7. Chloe

The walkhome is not awkward really, but the silence is affecting me. We’re almost at my front door, and I know he’s going to try and escape. He’s going to try and leave as soon as I get to my door, and my heart starts to race knowing I can’t let that happen.

I’m holding my breath as I walk up the path to my porch. I don’t stop until I’m standing next to my door. When I turn, he’s standing at the bottom of my steps already planning his escape. “Can you come in for a minute?”

He’s looking out at me from under the hood of his sweatshirt, and his wide dark eyes don’t give away anything of what he’s thinking. Almost panicked, I walk to the edge of the porch. “Please?”

He finally nods, and I walk back to the door and unlock it. As soon as I walk in, I flip on the lamp instead of the big overhead light and then stop next to the couch. He follows me in, and once inside, he looks around the house. He’s looking everywhere but at me, and it’s like I can feel his anxiety coming off him in waves.

“Can I see your wallet?”

I’m holding my breath, waiting for him to respond. I’m sure he thinks I’m crazy, but since Abby mentioned the picture in his wallet, I have to know if it’s me or not. I might end up looking like a fool, but at least I’ll know.

He’s frozen as he looks at me, and the longer we stand here with nothing being said, the more unsure I get. I have my hand out to him, and I just wait.

Finally, he puts his hand in his back pocket and brings out his wallet. He hands it over to me. My heart is racing, and I feel dizzy and off balance, but I pull myself together and hold it in both of my hands. “Can I open it?”

He grunts in the affirmative, and I open the worn leather. I don’t have to look long because as soon as I get the trifold open, there it is. A picture of me. My body physically jerks at seeing the picture of myself. I bring it closer. It’s not a good picture. It was taken while I was sleeping. I’m lying on my side, completely covered. My hair is a mess and all over the place. I have mascara smudges on my cheek, and it’s not flattering at all. But he obviously took this picture after our night together, printed it, and carried it all this time in his wallet. I’m the woman that Abby heard about. I’m not sure what happened these last five years, but he didn’t forget about me.

I pull back my shoulders, lift my head, and look at Elias. In the span of five seconds, I’ve made a decision. I may regret it, and I may get hurt again, but I’m living for tonight.

He’s searching my face, looking at me worriedly. I suck in a breath and try to calm my nerves because I know what I need to do… what I want to do.

I slowly swipe my tongue across my lip, and the fact that his eyes follow it gives me a little encouragement. I close his wallet and hand it back to him. “Can I ask you something?”

He nods, and I start to ramble. “So… for five years, I have not felt arms around me. No intimacy. No sex. Nothing.”

His eyes widen, and I take a few slow steps toward him. God, I can’t believe I’m doing this.

“It’s like I’m numb, and I need to feel something again. I need to feel alive, Elias. I’m not asking for promises, explanations, or anything. I want one night.”

His chest rises and falls in rapid succession. “How much did you have to drink tonight?”

I roll my eyes. “You know how much I had to drink.”

He juts his chin. “You had a glass sitting in front of you, but I didn’t see you drink it.”

I take another step toward him. “That’s the only drink I had.”

He huffs out a breath. “That’s the only one you had?”

I move closer. He still has that damn hood on, but I’m not going to reach for it. Instead, I put my hands at his waist, and he sucks in a breath at contact. “That’s the only drink I had tonight. Promise.”

He looks as if he’s about to spontaneously combust, so I take a step backward. I’m trying not to get all up in my head about this. He wants me. The proof is in the fact that he has my picture in his wallet and the way he’s followed me around since he got back into town.

Once I get to the back of the couch, I lean against it and raise my right foot and remove my boot. Then I do the same on the other side. I remove my socks and then stand up. He’s watching me, that broodiness even more intense now.

I pull at the button on my jeans, undo the zipper, and then peel the tight material down my hips, thighs, and legs. When I have them off, I toss them onto the couch.

He’s practically panting, watching me. His eyes are dilated, his jaw is pulled tight, and his hands are fisted at his sides.

I reach for my tube top, suck in a breath, and let it out before pulling it over my head, baring my breasts to him. I’m standing here in nothing but my panties, and he’s practically vibrating to touch me.

