“Fucking hell, Aeris. I need to feel every inch of you. Please let me feel every inch of you.”
The faster I go, the quicker his self-control vanishes, and I’m cherishing every single moment of him begging for mercy. Hayes Hollings. Begging. That’s an Eighth Wonder of the World.
A symphony of moans ruptures the sex-fueled atmosphere. We nearly tip over the chair we’re both on as Hayes’ arm shoots out to grip the edge of the table. The only noise in my ears is the squelching of skin on skin, the slapping of my ass on his solid thighs, and the slurping of my vagina as I slide effortlessly over his erection.
His length twitches inside of me. “Fuck me,” he groans, his chest heaving.
“I thought that’s what I was doing.”
I lick my way up his neck, savoring the sweetness of the chocolate, even loving the tinge of salt from the sweat encasing his flesh. My tongue outlines his pulse point, and even though I can’t see it, I can feel it beat steadily.
He chuckles something deep and throaty, arousal composing his words. “That tongue’s going to get you in trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
He bends forward, his lips on my collarbone, his teeth brushing against the taut skin. When I feel him bite down, I know a hickey will be there.
“How about…”
Hayes’ hands guide my hips as he thrusts into me, alighting a wick of lust, a flickering flame that burns my veins and promises to slacken every one of my muscles. I bite back a whiny moan.
“…a little…”
The next time I bear down on him, his cock probes against the spot that has me seeing stars, and I’m not even fully comprehending what he’s telling me. No, I’m too distracted by the overwhelming ache twisting my insides into balloon animals.
“…edging?” he finishes, and within a second, he’s moved me off him and pulled out.
He moved me like I was weightless. Hell, I didn’t even realize we’d changed positions. That electrifying need I was chasing dims to a tiny spark, and I’m about to grouse my annoyance, but then he bends me over the table.
The collision of my chest against the wood isn’t hard, but it’s definitely powerful enough to make me gasp. From behind me, Hayes wraps his hand around my throat. I’m shivering from the chocolate cooling on my skin and the way he has my bare pussy spread open.
“I can’t. I need to…”
“Come? You will. Just when I say so.”
My legs shake as my vagina throbs, and I swallow harshly under his fingers.
His hand is keeping my head lifted, and he presses his crotch to my ass, the weight of his dick nudging against my thigh. Anarchy breaks out inside me, and I’ve never wanted something so badly in my entire life.
Impatience oozes from my tongue. “Hayes, if you d—”
His fingers tighten around my neck, and then I feel his breath skate down the side of my cheek. “You’ll what?”
Oh my God. I need him to fuck me. I need him to do something. Anything.
I whimper when he starts to swivel his hips, the tip of his cock prodding along my wet entrance.
“I’ll do it myself,” I growl.
“Like hell you will.”
He finally sinks into me, his dick performing knee-weakening and mind-numbing strokes. Each one is purposeful, precise, and they operate at a speed that has my walls fluttering in tandem. Both of his hands have migrated down to my ass, and he slaps one of my cheeks so hard that I wouldn’t be surprised if it shook the walls.
Between the sting in my ass cheek and each slam of his penis, I’m close, panting for that ache between my legs to be satiated. His grip on my hips is starting to waver, and the timing of his breaths is becoming more erratic.
With one last jerk from Hayes, my orgasm hits, stringing me up by my neck and flinging me into the stratosphere. Not far behind me, I can feel him as he releases, his cock spitting warmth into my lower half, and there’s cum dribbling down the inside of my thigh when I collapse onto him.
We’re both a boneless pile of sweat and chocolate sauce, and it takes us a few minutes before we even consider moving in the slightest. With my back to his chest, I can hear the rapid pounding of his heart, feel his hard stomach expand with air.
He uses two fingers to gather the cum that’s on my leg and push it back inside me.
“I don’t know how, but that was better than the first time,” he breathes against my neck, his chest rumbling with delight underneath me.
Is there some weird, universal thing that happens in people to compel them to admit their love for their partner after they just fucked like animals? Because if there is, I’m right there, and I’m so close to telling Hayes that—
I turn around to face him. “Hayes, I—”
“Aeris, I love you,” Hayes professes, stunning me into silence.
My heart plays pattycake with my chest. His voice stands at the edge of my mind’s bluff, echoing throughout my body.
Hayes Hollings loves me. I never thought I’d hear those words. I’d accepted that I probably wasn’t destined for love—not after Roden and Wilder. I’d accepted that I’d never have a wedding, I’d never get married, and I’d never have kids. But within weeks, all of my preconceived notions about love have been turned upside down.
I don’t know if I would’ve met Hayes if I wasn’t at the bar that night. I don’t know if I believe in soulmates or love at first sight. I’d like to think that we would’ve found our way to each other eventually, that the universe knew he was out there for me.
“Hayes, I love you too.”
The look on his face is nothing short of complete and utter happiness. A spectrum of emotions spike through me, and I’m starting to worry if I said it weird, but then he kisses me, and everything suddenly makes sense.
35
A HARD PILL TO SWALLOW
AERIS
It’s around four in the morning when I sneak out of Hayes’ bedroom. I normally would’ve stayed for breakfast, but I’m behind on stuff for work, and my boss is going to blow a gasket if I don’t get the captions in on time.
Shoes still dangling from my fingers and my hair a bird’s nest, I quietly start to head downstairs when a slurry of voices interrupts my departure.
As I peek around the corner, I see Kit’s head of dark hair and Bristol’s lighter one. A seedling of curiosity plants itself inside of me. What could they be talking about this early in the morning? I don’t want to barge into their conversation, and I don’t technically mean to eavesdrop, but…
“Has he told Aeris?”
Told me?
“About?”
Yeah, about?
“About the whole fake relationship stuff,” Kit clarifies.
“If he has, she must’ve taken it better than I expected,” Bristol says.
“I mean, it worked, you know? He rebranded his image.”
Record scratch. Hold on. What the fuck did Kit just say?
I freeze, waist-deep in a tsunami of shock. My veins turn into rivers of ice as I stare at them from my spot on the stairs, trying to make sense of everything.
The truth whips me like a live wire, and the only reason my limbs haven’t given out yet is because I’m clinging on to the railing. My breath has fled me, the dizziness is overpowering, and tears boil over onto my skin, creating what feels like third-degree burns.