Her gaze landed on the jagged white scars stretching over her breast. She’d started getting stretch marks when she was a teenager. No amount of lotion or magic cream took them away and she, for the most part, tried to ignore them. Maybe he would ignore them too.
Her head bowed as she slid off her panties. There she was, as naked as the day she was born. Wide hips creased by gravity made it difficult to notice the small patch of soft, brown curls at her apex.
Her gaze flowed over her reflection and took note of her better qualities. Her nails were painted and filed neatly. Her makeup was subtle, but nice. Her hair was long and natural in color. For some reason, it became important for her to show him exactly who she was. There would be no veils or facades, not tricks of beauty or accessories to distract the eye. It was all or nothing. If he wanted her, that was exactly who he was going to get.
She emerged from the bathroom wearing only her robe. Her breath caught when she saw him sitting on the bed in only his jeans, his bare chest showing in the soft lamplight from the nightstand. He was stunning.
A fine trail of golden, brown hair ran over his abs, disappearing behind the unbuttoned snap of his jeans. On the nightstand she spotted the infamous box of condoms. Funny, not until that moment did it actually register that she was going to have sex. The physical act was second hand to all the emotional repercussions.
She hadn’t had sex in years. She almost forgot what it felt like. Chills skated up her spine as she drew the slow epiphany that whatever he was hiding in those jeans was going to be inside of her very soon.
She smiled and he reciprocated the gesture. With slow steps she walked into the bedroom. Taking one last look at the beautiful man sitting on her bed, her fingers went to the switch on the wall and extinguished the light.
Darkness settled on the room for only a second and then a soft click came from the bed as Finn leaned over and turned on the nightstand lamp. He slowly shook his head, telling her there would be no hiding.
Having her body displayed in light where unfavorable shadows could be cast was not a comforting thought. But the look in his eyes told her the idea of seeing her without shields was very favorable to him. She nodded in acceptance and he whispered, “Thank you.”
Her feet carried her slowly to the bed. Standing at the foot, she struggled with the tie of her robe. He stood and met her at the foot of the bed, touching her hands softly, stilling her motions.
She let out a shaky breath as he took over the knot and whispered, “Let me.”
Shutting her eyes, she nodded as the terrycloth lapels were drawn apart. He sucked in an audible breath and said, “Gorgeous.”
She bit her tongue so as to not object to the compliment and gentle fingers tipped up her chin. Soft lips pressed into hers and she shivered. The heat of his body covered her front as he stepped even closer. Tender lips coaxed her mouth open as he kissed her softly. Their heads tilted and her body warmed.
Strong hands cupped her breasts as his thumb dragged over her nipples. Her body tightened as he deepened the kiss.
The backs of his knuckles caressed her stomach causing her to slightly suck in a breath. He teased at the soft curls at her apex and she whimpered.
“I love your body,” he said against her lips.
His hand pressed into the base of her spine, drawing her closer. Every part of her shook. His mouth caressed the corner of her lips, and then trailed over her jaw and down to her throat. He nibbled at her ear and she nearly collapsed. There was something so magnificent about Finn’s mouth on her ear. It made her insane.
Her sex clenched with rapid little flutters as moisture gathered at her folds. His fingers teased at the edge of her robe, up and down, over her breasts, and then the weight of the soft fabric fell away.
Blanketed in the cold of the room, she shivered. Her shoulders now exposed, he kissed them gently. His touch was so delicate. He made ever patch of flesh, every nerve, come to life.
He nudged her toward the bed and eased her down. Self-consciousness reared its ugly head as she sat. Quickly adjusting her pose in the skinniest fashion she could manage, she leaned all the way back on the cool bedding and extended her arms above her head.
Watching him, he breathed hard, his chest rising and falling with each pant. “I wish you could see yourself now,” he said in a gravelly voice. “All soft curves and feminine perfection.”
She nearly scoffed, but held back. Her cheeks heated as he slowly undid the zipper of his jeans and eased them down. When his body unfolded and he was standing before her in all of his glory, her jaw unhinged. “Holy mother of penis.”
He laughed. She hadn’t meant to say the words out loud, but dear God that was a lot of man.
The side of his mouth kicked up in a half-smile and her heart fluttered as his dimple came into view. The bed dipped as he climbed over her. The heat of his body scorched her skin. His erection rested heavily over her hip as his mouth found hers.
She was suddenly a teenage girl with no clue what she was doing. Her hands traveled from his shoulders to his back to his hip, never quite sure of the best place to touch. It was all so perfect, so manly.
His mouth distracted her to the extreme as those soft lips closed over her nipple. She arched and reveled at the sense of being blanketed by him. Finn was so encompassing, when he held her she somehow felt small and delicate. It was a freeing sensation she’d never experienced before. It made her bold.
Her knees tightened on his hips and his arousal nudged her sex, causing her to gasp. He breathed into her shoulder and whispered words of sweetness, but she was beyond the point of comprehension. She wanted him now!
“Finn. Finnegan, please.”
“Shh. Patience, Philly.”
