Chapter 47

47

KANNON

A s I lay there in the aftermath of our heated session, looking down at the beautiful woman with her head resting on my chest, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. Merritt was everything to me. Everything I never knew I wanted and now couldn’t live without. She affected me like no one ever had before.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice soft.

“More than okay,” I reassured her, pulling her closer against my side. “There’s no words, babe.”

She laughed softly, pressing herself tighter into my embrace. “Good,” she said.

I had fully intended to take her again, but I could feel sleep tugging at me. Judging by her breathing, she was falling asleep as well. I pulled the blankets over us and turned off the light.

The next morning was lazy, just the way mornings should be after a perfect Valentine’s Day. Merritt was draped over me like she belonged there. She did belong there. This was right where she was supposed to be. I was where I was supposed to be. We were made to be made together.

Her head rested on my chest, her hair tickling my skin, and I didn’t want to move. Not yet. My hand gently caressed her arm up and down as I thought about our future together. I imagined our children. I hoped they were a perfect blend of both of us.

Our daughter would have Merritt’s striking eyes and my unruly hair and wild side. Our son would inherit his mother’s kindness and curiosity, coupled with my stubborn resilience. I drew in a deep breath, imagining the laughter that would fill our home.

I felt her stir against my body. She hummed contentedly as she nudged her face closer into the crook of my neck.

“Morning,” I mumbled, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face. Her eyelids fluttered open to reveal those captivating eyes that held my world within them.

“Morning,” she replied, hugging me tight. She tilted her head up to look at me, her lips curving into a sleepy smile. “So, what’s the plan today, Valentine’s king? Or was last night just a fluke?”

I smirked. “Watch your mouth.”

“Make me.”

Her challenge hung in the air between us, and I wasn’t about to let it slide. “You sure about that?” I asked, already shifting to pin her beneath me. “I don’t know if you can handle this.”

“Oh yeah?” she teased.

“I’ve been lying here thinking about you for a good thirty minutes.” I reached down and grabbed her hand and put it against my cock. “Feel that. I’m so hard right now, I think I could hammer nails with it.”

She didn’t remove her hand. Instead, she tightened her grip, causing me to suck in a sharp breath. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and desire, a combination that had brought me to my knees countless times before. “Is that so?” she asked, her voice throaty.

“Yes,” I said, fighting for control as she began to move her hand. Lust clouded my vision, and all I could think about was being inside her again. “You do this to me, Merritt. You drive me insane when you’re in my arms.”

Her smile softened at my confession. She reached up to cup my cheek. Our eyes locked as she whispered, “I love you,” against my lips before pulling me down for a soul-searing kiss that had my heart stuttering in my chest.

And just like that, our morning morphed into a testament of our burning passion for each other. She arched beneath me, her soft moan making my head spin. My hands explored the curve of her hips, the line of her spine, as if memorizing every inch of her all over again.

I moved slowly, delighting in the way she squirmed beneath me, her gasps and whimpers echoing in my ears. Her body shivered under each touch, a silent cry for more filling the stillness of the room.

“Merritt.” My voice was raw. I tried to look into her eyes, but they were closed tight, her long eyelashes casting shadows onto her flushed cheeks.

A sigh of contentment slipped through her parted lips as I slid into her. Her body welcomed me home, wrapping around me like a warm embrace.

Her fingers dug into my shoulders, leaving trails of fire where her nails grazed my skin. The friction between our bodies sent tremors of pleasure coursing through my veins. She met each of my thrusts with an eagerness that left me breathless, hungry for more.

“I love you,” I whispered again in her ear.

Her head tilted back, her eyes blinking open to meet mine. “I love you too,” she whispered back, her voice barely audible over the sounds of our bodies moving together in beautiful synchronization.

I found an inexplicable peace that made my heart swell. Her every response, every soft moan that flowed from her lips, drove me closer to the verge of surrendering myself fully to her. I felt her pussy tightening around my cock. It was a warning of her nearing climax. I quickened my pace at her unspoken command, noticing how she responded with sweet little gasps. As she called out my name, a surge of love and satisfaction swept over me. That was it.

Just as I was about to orgasm, my phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking the spell. I groaned, dropping my head to her shoulder. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Don’t you dare stop!” she cried out.

I couldn’t have stopped if I wanted to. I exploded inside her, jerking and groaning as the orgasm took over me. I collapsed onto the bed, weak and boneless.

