Chapter 30

chapter

thirty

There are so many things to be afraid of in life, but love isn't one of them.

Donovan was right. She'd spent so much of her life in fear, but she didn't want to be afraid anymore. Not of this. Not of Sawyer. Not of them together.

She pressed her lips to his. "Yes."

He started to return her kiss but then pulled his head back. "Wait, yes? As in, yes, you'll spend the rest of your life with me?"

She laughed, her heart light and full. "Yes, Sawyer. As in, I love you too, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you just as much as you want to prove it to me."

Relief washed over his face. His grin was so bright it outshone the sun setting on the horizon as he leaned down and captured her lips with his.

She melted into him, and her hands curled in his worn blue flannel shirt, tugging him toward the blanket behind them.

He chuckled against her lips. "I thought we'd at least eat first…"

"Hmm." She pushed him down to the blanket and straddled him. "Well, there is something I've been dying to taste."

His laughter came full and free, a sound that echoed through the secluded cove. His hands found their way to her waist, his thumb tracing the curve of her hip through the lightweight material of her jacket.

"And what might that be?"

She leaned down and dragged her open mouth down the muscle in his neck. "You."

His fingers dug into her hips, and he exhaled sharply as her teeth sank into the skin over his collarbone. "Far be it from me to deny you anything, love."

How could she have ever pushed this man away? How could she have let her fears, and her scars dictate her future when this is what it could be like?

She was struck by a sudden overwhelming need to make up for lost time.

She slid her hands under his shirt, tracing over the planes of his muscular chest as she pulled it off him. He was still bruised all over, the deep blues and purples fading to ugly greens and yellows—but he was still the most beautiful man she had ever seen. She kissed her way down his chest, stopping to tease his nipple with her tongue.

"I'm going to take you in my mouth and suck so hard," she promised, blowing on his nipple and grinning when his back arched.

"Jesus, Luce." His voice was little more than a growl as his hand found her ponytail and gently tugged until her hair fell free. "I want to feel all this softness on my thighs while you suck me."

She silenced him with a searing kiss, her hand moving lower to grip him through his jeans. "Patience," she murmured, exhilarated by the ragged gasp Sawyer let out at her touch.

"Never had much use for it," he muttered and began to undo his belt. His voice was husky, gritty, filled with a raw desire that made her core clench with anticipation. He guided her head lower, his fingers tangling in her hair, his breath hitching as she traced a path of kisses down his abdomen. She took her time, savoring the taste of him, the twitch of his muscles under her palms, the way he squirmed.

She flicked open the button on his jeans and pulled down the zipper and found his cock hard and hot, straining the fabric of his boxers.

Slowly, she tugged the elastic waistband down, freeing him from his confinement. His cock sprang free, standing proudly against his lower stomach. She licked her lips at the sight of him, so hard and ready for her.

She chuckled softly, brushing her fingers over him. "Seems like somebody's eager."

He let out a shuddering breath, his grip tightening on her hair. "You have no idea."

He was large and thick, the head already glossy with pre-come. She wrapped her fingers around him, her touch light and teasing. His hands tightened in her hair as she gave him a slow stroke that made him groan.

"Lucy," he groaned, his hips bucking into her hand. "You're killing me..."

Feeling incredibly powerful and more than a little bit wicked, she continued to stroke him slowly while lowering her mouth to his inner thigh and trailing kisses up towards his erection. She loved the way his stomach muscles clenched under her touch, the way he gasped and shivered as she came closer. When she finally swirled her tongue around the head of his cock before swallowing him whole, his strangled curse echoed through the quiet cove.

"Wait, wait." He tugged on her hair, forcing her to release him from her mouth with a wet pop. His chest heaved as he tried to steady his breathing. "This isn't fair."

She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head questioningly. "Oh? And why is that?"

Sawyer shifted beneath her, an impish grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Because I haven't gotten to taste you yet."

A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine as he flipped their positions, pinning her beneath him on the blanket. The warmth of his body seeped through her clothes, igniting a slow burn deep inside of her. Her heart pounded in anticipation, excitement coursing through her veins.

