28. Lark

Chapter twenty-eight

Lark

A s we make it inside our building, I feel a little sad at the thought of not seeing Gianni for the rest of the day. He is guarded, and rightfully so, considering everything my dad’s told me about what happened to his best friend, Alex Casillas, who was the Divine Flyers goalkeeper until his passing. And since my dad is the owner of the team, it’s his job to know every detail about his players to avoid scandals.

But while he’s absolutely got a dark cloud looming over him, he’s been nothing but gentle and kind with me. He says things that make my heart flutter in my chest, so I can’t help but ask, “Wanna come over for a bit?”

“Yes,” he says immediately, icy-blue eyes widening and cheeks flaming as he realizes his mistake. Gianni Elisio Amato-De Laurentiis likes me, and he wants to spend time with me.

God, this feels like a high school crush, but I haven’t felt so desired in my entire life, so I have no qualms about leaning into this feeling. May as well bask in the glory of it while he’s still willing to give it.

“Great,” I tell him, leading us upstairs.

“Mind if Pickles comes too? I don’t like leaving her home alone if I can help it.”

“Oh, absolutely. The boys love Pickles,” I say, shooting him a reassuring smile over my shoulder.

“Thanks, um.” He pauses. “I’ve gotta drop by my place real quick,” he says, and he blushes again, averting his gaze.

“No problem. Just meet me back at mine when you’re ready.”

A few minutes later, I’m back in my apartment, thankful for the moment away from Gianni as I now realize my place is a wreck.

I rush around, tossing the plates left in the sink into the dishwasher, throwing a hamper of clothing into the wash, and making my bed. I’m not sure why I prioritize that part of my home, as I have no intention of taking us there. I mean, not unless something rather big changes.

I hear Gianni’s soft knock at the door, and I rush to open it.

He’s standing there in black skinny jeans and a black T-shirt that hugs his muscular chest so perfectly. He’s holding a pink stuffed animal in one hand and Pickles’s hot-pink leash in the other. He unleashes her and passes the toy to her, which she grabs so gently by the big floppy ear of the stuffed rabbit’s head as she heads over to where Tiny and Rex are lying in their beds together. She curls up beside them, suckling on the stuffed toy, presumably worn out from their class this morning.

He clears his throat, appraising me as I stand here, gawking at him .

“Uh, sorry, want something to eat?” I ask, picking at the hem of my shorts.

His eyes flare with heat, and under his breath, he says, “ Maintenant, oui .” I do now. He works on a swallow, and my mouth suddenly feels dry. He blinks a few times as if he just had an out-of-body experience and didn’t mean to speak at all. Gianni turns, heading into the kitchen and adds, “Sure, I’ll make us something.” He says it as if he hadn’t just insinuated he wants to eat me .

Opening the fridge, his biceps bulge as he grabs ingredients, laying them out on the counter.

It takes a little while, but my brain does eventually catch up. “Gianni, it’s my house, and I asked if you wanted anything to eat. I can cook for us, really. It’s not a problem.”

“Lark, mind if you just let me busy myself and do something for you for once? I get the feeling you don’t let that happen often,” he tells me as he continues opening cabinets and grabbing items out.

“Well, alrighty then.” I huff, blowing out a long breath. It’s uncanny how he’s already figured that out, but something tells me he has that exact same habit.

***

I finish loading the dishes into the washer as Gianni passes them to me from the sink. Not only is he sexy as hell, but he can cook too.

While I enjoy cooking, I don’t often have the time to do so, and it’s become just another thing to do when I get home, already exhausted from work .

“Want to watch a movie or something? Unless you’ve got plans, of course,” I ask, hoping like hell he stays.

“I don’t,” is all he says as he heads over to the couch.

Gianni takes a seat on the same end he sat on the other day, except now he’s reaching under his ass for something.

My heart drops to my toes, and my skin feels flushed when I realize what’s happening.

My vibrator!

He holds it up. The blush-pink silicone looks so small in his massive, tattooed hands.

His expression is concrete as he stares at it, rolling it around in his hand to inspect it. My pulse races as his thumb glides over the power button, and before he can press it, I’m jumping into action.

I rush over to him, snatch it out of his hand, and sprint toward my bedroom. Sweat beads on my brow as panic and embarrassment seize me. I’m not sure what my plan is, but hiding in my room until he leaves sounds like a definite option.