She laughed softly, running her fingers through my hair. “Maybe the universe is telling us to take a breather.”

“The universe can mind its own business,” I muttered, pulling back to look at her.

“Who is calling you this early?”

“It’s not early and it wasn’t a phone call. It was my alarm.”

“Do we have to checkout?”

“No, we have an appointment.”

Her brows lifted in surprise. “We do?”

I slid off her and sat up. “Spa day. Massage. Mineral pools. The works.”

Her eyes widened. “You planned all that?”

“Of course I did. You deserve it.”

She threw her arms around me. “You’re pretty good at this whole fake Hallmark holiday thing, you know.”

I grinned. “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it. But you better get your ass up or we’re going to miss our chance.”

We quickly got ready and made our way downstairs.

The spa was part of the same hotel, so we didn’t have far to go. The mineral pools were first. Merritt looked like she’d stepped straight out of a daydream in her simple black bikini. The water lapped gently around her as she leaned against the edge, her head tipped back, her eyes closed. She looked completely at peace, and it hit me all over again just how much I loved her.

“You keep staring like that, and I’m going to think you have a thing for me,” she teased without opening her eyes.

“Maybe I do,” I shot back, my voice low. “Just a little something.”

Her lips curved into a smile, but she didn’t say anything else, just let herself float in the water, soaking up the calm. Watching her like this, I realized there was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep that look on her face.

The warm mineral water seeped into my muscles, relieving a tension I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying. I watched Merritt as the water lapped gently at her sun-kissed skin thanks to her time in Miami. The bath also soothed some of the aches still lingering from the accident. I could get used to this life of luxury. For now. It wasn’t really something I was going to admit to liking. The guys would never let me live it down.

Before long, we were ushered into a secluded room for our couple’s massage. As strong hands worked the knots in my back and shoulders. I could hear the soft sighs of contentment slipping from Merritt’s lips next to me. My eyes drifted close as the masseuse applied pressure on my shoulders. I wasn’t much for the idea of someone else’s hands on me, but I figured if Merritt wanted it, I could survive an hour.

Once our massages were done, we retreated back to our room where lunch awaited us, a light meal of salads and grilled chicken.

She stretched her arms over her head, a soft hum escaping her lips. “That was amazing.”

“Yeah?” I asked, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.

“Did you like it?” she asked.

“If I say yes, you cannot tell anyone else,” I said.

She chuckled, resting her head on my shoulder. “I won’t,” she said. “Promise.”

She let her hair down and shook her head. I grunted like she was actually touching me.

“You okay?”

“Peachy,” I said, dropping my fork.

“What’s next on your master plan?”

I smirked, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “Getting you back in bed.”

“You have no idea how hard it was not to drag you out of that spa.”

Her breath hitched and her eyes darkened. “What’s stopping you now?”

“Not a damn thing.”

My lips crashed against hers, all the restraint I’d been holding on to unraveling in an instant. Her hands tangled in my hair, pulling me closer. I groaned against her mouth. This time, there were no interruptions, no phone calls, nothing to stop us from getting lost in each other.

I lifted her into my arms. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I carried her to the bed.

“I love you,” she whispered against my lips.

“Love you more,” I replied, trailing kisses down her neck. My tongue ran over her flesh. “You taste like honey and sunshine, like everything that’s good in the world.”

I worshipped every inch of her, trailing my lips over her curves until she trembled beneath me, a beautiful masterpiece undone by my touch. I twirled my tongue around her nipples. A soft whimper escaped her lips as my teeth grazed her sensitive flesh. Her back arched, pushing herself further into my mouth.

She moaned, her hands pulling at my hair. She was lost in pure bliss.

I moved lower, leaving soft kisses on her stomach until I reached the center of her sweetness. She clutched at the sheets as I kissed lower. A soft gasp escaped her lips as I made contact. Her body writhed beneath me as she hurtled toward her release. Her legs wrapped around me, pulling me against her.

The smell of her drove me wild. I let my tongue explore further, relishing the soft moans that continued to slip from her lips.

She whimpered above me, her voice thick with desire and strained with pleasure. With patience I never knew I possessed, I continued until I saw her struggling to keep herself quiet. Her body tightened, then shivered as a tremor of intense pleasure roared through her like a wave crashing against the shore.

There was something intensely satisfying in knowing that I had caused such a reaction within her, that I had given her so much pleasure. I kissed up her belly and slid inside her once again.