His hands roved across her body before coming to rest on the zipper of her lightweight jacket. Slowly, almost teasingly, he eased it down to reveal the shirt she wore underneath. He bent down and pressed a long kiss to the exposed skin above the neckline of her shirt, the stubble on his chin scratching pleasingly against her. His hands slid under the hem, pulling the cotton fabric up and over her head in a single swift motion.

She bit her lip as his hands and lips roamed reverently over every inch of her exposed chest. He captured one of her breasts in his mouth through the lace of her bra and she arched into him, moaning as his teeth scraped over her nipple.

Her world narrowed down to the sensation of his mouth on her body, his hands moving over her skin. They seemed to be everywhere at once, and it was intoxicating, overwhelming in the most wonderful way possible.

"Sawyer," she gasped, tugging at the waistband of her jeans in a frenzied attempt to shed the last barrier between them. He obliged, sitting back on his heels to help her shimmy out of the tight denim, then he leaned down, pressing a trail of hot, open-mouthed kisses from her navel to the apex of her thighs. She writhed beneath him, panting and moaning as he spread her legs wider and settled between them. When his tongue finally stroked into her, she gasped, fingers digging into the blanket beneath them. He lapped at her with long, slow strokes, his hands clutching her hips to hold her still as she writhed and bucked.

"God, Sawyer…" The pleasure built like a tidal wave. "I can't..." Her skin felt too tight, her senses too stretched. She was on the edge of something vast and terrifying and wonderful.

"You can." He swirled his tongue around her clit and then dipping it lower to plunge between her folds. Sudden tears sprang to her eyes as he hit a spot inside that made her tremble. For a second, she wondered if there was another earthquake.

"Sawyer," she pleaded, unable to say more than his name.

"Let go, Luce," he murmured against her skin, his fingers replacing his tongue and pushing deep inside to stroke that sweet spot again. His tongue flicked over her sensitive clit rapidly, spurring her closer and closer to the edge.

Everything inside her coiled tighter, her breath hitching as the pleasure swirled into a hot, dizzying storm. With one last sweep of his tongue and a deep thrust of his fingers, she shattered.

His low growl of satisfaction sent vibrations through her body that made her arch even harder against him, and he didn't stop until she was spent, his touches becoming gentler as she came down from her high. His fingers slowly withdrew from her, making her whimper at the loss. But then he was moving up her body, his hands and lips leaving a trail of heat against her skin. He kissed her deeply, his tongue stroking hers in a mimicry of what he had just done to her. She could taste herself on him, and it sent a jolt of desire curling in her belly.

"Now, it's fair," he murmured against her lips, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

She felt the broad head of his cock nudge at her entrance and opened her thighs wider hooking her ankles around his back. He sank in slowly, letting out a low, guttural groan that sent a fresh wave of heat coursing through her.

"God, Luce," he whispered in her ear, pressing his forehead to hers. "You're so tight, so wet..." He began to move then, pulling out nearly all the way before surging forward again in a slow, deliberate rhythm.

Each stroke rubbed against her still-sensitive nerves, drawing out tremors of pleasure that had her clenching her hands in his hair and wrapping her legs tighter around his waist. His thrusts grew faster and harder, the erotic slap of skin on skin echoing in the stillness around them.

Sawyer hooked an arm under her knee and changed the angle of his thrusts, hitting a spot inside her that had lights dancing behind her eyelids. She could feel the familiar coil of pleasure winding tighter in the pit of her stomach, ready to snap at any moment, but she didn't want it. Not yet.

She surged up, catching him off guard and knocking him back. She straddled him as he landed on the blanket with a surprised laugh. His eyes widened, and he let out a strangled groan as she sank down onto him. The new angle let her control the pace, and she set a rhythm that was tortuously slow, grinding down onto him each time she lowered herself. His hands clamped on her hips, his fingers digging into her skin

"God, look at you," he whispered. "You're so goddamn beautiful."