Maybe even the best option.

I finally toss the toy in my nightstand, slamming it shut. Apparently, I’d forgotten it in my orgasm-induced bliss after getting home late from work last night. One hand drops to the top of the nightstand, and I lean over it, smacking my other hand over my face, sucking in a ragged breath.

Get it together, Lark. That man is still out there. You’ve gotta own this.

I spin around to deal with the embarrassment but find him leaning against my doorframe.

I REPEAT.

The man is leaning against my fucking doorframe .

Does he know just how fucking sexy he looks? Is he purposefully trying to get me to spread my legs for him right here and now? Because I’ve got to be honest, I’m losing any ounce of the little willpower I had left to keep him at arm’s length. I mean, I don’t really have a good reason to push him away, and frankly, I have no desire to. The only thing that maybe should stop me would be the fact that I don’t really know him very well and that I just broke up with my longtime boyfriend.

But as it seems, I didn’t know him very well either.

“I’m sorry,” he tells me, leaving me a little confused for a moment until a smile quirks either end of his lips into an almost full smile. He looks fucking delicious.

“Sorry for what?” I ask, dazed as my whole body flushes with warmth.

“For breaking up your solo party. Did I come back too soon?” His brows climb his forehead in question.

Oh, so he does have a sense of humor?

I’m not so sure I like it as much when it’s directed at me.

I match his smirk and roll my eyes, deciding to take back some of the power in this dynamic. I approach him, planting my hands on his chest, and the cocky look on his face instantly disappears. His jaw twitches, and those icy-blue eyes warm. They look like turquoise waters from some hidden gem in the tropics, and instead of wanting to swim away in them, I want to drown in them.

I try not to think about the hard muscles beneath my fingers as I put on a mask of confidence. Confidence that I most certainly do not feel in this particular moment, but I’ve gone this far, so may as well take it one step further. Standing up on my tippy toes, I lean as far into him as I can, but he still has to duck his head for me to get anywhere near his ear. Thankfully, he seems to feel the same pull to be near me as I do him, so he lowers his head until I’m able to run my lips across the shell of his ear. I revel in the way his body quakes at the feeling before whispering, “It doesn’t have to be a solo party with you here.”

I fully expect him to pull away from me or tell me to stop messing around, or at least, that’s what my intention was. I had no plans to follow through with the statement, but when this man runs those huge hands of his around my hips, clutching my ass to him, my intentions officially change.

I roll my hips the best I can while still on my tiptoes, and he groans so low that I feel it vibrate through his chest and against mine.

Heat floods my core as he hovers his lips over mine, just a breath away. My eyes start to flutter closed, but he snakes a hand back up my body, over my shoulder. The rough pads of his fingers cup my jaw, and my eyes meet his. “If this is what you want, you’re gonna have to take it because I’m willing to give you whatever it is you need, but I’ve gotta see those pretty eyes in return,” he says, and all the air has officially left my lungs.

“Okay?” he asks when I still haven’t responded, but my lips part as my brain very slowly starts to catch up. I nod, and his lip quirks, giving me a peek at one of his cute dimples.

“Words, sweetheart,” he says, his voice rough.

“Yes,” I answer, moving my hands up his chest to grip his shoulders. “I want you.”

His tongue darts out to lick his lips, and I watch intently as his Adam’s apple bobs against the tattooed skin of his throat. Gianni’s eyes clench shut, and when they open again, he looks ravenous . His hands find my ass, gripping me firmly as he hoists me up his body.

My legs wind around his hips, and I feel his thick length hardening under me. An involuntary moan slips past my lips. Gianni holds me up, kicking the door closed behind him as he saunters over to my bed, taking a seat on the edge. He holds me in his lap, his grip never loosening as he burrows his face in my neck, sucking in a sharp inhale.

The dusting of a five-o’clock shadow along his jaw teases my overheated skin, and I find myself clutching him to me, rocking my hips against his lap as I seek the friction I can’t help but want.

“God, woman.” His hands move to my hips, fingers digging into my skin almost painfully. The bite of pressure causes heat to coil inside me. “I want to make it known that this is not what I came here for,” he grits out.

I loosen my grip on him, pulling away to look him in the face as I tease him. “I know, silly. I was the one that asked you to come over.” But I realize my mistake the moment his lips press tightly together and his shoulders slump. I rush to correct his assumption, never wanting him to feel used or unwanted in any capacity.

