Chapter 40

CHAPTER FORTY

Lila

Drake slowly lowers me down onto the bed, eyes never leaving mine. The longing in his gaze, the intensity, is as if nothing in the world matters except me. He aligns his body with mine as our breathing blends. Nothing compares to having this sexy man above me. His thighs sandwich my hips, pinning me in between him and the soft mattress.

There isn't anywhere else I want to be.

My breath stutters as he glides a hand up my side, stopping at my shoulder and moving up to cup my cheek. His thumb brushes away a stray lock of hair from my forehead, sending goosebumps all over my skin. Our lips reluctantly part until they bump together in a soft kiss that tastes like pasta and red wine. It's a slow, tantalizing kiss as his lips move gently against mine, coaxing the taste from my mouth with his tongue before diving in deeper. A moan escapes my throat.

With a husky chuckle, Drake pulls away slightly and nibbles on my lower lip, his teeth grazing it softly.

"I'm taking my time devouring you tonight," he murmurs against my skin. His voice is thick with lust, laced with the sound of desire. "You deserve to be worshiped."

"What?" I pant as Drake moves his mouth along my jawline while his hand finds the hem of my shirt. "Do I." He drags his fingertips along my curves and cups my breast. "Warrant this treatment?"

He sweeps his thumb across the lace, my nipple hardening under his touch.

"Because I'm so fucking proud of you." A catch in his voice causes me to look at him. The sincerity. The pride. It stirs things inside me I never knew existed. His approval means more to me than he'll ever realize. More than I realized. It puts all these self-doubts to rest.

"Thank you."

"Mm, I can think of a few ways you can show me your gratitude." The tease in his voice draws a laugh.

"I think I already have."

A wicked smile crosses his face. "Yes, yes, you have." Then he moves lower down my neck, kissing and sucking tenderly at the spot just below my earlobe. A shudder runs through my body. He always knew my weak spots.

I moan softly, arching into him without even realizing it. The smell of his musky cologne fills my nostrils as we both sink deeper into this newfound connection. There's a different vibe tonight. One that's more intimate.

He breaks our embrace to look at me for a second, his eyes brimming with intense hunger and curiosity. Then, with his fingertips, he explores every inch of my face.

"No one compares to you," he says. There's so much raw honesty in his words and expression that I fucking melt.

"It's always been you," I admit.

His mouth finds mine as our tongues dance against each other once more. It's as if he's committing every piece of me to memory, leaving nothing unexplored. After this turbulent week, I'm so ready for this attention.

Our lips part, our chests heaving up and down rapidly as we catch our breath. His intense gaze holding mine, he trails his hands down my back and pulls my shirt over my head, revealing my lace pink bra.

"So fucking perfect."

"You're not so bad yourself."

He shakes his head. "You don't understand. I fucking cherish you. With everything I've done, being yours is my best accomplishment."

As if he can't help himself, he kisses down my neck, nipping lightly at the soft skin below the hollow of my ear, sending another shiver down my spine. The heat from his breath against my skin makes my nipples harden underneath. He gently sucks on one through the lace, and I gasp in pleasure. His hand moves to the clasp of my bra and unhooks it, sliding it off slowly. He takes a deep breath in, drinking in the sight of my breasts before taking one in his mouth and sucking gently, his tongue swirling around the tip. Heat shoots straight to my core, and I moan loudly as I thread my fingers through his hair, urging him on.

He pulls back slightly to look at me again, his eyes darkening with passion and lust. He traces a line down my stomach with his tongue before moving lower to pull off my pants and kissing his way up to my breast once more. As he teases my nipple with his tongue, I arch into him.

I love the attention and foreplay, but my pussy is growing impatient. She hates being ignored.

"Drake." His name is a plea as I thrust my hip, hoping he takes the hint.

"Patience, Tiger. I'm not done exploring yet." He continues to plant small kisses everywhere, each one landing hotter than the last until he has me squirming under him.

He smiles against my skin. "I fucking love how responsive you are."

I can't take it anymore. I move to sit up and grab the waistband of his boxers. He gets the hint and shifts to stand. I tug them down, freeing his generous cock.

He chuckles as he grabs hold of its length and gives a couple of pumps. "Is this what you want?"

I give a lopsided grin. "I have missed it."

"He's all yours, Tiger. No one else's."

Now that I like.

He positions himself on top of me, and I spread my legs to accommodate him. He guides his cock into my entrance and pushes inside in one hard thrust.

"Drake," I cry out, loving how he fills me—so full and complete.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Yes," I breathe out, my eyes drifting shut as his hips move. The friction feels so good; it's like we've never been apart. I moan and grip his waist, pulling him closer to me. "So good," I mumble between parted lips, feeling him slide deeper. This might not be the start we wanted, but it still feels right.

His breaths come in short, heated pants against my skin. We continue to move together, our bodies tangled in sweaty sheets. Frissons of pleasure surge up my spine with each of his thrusts that hit the right spots. I can't get enough of him—his scent, his taste, his touch.

"Look at me, Lila," he grunts, his voice gruff with desire. I open my eyes and meet his gaze. His chocolate brown eyes darkened with lust, a raw need that mirrors mine. There's something else there, too, something that looks a lot like love.

I moan as he thrusts into me again. His brows furrow in concentration, the intensity etched on his face, making my stomach flip. He's so focused on pleasing me, and it sends a jolt of pleasure through me.

Drake groans and leans down to capture my neck with his teeth, nibbling softly as he slams into me harder. He smells like sweat mixed with masculine musk and soap—a scent that makes me want to inhale deeply. The roughness of his stubble against my skin only heightens the sensation. He kisses me passionately as he fucks me slowly, taking his time to savor our reunion. His free hand curls around my hip bone, guiding our hips together in harmony.

A soft growl escapes him when he feels how wet I am for him. He speeds up their pace, pounding into me harder until I can feel every inch of his length inside me. The bed creaks beneath us—a reminder that this is real. His hot breath fanning across my ear sends shivers down my spine as he whispers dirty things that make me moan louder than before. It's clear that he wants to take back what he thought was lost, claiming it again with his mouth on my skin and dick deep inside me.

"Drake," I whimper as he continues to drive deeper inside me. Each stroke feels better than the last—filling me, stretching me.

He groans, burying his face into the crook of my neck as he pounds into me harder and faster. The tension between us is electric as ripples of sensation pulse through my veins with each wave of ecstasy.

"I love you," he breathes against my skin as I shatter beneath him.

His words cascade a flood of warmth down my spine, and it's almost too much to handle. A moment later, he follows me, collapsing onto the bed next to me as we both pant for air.

We lay there momentarily in silence, staring at one another, our chests rising and falling. His eyes gaze at me with an intensity that turns my heart inside out. For a moment, I am lost in the depths of his emotion. It's not just lust. It's raw and powerful, and it's love.

"I love you," he repeats, his voice barely above a whisper. The words hang in the air between us like a sacred promise.

I studied him for a second, my mind reeling, trying to process what we'd just shared and what it could mean for us. "Drake, I love you, too," I whisper. "And I've missed you this week so much. I just…"

He seems to understand my struggle. One of his hands slides up my body until it cradles my face, his thumb tracing slow circles on my cheekbone. "I know," he says softly, "Take your time, Lila."

Time. That's what we need—time to sort out our tangled feelings and heal old wounds. But looking into his eyes right now, I can't help but feel that everything will turn out okay despite the unknown of test results and baseball teams. We'll be okay.