23. Haven

23

HAVEN

I stare into the darkness, on my side of the bed, and wish I could at least see King's face. We've been lying here for an hour now, and neither one of us can seem to fall asleep. All I'm thinking about is what he did to me this morning, and I want more of that, but I'm too shy to ask him for it.

"I have a favor to ask."

He rolls toward me, and even though I can feel his eyes on me, I can't see him. I sit up in the bed and turn the bedside lamp on.

We both squint at the sudden light, but he doesn't complain. He sits up in the bed next to me. "Anything."

I look over at him, see his bare chest, and try to concentrate on what I was saying. "You can tell me no."

He leans up on one elbow and smiles at me. "I think you know I'm not going to tell you no."

"But you don't know what it is."

He shrugs. "Fine. Tell me what it is."

I bite my lip because I've been nervous about this since I talked to Cassie earlier today and she came up with the idea. I should have just told her no, but I felt so bad for not telling her about the wedding. "So you know my friend, Cassie?"

He thinks about it and then nods. "Yes. Best friend. Her husband is a police officer. Her brother-in-law is Walker."

"Right. Yeah, right that's her. Anyway, well, it's just that…"

He sits up in the bed, scooting up so his back is against the headboard. "Just tell me, peaches."

I blow out a breath. "Fine. I felt bad for not inviting her—heck I didn't even tell her about the wedding, and when she came to see me today, I felt so bad. She said we should do a party to sort of celebrate our marriage since no one got to celebrate the day with us. I know it's crazy-"

He cuts me off. "I think it's a great idea."

Shocked, I'm already thinking of all the reasons it's a bad idea. "But I mean, that's crazy, right? I could probably just not say anything about it and hope she forgets it."

He pushes my hair off my shoulder and leans over so he can see my face. "Do you not want a party?"

I shrug. "I mean, it could be fun. I know I said I wanted a small wedding, but it feels weird. It's like we were trying to hide it or something. You know the town gossip is running wild, and everyone's trying to figure out how we got married and why it was all hush-hush."

"Who's talking? Tell me who it is and I'll set them straight. Fuck that, I'll put a full page ad—no, I'll buy every ad space in the paper and let them all know we got married."

I shake my head and laugh. "Stop. That's a little overboard, even for you. I'm just saying it would be nice to have a party, that's all."

He nods. "We'll do it then. Do you want to hire a party planner?"

"Cassie is on summer break, and she wants to plan it."

He nods. "I'll leave you my card in the morning. Spare no expense."

"But— "

He puts his hand on my shoulder. "Haven, honey, I have felt guilty on how I rushed you into the wedding. I want to do this, and I wish I'd thought of it. Let's do it right. Food, dancing, cake, decorations… all of it."

"But… are you sure?"

He cups my chin in his hand and searches my eyes. "I'm positive."

"Okay."

We look into each other's eyes, and just when I'm sure he's about to kiss me, he releases me, goes to his side of the bed, and lies down.

I reluctantly reach over and turn the light back off before lying down. I toss and turn a few minutes and sigh loudly in the room.

"Are you okay?"

I stare up at the ceiling. "Yeah."

The bed dips, and I know he's turning toward me, but he doesn't touch me, and I sigh again. Even though we can't see each other, I clench my eyes shut and ask him, "Have you changed your mind?"

"About the party?"

I'm messing this up so badly. "No, about me."

He almost sounds angry. "Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know. This morning we, ya know, and then this evening you haven't touched me, and now even though you're right next to me, you might as well be a hundred miles away."

It's almost like I can hear his teeth grinding. "Because I don't trust myself, that's why."

I turn on the light again, and when I turn back to face him, he's lying on his back, eyes closed. "What do you mean you don't trust yourself?"

"Because I'm trying to be patient, Haven, but my body has a mind of its own. I tasted you this morning, and I'm doing my damndest to honor your wish of no pressure. Fuck, peaches, just lying in this bed next to you, my dick's so hard I could hammer nails."

He groans and rubs his hands across his face. I let my gaze travel down his body, and I stop at the tent of the sheets between his thighs. I lean up to get a closer look. "King."

"Yeah?" he mutters, half out of patience.

"Can I touch you?"

He sucks in a harsh breath and opens his eyes. He's hopeful but trying to hold back. "You don't have to."

I nod, moving my eyes down his body and resting on the juncture of his thighs. "Can I? "

Huskily, he says, "Peaches, you never have to ask to touch me."

I hook my finger into the sheet that's draped at his waist. Slowly, I pull it down his thighs and then off the bed to let it fall to the floor. He has on boxer shorts, but they're doing nothing to contain him. I look up at him, and he's staring at me. "Should I…?"

"Whatever you want, Haven. There's no wrong way… not with us."

I take a calming breath and then put my hands on each side of his waistband and pull the boxers down his hips. His manhood springs up when it's been uncovered, and I gasp at the sheer size of him. I finish removing his shorts, letting them fall to the floor with the sheet and then sit back on my haunches to stare at him. Just while I'm watching, I can see the bead of moisture at his tip form.

I crawl over his leg and position myself on the bed between his legs. I've never been so nervous and so excited about something in my life. He pushes my hair away from my face. "Look how hard you make me, peaches."

I let my hands trail up his thighs and then I tentatively wrap my hand around his girth. His hips flex, his head falls back, and he groans .

Afraid that I've hurt him, I loosen my hold on him, but he's shaking his head. "No, don't stop. It just feels good, that's all."

Surprise at the fact that I've pleased him just by touching him urges me on. I hold him firmer in my hands and then start to explore. I stroke him from root to tip. I smear the precum along his shaft and then I stroke him again.

"Can I taste you, King?"

He grips the bed sheets in his hands. "Fuck, baby, you keep talking like that and I'm going to come."

I shrug, not seeing the problem. "That's what you want, right? You want to come?"

He leans up on his elbows. "When I come, I want to come inside you."

My mouth forms a perfect "O," and he nods. "Yeah, so touch me all you want, but I'm not coming until I'm deep inside you."

"Okay." I nod.

I spread his precum along his shaft again and then lean over and kiss his tip. He inhales sharply, but I don't stop. I let him slide in my mouth, and I take him as far down my throat as I can and then off. Over and over, I taste him, swirling my tongue around him and then taking him down my throat. His hips are pumping slightly, and the more comfortable I get, the deeper I take him and the more I let myself go.

I moan roughly, and before I know it, I'm flipped onto my back with a very out of control King hovering over me. He's panting, "Enough. I need inside you."

I'm not sure what he expected, but he seems surprised when I open my legs and let his body fit against mine. "Okay."

His body is flush against me. His cock is hard, nestled between my thighs, and I find that if I shimmy just right, it slides along my clit.

"Fuck me," he grunts.

I lift my hips against him. "I'm trying to, if you'd cooperate."

I'm reaching for him, and he grabs my hands and pushes them above my head, holding them there. He leans over me. "Are you sure about this?"

I lean up and peck him on the lips. "I've practically thrown myself at you, King. I'm not sure what else I can do to show you I want this and I'm ready."

He grabs the hem of my shirt and starts to pull it up my body. I sit up to help him take it off, and as soon as I lie back down, he's pulling at my underwear. I intervene before he rips another pair. As soon as they're off, I'm lying underneath him, putting my hands to his chest. "Do you want the lights off?"

His gaze travels down my body. "No, I want to see you."