Tyler made me feel like that for the majority of our relationship, and I’d never knowingly do that to someone else.

“I didn’t invite you over for this either, by the way. I just wanted to hang out with you,” I tell him, keeping my eyes locked on his so he, hopefully, knows I mean it.

He breaks the eye contact, his neck flushing as frustration flashes across his face, his brows notching together.

Running a hand over his neck and up to cup his cheek, I watch as his body responds to my touch. My eyes flit across his face, taking in the softening of each of his features as my words start to sink in past the armor he’s put up. “But,” I run my thumb across his full bottom lip, “I really do like you, and I haven’t got much experience, but if you’d like to have some fun with me, I’d be interested in that.”

“If you’re okay with it, of course,” I add as nerves ripple through my stomach.

His eyes flare with heat, but his next words stun me. “What do you mean you haven’t got much experience? Weren’t you with that dickhead for six years ?”

My cheeks heat with embarrassment, and now it’s me who’s averting my gaze. “Yeah, but he didn’t want me, and I’m not sure when it happened, but eventually, I stopped wanting him too. Besides…” I frown at the memories this conversation is dredging up. “There’s a lot that he refused to try. He said the things I suggested were too dirty, and, well, I stopped asking after a while. My ego can only take so much.”

Like talking about my lack of experience and how undesirable my ex found me with the sexiest man on the planet. That is most definitely at the top of the list of things that have hurt my ego in the last decade.

He lifts his hand, running his thumb across my cheekbone in a featherlight caress that sends goosebumps through me. “I haven’t been with anyone in years, haven’t had any desire to, but you? I find you invading my every thought. So, if you’d like to explore some of these ‘dirty’ acts you speak of, I’d be more than happy to act as your distraction. And for my sake, I hope they’re positively filthy .”

I suck my lower lip between my teeth, unaware that my body has started rocking over him again, until his hands grind my movements to a shrieking halt.

As much as his words turn me on, they also tear me in two. He thinks I’d only want him as a distraction? Maybe this really is too soon after my breakup, but I may never get this opportunity again. Gianni’s the kind of person who withdraws when they feel unwanted, and that became clear when I turned him down the first time.

I’m definitely not torn up about the end of my relationship, so there’s very little stopping me from taking what I want. Hell, I’m not even that angry about what happened with Tyler. Everything seems to be picking up for me, and I may as well grab life by the balls, so to speak.

“Okay,” I finally answer, apprehension lacing my next words. “But if there’s anything I suggest that you find too,” my cheeks heat furiously, “um, just too much, let me know.”

His lips curve in a small smirk. “Does this mean we get to pick a safe word?” he asks, one full brow quirked.

I’m seeing a side of this man that I’m nearly certain he doesn’t show anyone, and not only is that hot as hell, but I feel honored .

“Sure. Your pick.”

He tsks at me. “Your kinks we’re fulfilling here, darling, your safe word.”

The way the word “darling” rolls off his tongue sends a shiver down my spine.

I think on this for a moment, and when the word comes to me, it’s like a fucking lightbulb goes off in my head! “I have it!”

“Do tell.” A smile tugs at his lips .

“Meatball.”

He releases a choked laugh that lights a blazing path through my chest. “Well, I sincerely fucking hope you won’t be calling that out in bed,” he says, shaking his head with a slight smile that wrinkles the corners of his mouth.

“Well, isn’t that kind of the point? You only say it when absolutely necessary.” I roll my eyes playfully, as if I’ve ever used a safe word, let alone had one.

My heart rate picks up as the realization starts to sink in that this may actually be happening. This man who’s become the star of every one of my recent fantasies may actually be about to help me live some of them out.

“Fair. Well, now that we have that settled.” He stands after depositing me into the middle of the bed. Pulling his shirt over his head, I’m graced with his smooth skin, a trail of dark hair scattered below his navel. Not for the first time, I have a full view of his incredible body covered in tattoos that skate up his neck, the black ink contrasting with his light skin and crystal-clear eyes.

He crawls over top of me like a predator, dipping his head to press a wet, open-mouthed kiss to my collarbone that has my nipples pebbling.

“What’s on your list?” he asks me in a sultry tone, lowering his melodious voice to an octave so low it reverberates through my chest, making me tingle all over.