He kissed over her shoulder and found her breasts. It was so novel to have someone freely touch and taste her there. For as much as she wasn’t a virgin, she never really allowed herself to fully experience sex. Foreplay was amazing and, up until then, she’d been missing out.
His tongue flicked and teased at her tip. His hands cupped and massaged. She couldn’t seem to keep still. Very aware of his arousal nudging her sex, she dared to reach down and touch him. As her hand engulfed him he sucked a harsh breath through his teeth and cursed. She squeezed and ran her hand up and down his length slowly.
His flesh was taut, but smooth. His hips drew back as he glanced down at her hand on him. She looked down as well and reality split her in two. The sight of her naked flesh crashed over her arousal, piercing her confidence and her motions faltered.
His strong fingers wrapped over hers and he squeezed. She tried to get back to the place she was, but it proved elusive. Frustration hammered down on her as she screwed her eyes shut.
Finn’s body lifted and he gently tugged her hand away. His mouth teased the spot beneath her ear. That was definitely the money spot. Every time he touched her there she melted.
Kisses trailed over her chest and down to her hips. Again, she was trembling. This time she would just keep her eyes closed. His hands teased over her hips and thighs. Her body stretched as his broad shoulders scooted lower.
Oh no!
“Finn, wait…” Her knees tightened. His fingers brushed over the dewy curls at the apex of her thighs.
It felt so good. She spread her legs only slightly, just enough for him to fit a finger. His digit probed gently and as he found his way into her slick core with his finger, she gasped. Slow, measured thrusts had her relaxing and opening for him.
He teased the bud of her sex and she began to moan. His mouth kissed her hip and then there was the softest flick of his tongue at the peek of her sex. She nearly sprung off the bed. She didn’t do that. Ever.
“Finn…” She needed to stop him, but his tongue kept teasing that spot. Sensations she’d never before experienced crested through her body. She tightened and her heart began to beat in places outside of her chest.
“Open for me, Mallory.”
Refusal played in her mind, but with on
ly the slightest pressure, he parted her thighs. His mouth settled over her sex and his fingers continued to probe. She was breathing hard.
“Oh my God…Oh my God…”
He doubled his pace and kissed her sex. Sucking, licking, touching her like no man ever had, until she fell to pieces. Her legs trembled as a waterfall of color exploded behind her eyes. It was too much, but she never wanted it to stop.
Her voice echoed off the walls. Her heart raced. Finn kissed her thighs, her knees, her hips, and even her belly. She was beyond caring.
His weight lifted and he returned to her, his mouth again settling over hers. His lips tasted of what she assumed was her. Perhaps she should have minded, but she didn’t. It was the most erotic kiss of her life.
His arousal pressed at her sex, the barrier of latex slightly altering the sensation. Her thighs opened.
“Look at me, Mallory.”
Slowly, her lashes fluttered open. She stared into the depths of his blue eyes. They were wild and as dark as wet denim.
He placed a chaste kiss on her lips and whispered, “I love you.”
His thickness stretched her and she gasped. Her body was beyond ready for the fullness that followed his startling announcement. She moaned, shocked in so many ways, shocked at his size, how right he felt, but mostly at what he said the second before he entered her.
Her mind spiraled, landing somewhere outside of her body. What? Overwhelmed by his words, she’d somehow missed the initial connection. He filled her and withdrew, thrusting deeply, over and over.
He loved her? Since when? How? Why?
Her cruel, cynical mind ached as she worried he said the words out of obligation. She didn’t need the words. She was here of her own freewill. Yet, she couldn’t quite wrap her brain around the action, because her emotions were suddenly all over the map.
Her body’s autopilot took over. Sensations of fulfillment pushed responses from her vocal cords, her limbs, and her lungs. She was having sex with Finnegan McCullough and he’d said he loved her.
The sharp sting of tears prickled her eyes. No. He wasn’t supposed to love her. If he put it out there, she wouldn’t be able to hold her words back and if she admitted that she loved him, too, she’d love him too fiercely, too hard, and she’d break this incredible, delicate thing they’d created. Maybe he loved her as a friend. Mallory loved him as…there was no way to describe it. He was beautiful. He was the first boy to ever be nice to her. No one had ever made her feel the things Finnegan made her feel, and she feared her love was simply too potent to summarize in one four letter word.
He thrust deep and every thought skittered away. Holy God, he was in her soul. Something pinched warm and sweet in her womb as he rolled his hips. The physical act became too intense to ignore. It consumed her.
She arched in his hold and he thrust. Her sex contracted. She was actually going to have an orgasm this way. There was no fighting it. He thrust again and suddenly she was falling into a place of such acute pleasure she had no control over her words, her tears, or her actions.
Her fingers bit into his back as his pace quickened. Starbursts of pleasure rained over her. Her spine tingled and her voice rasped over his rugged breathing. “I love you too. I love you so much. I’ve never known anyone like you. Please don’t hurt me. Just love me and I’ll try my best not to ever let you down.”
She couldn’t stop the words. The sound of her raw pleas made her cry more. She was embarrassing herself. Thoughts of damage control flashed in her mind, but quickly skittered away as Finn’s body tightened.