I put my fingers in the waist of the silky material and slowly lower it down my legs. I step out of my panties, and when I stand up, I’m completely naked.

“Fuck,” he groans.

“One night, Elias. I don’t expect anything else.”

He takes three ragged, deep breaths, and then he stalks toward me as I brace for impact.

His hands go to my shoulders, and he pulls me against him. He kisses me as if his life depends on it. It’s a smashing of teeth and tongues, and it takes a second for us to blend, but when we finally do, it’s everything.

I’m not sure if he pulls me up or if I’m the one climbing up his body, but I have my legs wrapped around his waist while he holds me.

He carries me down the hall and into the bedroom. I’m pulling at his sweatshirt, and he freezes, wrapping his hand around mine to stop me. “No.”

“But…”

“No,” he says again as he lays me back on the bed. The only light filling the room is from the moon shining through the closed curtains. Once my eyes adjust to the darkness, I can barely make him out.

He rises above me, and I watch as he removes his hooded sweatshirt, but underneath, he has a long-sleeve shirt on.

He’s covered, and I groan because I want to feel his warmth pressed against me. I want all of him.

He puts his hands on my knees and pushes my legs apart. I’m completely open and bare to him, but I’m not embarrassed or wanting to hide from him. I want this too badly to feel any of those things.

His hands slide up my thighs, and I feel his hot breath on my core. He presses his nose against me and inhales deeply. “I’ve dreamed of this pussy, Chloe.”

I put my hand to the back of his head to hold him against me. “It’s yours. I’m yours.”

His firm tongue delves into my slit, and he licks me from hole to clit. I grip onto the bed sheets and tug at the soft material. Every muscle in my body pulls as he follows the same path over and over before focusing on my clit. When he sucks the bundle of nerves into his mouth, I grunt and arch my back.

His arm goes over my waist to hold me down as he completely ravages me. His moans make it even more intense. He increases the pressure, and as the first waves of my orgasm start to roll through me, there’s no holding back the scream that escapes.

He’s relentless though and doesn’t stop. Over and over, he brings me to orgasm until my cunt is having one spasm after another. I can’t even count the times I start to come down and he takes me over the edge again.

My thighs lock around his head, and my hips thrust with uncontrolled abandon.

As the last orgasm shoots through me, my toes literally curl.

We’re both breathing heavily as he kisses my mound one last time before making his way up my body. He licks and caresses my belly and up my abdomen, and then he feasts on my breasts, moving from one to the other. As his tongue swirls around my nipple, my hips rise to meet his.

His erection digs into my belly, and I reach down, wanting to wrap my hand around him. As soon as I get to the button of his jeans, he jerks back and puts his hand over mine to stop me. My eyes fly open, and I raise up on my elbows. “Don’t you dare stop now, Elias.”

He’s huffing and puffing as a battle wars in his gaze. “I’m not, but if we’re doing this, we’re doing it my way.”

Bewildered and frustrated, I shake my head. “What does that even mean?”

He leans over me, bringing my hands up over my head and pressing them into the mattress. “You can’t touch me.”

I start to laugh as if he’s joking, but I quickly realize that’s not the case. “What?” I ask him as I struggle under his hold, but he doesn’t release me.

He’s gruff as he leans in to kiss me. As his tongue slides along mine, I still struggle to get my hands free. With a huff, he breaks off the kiss and leans his forehead against mine. “Fuck, I want you, Chloe. More than you’ll ever know. But if we do this, I need to do it my way.”

I shake my head. “But why don’t you want me to touch you?”

He leans his head back to look at me, and I see the deep sorrow in his eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want you to touch me. Fuck, I want that more than anything. But I can’t…” He struggles with the words. “I don’t want to fuck this up.”

I want to ask him about it and demand he explain it to me until I understand, but the look on his face tells me that he’s not going to budge. It’s obvious he doesn’t want me to see him. If I want Elias, I’m going to have to go by his rules. “Fine,” I mutter.

He doesn’t hesitate. He kisses me until I’m begging him for more.