“How’d you know I have a list?” I ask, suddenly breathless as he continues with his kisses, this time licking up the length of my neck so slowly that I can’t help but arch my back into him, holding back a whimper .

“Well, you mentioned wanting to try things, so I just assumed there was a list. If not, feel free to make one.” Another kiss. “I’ll be glad to play along for each and every one. I’m just a floor away,” he reminds me. I’m not sure if he’s joking or if he’s really offering what I think he is, but my body is coming alive under his touch.

“ Little red , you haven’t answered me. What exactly are we doing here?” My mind short-circuits at that.

“If I’m little red, does that make you the big bad wolf?” I tease, biting on my bottom lip as I fight to hold back a smile. 1

He releases a low chuckle, mouth popping open after sucking on the sensitive skin at the base of my throat. “It does if you want me to be,” he rasps.

God , that was not on my list, but it might be now.

“I’m not sure what to, uh, start with. Tyler wouldn’t do anything other than missionary.” I know I now have an entire list written, and frankly, right now would be an ideal time to procure that, but I’m too stunned to think, let alone form words.

Is this really happening, or have I been imagining this man while listening to those audios too many times this week?

Gianni lifts up to stare into my eyes. His brows knit together, moist lips pursed. “First rule, never say his name. Preferably ever, but definitely not while I’ve got big plans to bury my tongue deep inside your pretty cunt.”

I open my mouth to respond, but he presses a finger to my lips, my eyes going wide. “And since you can’t seem to make up your mind, I’ll give you two choices to start out with. Pick wisely, little red.”

He lifts the finger from my lips and says, “Option one, I dominate and praise you.” I suck in a breath at his words. “Option two, I submit to you and do whatever you ask of me.”

Oh, fuck me .

My thighs press together, trying to tamp down the ache settled between them.

Both of those options are definitely on my list, but I really don’t think being the one in control is something I’m ready for just yet. “Dominate me,” I whisper.

Without another word, he dips his head, sucking my nipple into his mouth through the thin fabric of my shirt. My hands wind around his neck, twisting into the hair at the base of his skull.

He bites down hard, and a jolt of pain sears through me. His hand cups my other breast, twisting and teasing the nipple. “C’est un très bon choix, ma petite rouge. Je vais faire de toi ma sale petite salope de sperme aujourd’hui.” Such a good choice, my little red. I plan to make you my dirty little cum slut today.

Oh, for the love of all that is holy, does he know I speak French, or is this his internal monologue making an appearance when he thinks I can’t understand? In either regard, I don’t plan to call him out on it just yet.

“If at any time you’re uncomfortable, let me know, and I’ll stop immediately,” he tells me sternly, his face still buried between my breasts. When I don’t answer, his piercing blue eyes gaze up at me. “Answer me, little red, or this stops right now.”

I nod, squeaking out my response. “Yes, okay. ”

“Good, now strip for me.” He sits back on his shins, watching me as I shimmy my shorts and panties down my thighs before my fingers make their way to the hem of my top.

I hesitate, blowing out a breath.

His brows pinch. “Something wrong?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper as he assesses me.

I swallow thickly. “I just—” I stammer, my hands feel clammy under his gaze. He waits, allowing me the time I need to find my words. “We can’t get too carried away,” I say, my voice quieting with each word. “My blood sugar drops with exercise, so I just have to be conscious of that and listen out for my phone alerting me to it, and—”

He nods, urging me to finish. “I just don’t want you to freak out,” I tell him, and he turns his head to the side like a puppy dog trying to understand what’s being said. I blow out another breath through my nose. “I haven’t gotten a pump yet, and I have a lot of extra bruises on my stomach because of it.” Once I’ve managed to get the words out of my mouth, he shifts his weight to hover closer to me, gripping my cheeks in his palms as he searches my eyes.

“Never, ever feel embarrassed for something that’s keeping you alive, Lark.”

I can feel hot tears pooling behind my eyes, but they don’t fall. Gianni senses what I need, so he places his hands over mine, helping me work my shirt up and over my head.

He releases a low groan, clutching the back of his neck as he squeezes his eyes shut so tightly I think he might be in pain. “I’m going to absolutely wreck you, and I’ll enjoy every second of it. You fucking unhinge me .”

“Um, I’m sorry?” I say, unsure of whether I’m supposed to respond.

