at the movement.

His fingers reached up to play with her nipple.

Just a few light passes over it with his thumb before he started matching the motions with his tongue back on her clit.

Lacy’s hips rolled as he sucked her, letting him lick down to her entrance and plunge inside her warm heat.

He felt her legs begin to shake, slowly pressing in on him as he continued to flick and circle her clit, driving her higher and higher until her legs clamped down around him and he felt her whole body go rigid, a muffled scream filling the room.

He continued to gently lap his tongue against her until she came through the aftershocks of her orgasm.

“That was…” She panted.

“Orgasm number one.”

“If they are all going to be like that, I don’t know if I’ll survive three of them.”

“Let’s try.” Nash wiped at his mouth, sucking on her nipple at the same time he lined the tip of his cock up with her entrance.

“Tell me I should stop, Lace. Tell me you don’t want this. Because I will. It’ll kill me,” he groaned. “But I will.”

“I want this, Nash. I want all of you. Fuck me. Fuck your wife.”

That was it. He pushed his hips forward just the smallest fraction of distance, but it was enough. It was enough for him to feel her warmth. And that feeling had him almost losing control right then and there.

Nash ground his molars down so hard he thought he might break them. No way was he going to come before Lacy had another orgasm. No. He wouldn’t. Her fingers raked along the skin on his arms.

“Nash. Please,” she begged. “I need more. I need all of you.”

He pressed into her, Lacy’s small gasps of pleasure spurring him on until he was seated fully inside her. And that’s when he lost control. It felt too good; she was too perfect. Nash’s hips moved, setting a punishing pace.

His body tightened, that familiar tingle starting at the base of his spine and making his balls ache.

He reached between their bodies, his thumb finding her clit and rubbing one circle against it before Lacy’s back was arching off the bed, her pussy clamping down on him so hard he didn’t stand a chance of lasting one second longer.

His orgasm slammed into him, blinding him and dulling his sense of hearing until his entire body was spent.

Nash lowered himself to the mattress next to Lacy, still inside her. Still loving the way she fluttered around him. He wrapped his arms around her and she settled on his chest.

“Needless to say, married life is going to be lots of fun.” She giggled as she traced the trident Nash had tattooed over his heart.

“Married life is going to be the best, as long as it’s you by my side.” He kissed the top of her head, loving the feeling of her melting into his embrace. “I still owe you another orgasm,” he joked.

“Raincheck, husband.” She yawned over his heart. “We have our whole lives ahead of us.”

“Lacy! Get the fuck out here!”

Lacy jolted off the bed, checking quickly to make sure Embrie was still fast asleep. She could sleep through just about anything, and Lacy never knew whether to laugh or cry about that. If she’d grown up somewhere stable, somewhere with a nice neighborhood, and kind neighbors…

“Where the fuck are you?! Don’t make me come down there and get you. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you’ve been hiding Embrie…”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Adam was such an asshole. Her landlord-turned-mother’s-boyfriend-and-dealer—because that’s what he was and there was no way she would ever call him anything else—usually left them alone.

But from the slurred words to the way his feet dragged heavily across the floor, Lacy knew he was in one of his moods.

She was so tired of struggling. So tired of being at everyone’s mercy. If she didn't have Embrie to worry about… No! She wouldn’t let herself think like that. Embrie was the best gift she’d ever been given.

Lacy slipped out into the hallway, though not before she locked the door to her bedroom. It was flimsy, and someone could break it down in about two seconds if they really wanted to, but the action helped settle her nerves.

“What are you doing here? Amber’s not here. You need to leave.”

“Fuck that. Your rent’s due, and I’m here to collect,” he threatened.

“I paid you last week. You’re drunk and just don’t remember. Please, Adam, don’t make me call the cops.”

“And what? I know the truth about Embrie. They’ll fucking rip her away from you so fast…”

“No. No. Fine.” Her eyes drifted to the kitchen where she hid away money every time she got paid from her job at the florist. Of course she put money in the bank, but this was her getaway money.

Her something-happened-in-the-middle-of-the-night-and-she-needed-to-run money. “I can get you extra cash.”

“Nah. That’s not the sort of payment I want.

” He licked his lips and Lacy’s stomach lurched.

His hand traveled to the button on his pants and he flicked it open, reaching inside to take his disgusting dick out.

Lacy’s eyes went to the ceiling, tears now welling in them.

She’d done it before—to keep Embrie safe.

She could do it again. They were so close to leaving.

If she got the grant in Silver Springs, their life could start over.

“Get the fuck over here and suck me off like the fucking whore you are. You want this roof to stay over your head? You don’t want the cops to know about Embrie? You better open your mouth and swallow, bitch. ”

She fell to her knees and ? —

Lacy’s eyes flew open, her heart throbbing painfully in her throat. Strong arms banded around her and she wanted to scream. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to breathe. The warmth of the room and the light scent of Nash cocooned around her. Safety. Security. Home.

“Hey, you okay?” Nash groaned, tightening his hold of her.

“Yeah,” she panted. “Wow… it was just a bad dream. I’m okay. Go back to sleep.”

“Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it?”

She reached up, patting his arm. “No. I’m going to get up and check on Embrie, though. I’ll be right back.”

“M’kay.” Nash pulled his arms back and let her slide out of the blankets.

Her feet padded against the cool wooden floor as she opened their door, trying not to make too much noise as she entered the hallway.

The apartment was silent, darkness still flooding the space.

She tiptoed down the hall and over to Embrie’s room.

Cracking the door open, she saw her daughter snuggled under her pink unicorn comforter and absolutely covered in all the stuffed animals the girls had gotten her.

Life was good.

Things were getting back on track.

She felt safe.

They were protected.

So why the hell had she had that dream?