He buried himself in her and she felt his length pulse at her core. “Never. You could never let me down. I only want you, Mallory. You. No one else.”
At the peak of their climaxes she blanked out. Never had she been so overwhelmed by another person, so laid bare, so exposed. His weight blanketed her and she came back to the present, recognizing the sound of his deep breathing and the press of his lips to her neck. Her pulse was fluttering like crazy. This was far better than any run she’d ever had.
He sighed. “I don’t want to pull out. You’re so warm.”
Their bodies pressed together, sealing with the dew of perspiration. She likely looked a mess. Finn seemed to settle into her more as he turned and pulled them to their sides.
Her eyes opened and she stared at him. He smiled. Their faces were close and she could see the golden brown stubble covering his jaw. “Hi,” she said softly.
“Hi.” There was that dimple again. “How are we doing?”
“Oh, I’d say we’re doing pretty good.”
He chuckled. “You’re incredible.”
Her skin heated. No, she wasn’t. She hadn’t really done anything, but he was. “You are incredible.”
His expression sobered. “I meant what I said, Mallory. I love you.”
Her mood shifted. Don’t do this. “You don’t have to say it. I don’t expect—”
“It isn’t about what you expect. It’s about what I feel. If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have agreed to do this tonight.”
She loved him too, but she would have done this even if she didn’t. The odd thing was, maybe she suspected he loved her all along. She’d decided to sleep with him simply because she owed it to women everywhere not to let the opportunity pass. But something had calmed her trepidation of showing him all of her. Was it her subconscious telling her he loved her enough to be gentle with her? No matter how much she wanted him, she wouldn’t have slept with him had she not trusted him. Maybe she knew all along.
“You don’t have to say it back just to say it, either. It’s okay,” he said.
She was always taken aback when he showed his own vulnerabilities. She cupped his face, amazed that she had the ability to assure this incredible man. “I meant what I said. All of it.”
He kissed her.
Chapter Thirteen
Finn sat on the edge of the bed and tied his boots. He looked longingly over at Mallory’s body tucked beneath the covers. Glancing at his watch, he noted it was almost two in the morning. Sighing, he ran a hand over her shoulder.
She moaned and her soft lashes fluttered open. “Hey, what time is it?”
“Almost two. I have to go.”
She sat up a little, pulling the sheet over her bare breasts. His mouth kicked up at her show of modesty. There was no point in hiding herself now. He saw all of her, tasted every inch, and planned on doing it again very soon.
“You don’t have to leave,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. “You could stay. I mean, if you want to.”
He smiled and touched a strand of her soft brown hair. “I want to, but I can’t. My mum worries if I’m not home at a reasonable hour. It’s a respect thing.”
Her lashes lowered. “Okay.”
He pinched her chin, tipping her face until her gaze met his again. “Hey, it isn’t easy for me to leave. If I could, I’d stay.”
She nodded, seeming to accept his words as truth. He kissed her softly and said, “I’ll be back first thing in the morning. We’ll go to breakfast and then I’ll run with you if you want. Or we can climb. You let me know how you feel.”
“Okay.” She looked so soft. Forcing his legs to stand was like ripping off a layer of flesh.
“Thank you for tonight.” He kissed her hair. “I’ll lock the door behind me.”
As he left, he locked the door. When he reached his truck he turned over the key and took a moment to simply be. Removing his phone from his pocket, he quickly punched out a text.
Love you.
~F.
It took only a minute for her response to come over.
Love u2.
~M.
He smiled in the dark and flipped on his headlights. “I’m gonna marry her,” he said to himself as he put the truck in drive. He smiled the entire way home.
* * * *
The following morning, when Finn got to Mallory’s, she was already showered and dressed for her run. She said she wanted to
climb, but then claimed her body was a little sore. He felt a pinch of guilt for maybe being too rough, but she assured him it was simply because she was out of practice.
They ate at the diner and ran into a few of his friends. Mallory seemed shy around new people, but she was never rude. After breakfast they ran the field and he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her.
As they sipped their water bottles his phone buzzed. Finn slid his thumb over the screen and cursed. “Shit.”
“Something wrong?” Mallory asked, wiping her brow and squinting into the sun.
“I have to swing by my house. My grandmother fell. Do you mind?”
She was already walking to the truck. “Of course not. Come on.”
He took the fastest route to the house, grateful they were already on the property. His father had run out of town that morning to price a new chipper for the business and his mother was likely frantic.
When he pulled the truck along the front steps, gravel kicked out beneath the wheels. Taking the steps two at a time, he held open the door for Mallory who was right on his heels. “Mum?”
“In here.” He turned and found his mother on her knees in the living room. His grandmother was also sitting on the floor propped against the base of the sofa. He winced when he saw the bruise already forming on her nearly translucent cheek.
He rushed to her side. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. I was sitting with her all morning. I went in the kitchen to get a glass of water and then I heard a crash. I don’t know what possessed her to get up without asking for help first.” His mother was clearly frantic.
He took his grandmother’s hand, which was also turning a dark shade of purple. She was on blood thinners and bruises were often a result of taking such medicines. “Morai, do you remember what happened?”