“Don’t apologize. Just scoot to the edge of the bed and lie on your back,” he instructs.

Once I’m bare and spread for him, Gianni collapses to his knees, running his large hands up my thighs. He leans over me, caressing the bruises on my abdomen with the pads of his thumbs before pressing a kiss to each of the several spots. The desire never leaves his eyes the more he watches me, and it’s all the encouragement I need to feel safe and, for the first time, comfortable with whatever might happen in the bedroom.

He places each one of my thighs over his shoulders, sinking his fingers into my flesh as he pulls me into his face.

I feel his nose as it dips between my wetness, and the unfamiliar sensation of having someone down there, with his face so close to such an intimate part of my body, unnerves me. My senses are in overdrive as I battle my warring emotions. The feel of his skin against mine, the touch of his nose as it nears my clit, sends jolt after jolt of pleasure zinging through me. Then, on the other hand, I’m bared to him in a way that would’ve made my skin crawl if I were with Tyler. But with Gianni, I feel safe and attractive.

I’ve never felt so exposed to anyone in my life.

Gianni’s tongue swipes out, delving inside me, and I can’t help but squeeze my thighs around his head, my hands gripping for purchase into the silky sheets surrounding me.

My core vibrates around a low moan as Gianni makes it clear that this is for his pleasure too. The thought eases that insecurity, begging to tear free, but as the thoughts begin to calm, he looks up at me through hooded lids and thick lashes. His tongue is still working me to the edge so quickly that I think I may levitate off this damn bed. I do my best to hold his eye contact, but when those crystal-clear irises stare at me for a moment too long, I break the contact, throwing my forearm over my face with a groan.

The moment I do, he stops, wrenching my arm away as he stares so deeply into my eyes that I fear he can literally see my thoughts.

“You’re going to look me in the eye as I bring you over the edge. Do you understand? I need to know how you’re feeling, and your eyes are the best way to do that,” he tells me as he climbs onto the bed, his mouth hovering over mine just an inch away.

My lips part on an inhale as I aim to steady myself, but he takes that as an opportunity. He strikes.

His tongue dives into my mouth, the salty sweetness of my own arousal igniting a fire inside me. My skin is both too hot and too cold at the same time.

His lips scald me, seeking out whatever it is he wants. Fingers twining into his hair, I pull at his roots, overcome by sensation. “You seem to have a problem with forming answers tonight, little red,” he groans out against my lips.

“O-okay, I’ll keep my eyes open,” I stammer.

“Eyes on me,” he whispers as he makes his way back down my body, pushing my legs apart as he settles between them. He laps at my slickness, teasing and tasting, diving his tongue deeply inside me, and just when I think I can’t take anymore, he stands abruptly.

“Get on your knees, ma petite rouge. ” I sink to the ground from the edge of the bed, turning to face him as he loosens his belt buckle. Gianni runs his thumb along my bottom lip before plunging it into my mouth. “Suck. ”

I do as I’m told, sucking his thumb into my mouth and swirling my tongue around it as if it were his dick, which I can now see trying to break free of his pants. “Bite,” he tells me sternly.

My eyes widen at his command, but I do as I’m told. Wet heat drips down my thighs the more he commands me. “Such a good little slut,” he says with approval that tenses my muscles as he pulls his thumb from my mouth, working his zipper down. “You’re going to suck my cock until you choke on it, and when you can’t take anymore, I’m going to come all over that pretty face of yours.”

I whimper, so turned on I might come without touching myself.

Gianni keeps his eyes on mine, shaking his head the smallest bit as he says, “You’re going to look so damn pretty with a pearl necklace.”

Another whimper escapes me, and he bites his bottom lip at the sound… so hard he draws the smallest drop of blood, but I don’t have time to think about licking it off when he smacks my cheek with his dick.

My eyes widen, and my mouth gapes. “Open wide, little red.”

Pushing the head of his swollen cock against my parted lips, he smears his precum across my mouth, and my tongue darts out, tasting him. My hand slides down my abdomen, reaching for my aching clit, but he tsks at me. “I said open your fucking mouth, or your hair won’t be the only thing that’s red.”