She looked down and met his gaze. For once, he wasn't looking past her, but those pale blue eyes were focused right on her with a mixture of awe and hot desire.

He could see her.

She froze in shock, and he let out a choked sound of disappointment.

"Don't stop moving. I want to see you when you come."

God. He could see her when she rode him. Heat flooded through her as she lifted herself and sank down on him again and watched his eyes follow her movements.

The sight of him sprawled beneath her, the moonlight catching on his body and highlighting the muscles in his abdomen and arms, galvanized her. A wicked smile curled the edges of her lips. She placed her hands flat against his chest, feeling his heart pound against her palm as she quickened the pace, pistoning up and down on his cock in a way that had him swearing and gripping the blanket underneath them. His hips were thrusting upwards to meet hers, each movement making his breath hitch and pleasure coil tighter in her gut.

"Sawyer," she gasped, leaning forward to brace herself on his shoulders.

She picked up the pace, grinding down onto him faster and harder. His head tilted back, exposing the column of his throat as he groaned, but he kept his blue eyes on her. Watching her every move, greedily drinking in the sight of her as she took him.

"Keep moving," he urged hoarsely, his gaze locked on her swaying breasts. His calloused fingers brushed over her nipples, pinching and teasing. He sat up suddenly, wrapping one arm around her waist to draw her closer. His mouth latched onto a taut nipple, his teeth scraping lightly against the sensitive bud.

Lucy gasped, the sensation spiraling through her like a shockwave. Sparks danced in front of her eyes and as Sawyer continued to suckle and tease, his other hand slipped between their bodies to stroke her clit.

"Come on, Luce," he murmured against her nipple, then lay back again, keeping his hand between her legs, stroking where they were joined. "I'm close, but I want to watch you come first."

His words, raw and charged with desire, shattered her last bit of control. Her hips jerked and she cried out his name as a wave of pleasure swept through her, leaving her gasping and shuddering. Sawyer held her tight as she shook, his fingers still working between her legs to prolong the intensity of her climax.

As the waves receded, leaving her panting and spent, he rolled them over until she was beneath him again. His thrusts became more frantic as he chased his own release. He buried his face in the crook of her neck with a low growl that sent another wave of pleasure coursing through her.

And then he stilled, clutching her tightly as he came in a series of pulsing shudders, his body going rigid before finally collapsing onto hers.

For a long moment, they lay together in silence, their bodies tangled together as they tried to catch their breaths. Sawyer nuzzled the side of her neck lazily, his rough stubble scratching gently against her skin.

"God, Luce," he murmured sleepily into her ear, still struggling for breath. "I've never... That was..." He couldn't seem to find the words, but the awestruck look on his face as he pulled back said more than any words could. "I… I saw you. I saw you, Luce," he repeated, his voice choked and raw. "And you are more beautiful than I ever imagined. You're perfect." His thumb traced her jaw to the dimple in her chin, then caressed her lower lip.

She opened her mouth to capture it between her teeth, drawing a soft groan from him. "Who would've guessed sex is the cure for blindness?"

His laugh rumbled in his chest, the vibration seeping into her skin. "I'm still blind. But for those few minutes… it didn't feel like I was."

"Well, then, I guess I'll have to be on top more often."

"You can be on top whenever you want, Harper."

Despite his teasing, she heard the undercurrent of vulnerability in his voice. She hated that, deep down, under all of his charm and the confidence he showed the world, he still felt so insecure about his disability.

Tenderly, she cupped his face in her hands and looked into his unseeing blue eyes. "I heard a quote once that's always stuck with me, and I'm probably going to butcher it, but… Love isn't about seeing the perfect person. It's about seeing an imperfect person perfectly." She kissed him, pouring all her love into the gentle brush of her lips against his. "I don't need your sight. I don't care if you can see me or not. I'm here, and I see you, Sawyer Murphy. Every scar, every flaw, every imperfection. And I love you because of all of them."

His face softened, the corners of his lips turning up in that smile of his that she loved so much. "And I love you, Lucy Harper," he said quietly, "with all my scars and imperfections."