Obediently, my mouth opens wide as he presses the tip inside. He’s so big that I start to panic. My eyes open wider as I tap on his leg to stop him when the sheer size of him obscures my breathing. He shakes his head. “Calm your breathing, close your eyes, and relax your jaw. Breathe through your nose and adjust to my size.” His voice is soft, a distinct contrast to the demanding tone he’d just used moments prior. It soothes me, and I’m able to regain control of my breathing. When ready, I open my eyes to look up at him, his hard cock still in my mouth.

“If you want to stop, really want to stop, tap on my thigh three times. And if somehow I’m not able to see past the haze of how goddamn perfect your mouth feels around me, fucking bite me. I’d rather lose my dick than hurt you,” he explains, and my heart flutters in my chest, but that same rush of arousal courses through me.

I want to please this man. More than anything. I want to make him feel as good and as wanted as he’s making me feel, so I take a deep breath in through my nose, slide my hand up to cup the base, and take him as far into my throat as I can without gagging. Hollowing my cheeks, I bob my head, sucking on the hard shaft as his fingers sink into my scalp, pulling on my hair. The burn sends a shiver down my spine.

He tosses his head back in ecstasy, pushing me farther down around him as he grunts out, “You can take it. Open that throat for me, baby.” I do my best to relax my throat, but when he pushes even farther into me, I have to grip his hips with both of my hands, struggling just to stay upright.

He moans, bucking his hips into my face. “Fucking hell,” he says, his fingers tightening in my roots.

I feel him stiffen, and his movements become more erratic as he groans.

“Lark,” he practically whimpers, and his muscles strain against my fingers as he pulls out of my mouth. “Stick your tongue out,” he rushes to say .

I listen obediently, sticking my tongue all the way out and exposing as much of my neck as I can to him before he spills his cum all over my face and chest. Once his eyes are back on me, I swallow what made its way into my mouth.

His nostrils flare as he watches me lick my lips, and it emboldens me to swipe a finger through the cum on my chest, bringing it to my mouth. I suck, moaning as his arousal coats my tongue.

“Get up,” he says once he’s recovered, his dick still hard and bobbing against his chiseled abdomen. Once I’m standing, he spins me, pushing my chest into the bed, my ass exposed to him. “Now, I’m gonna spank this tight little ass, and if you scream, I’m fucking it with my cock.”

My core clenches, and my eyes nearly roll back.

He positions himself behind me, running the head of his cock through my folds and up my ass before taking a step back. I fight another whimper as it climbs up my throat.

One hand is on my right ass cheek, rubbing circles across it as he bends forward, biting down on the skin of my left cheek. My body tenses, pain and pleasure mixing into one deliriously euphoric concoction.

“This tattoo, it’ll be the fucking death of me, you know,” he grinds out, referring to the tiny pink heart tattooed in the center of my left ass cheek.

“I’m sorry.” I moan, unsure as to whether or not he wants me to answer.

“What did I say about apologizing?” he asks me, but there’s no bite to his tone. His massive hand makes contact, a loud smack erupting as I fall even farther forward from the force. The pain radiates to my needy center, feeling so much better than I’d have anticipated. He works the skin with his fingers, soothing it.

He delivers several more deliberate blows, and when my ass is on fire, actual, genuine pain searing through me, he lifts my hips and tosses me into the center of the bed. Gianni climbs over me, running his nose up the length of my neck, my sore ass feeling raw against my bed, but I’m still so turned on I could cry. When his lips make it to the shell of my ear, I shudder. “I got a little carried away,” he murmurs. “So I’ll give you the choice because I’m feeling generous.”

My thighs clench with anticipation. “Either I can fuck you into this mattress with no regard for your aching ass, or…” He draws out the word. “I can lay back and let you slide your pretty pussy up and down my shaft while I choke you until you’re coming undone on my cock. Choose wisely, sweetheart.”

How is this man real?

It’s like he’s taken a drive down memory lane of every one of my fantasies and somehow managed to bring them to life, bigger and better than even my imagination could render them.

“I want to ride you,” I tell him, trying to sound confident and assured. Truthfully though? I’m terrified that he’ll split me in half. His dick is nearly the length of my forearm and almost just as thick. But maybe my eyes are deceiving me.

He rolls off me, lying back against my pillows with an arm behind his head, but his eyes flit to where my phone sits on the nightstand. He sits up, grabs it and hands it to me. “Check your sugar,” he says before saying, “please.”

I ignore the need to rub the heel of my palm over my heart where it aches in my chest .

Nodding, I open the app for my CGM, and when I see a reassuring number, I turn it for him to see. He stares at the screen before his eyes flick to mine. “One forty-one is good, right? So your blood sugars don’t drop too low?”

A small smile stretches my lips, and I nod. “That’s right,” I confirm, and I hear the little breath he releases. I lock the screen, set the phone back down, and crawl closer to him.

His cock is now standing straight up, waiting for me. Clearly, he’s recovered from his orgasm just a few minutes ago.

Everything about that fact makes me feel desired in a way I hadn’t known possible, but as my mouth starts to salivate with need, I’m struck with a realization that threatens to dampen the heat searing through me.

“I don’t have a condom,” I tell him with wide eyes.

“I haven’t slept with anyone in over five years. It’s up to you, but I don’t have one either. This isn’t why I came over today.” He adds the last sentence softly, reminding me that he’s not using me or expecting more from me than I can give in return.

“Tyler and I haven’t had sex in probably a year, and I always made him wear a condom.”

I lift my leg to straddle him, doing my best to hover just over his tip without sinking down just yet. “God, you have no idea what that does to me.” He groans.

“Huh?” I ask, confused.

“You’ve known me for just a few short weeks, and you already trust me more than that pig.” He breathes. “It fucking delights me.” His eyes flare as he grips his shaft, rubbing the head against my entrance and urging me to lower myself onto him.

“God,” I cry out as the first inch stretches me wide .

He groans, biting his lip again. “I prefer Gi, but god will do,” he pants out.

“I’d smack you if I weren’t so caught up trying to keep from splitting in two,” I grit out at him, almost frustrated at his ability to make a joke right now.

“And I’d smack you right back, princess. Like I said, you can take it, so spread those pretty lips for me and take my cock like the good little slut I know you are.” His fingers wrap around the base of my throat, squeezing almost gently at first. But as his thumb shifts to my windpipe, he presses down with so much force that I’m unable to squeak out the scream I feel clawing up my throat as his hips drive up into me.

His fingers loosen, giving me a false sense of relief before increasing the pressure once again. He continues this game, toying with me until I have him fully buried inside me, almost to the hilt, as I rock against him, seeking pressure on my clit.

My nipples are so hard, they’re screaming to be touched. My skin is on fire as pleasure strikes white-hot up my spine, the growing ache between my legs building and building. I’m on the precipice as his rough hand glides down my breasts, grazing my sensitive nipples and down to my clit. His thumb presses against me, and I see stars.

My heart rate climbs, and my breaths come out in short bursts.

“That’s it, little red. Take what you want,” he urges, rubbing circles over my swollen clit.

Tingles spread down my thighs, and I feel myself begin to spasm around him. He sits up to tug my nipple into his mouth, and I go off like a bomb.

My toes curl as my back arches into him .

“Gianni.” I moan over and over again as I collapse against his chest, and just when I think I can finally see straight, he adjusts his fingers, pinching my clit between his thumb and forefinger as he spills his hot cum inside me.

An overload of sensations fills me, and I can’t help but be satisfied with the sounds he’s making as he comes for the second time.

When we’ve both had enough, he lifts me off him, my mind hazy as I float, barely aware of my surroundings.

My chest is heaving, slightly able to take in enough air.

Did that really just happen?

That was incredible, and what shocks me most is the lack of guilt I feel. I was just in a relationship for six years, and yet I feel nothing but ecstasy at finally having my needs met.

Gianni lies beside me, panting alongside me as we try to get our bearings. That was incredible.

My racing heart begins to settle, and I feel the edge of the bed dip as Gianni leaves.

I hear running water, and moments later, a warm, moist cloth is wiping my face, my chest, and, finally, the spent and overly sensitive place between my legs. I feel Gianni run another dry cloth over me, covering my body with a blanket before leaving me again.

Just as panic begins to take hold of me, he squeezes my hand. “I’ll be right back. I just need to clean myself up.”

Moments that feel like lifetimes pass before he’s turned off the lights, the sun peeking through my blinds, the only thing illuminating my room. I feel his large, warm body wrap around mine, another blanket covering us both as he nuzzles his face into the place between my neck and shoulder .

I swear I hear him sigh as I relax into his embrace and drift into a restful sleep.

1. The Kill – Thirty Seconds To Mars