Chapter 45

Serenity's lips parted as she stared at me, but not a sound escaped. She just stared, then suddenly started looking around as if realizing for the first time that we had an audience. Blinking slowly, her eyes came back to mine and she frowned as she took a few steps closer.

"What on earth are you doing here?" She'd gone back to ignoring the paparazzi, but I didn't.

For once, I was the one flashing them smiles and waving. Or at least, I had been before she'd arrived. Now, my attention was solely on her, but I still wasn't ignoring them.

That would be rude, given that they'd all come here upon my invitation. I'd made contact with every blogger and publication I could think of, letting them all know that they'd want to see what happened between Serenity and me tonight.

I was more exposed than I'd ever been before, but that had been the point of this. While I couldn't say that I didn't care about all the eyes on us, I'd decided to take a big swing and this was it.

Gaze fixed solidly on her wide eyes, I stepped forward and held out the flowers. "You were right before. I didn't know what I wanted, but then I met you and all of that changed. I do know what I want, Serenity, but I also know that I've made mistakes. Big ones."

I glanced at the camera in my face, an instinctual flare of annoyance ripping through me at how close the photographer was, but I shoved it down. I was here to tell her how I felt publicly, for everyone to hear, and he was capturing every word I said on video.

It was intimidating but not enough to stop me. Inhaling as I turned back to her, I reminded myself that the spectacle I was making was worth it. Whether or not she forgave me, it would still have been worth it.

"Right now, I don't know what we are or if we'll ever be anything again, but I know that we're more than just friends. I should've said that before and all the noble reasons I thought I had for not saying it then don't really matter. I'm saying it now. We are not just friends. Maybe I'm too late, but I am sorry. I'm sorry, Serenity."

Giving her the flowers, I took another deep breath and waited for her reaction. There was so much more I could've said, but that was the important stuff. She'd been worried that I was ashamed of her. That I didn't want anyone to know about our relationship because I wasn't sure of her, but none of those things were true.

I was hoping that telling her what I had in front of so many reporters and cameras would do the rest of the talking for me. If actions spoke louder than words, then this had to be screaming. I would have said more, but I was holding back for her sake, not mine.

Ethan would see this soon enough, and the more I said, the angrier he would get. Just in case she decided not to forgive me, I didn't want to set him off. If I wouldn't be around to help her with him, I didn't want to give him any more reason than I already had to come after her.

As she looked into my eyes, searching as she took another step forward, I gave her a small smile and inclined my head at the cameras, praying that she understood. For a few more charged moments, she kept staring at me but then her face broke out in a smile.

I closed the distance between us, meeting her halfway as she kept moving forward slowly. When I reached her, she wrapped her arms around my neck to hug me and I happily slid my arms around her in turn, holding her close as my heartrate picked up.

Breaking out of the hug, she remained still in the circle of my arms as she looked up at me, her fingers combing through my hair as she smiled. "Are you going to kiss me now?"

She asked the question so quietly that I doubted even the closest cameras would've picked it up, but that really didn't matter. I grinned, lowered my head to hers, and wrapped my arms around her.

Cameras snapped around us, the flashes lighting up the night. Our mouths met and she let out a soft moan into mine. My heart did some wild flips in response. Then I was kissing her passionately, my tongue delving into her mouth as I dipped her and grinned against her lips.

I straightened us back up before the kiss got completely out of hand.

"They're going to have a field day with that," she murmured.

I shrugged, keeping her close as I started walking her to her door. "Let them. I don't care."

She glanced up at me, her eyebrows raised in question, but she didn't ask it out loud. Instead, she simply pulled me in with her when we reached the building's front door. "Do you want to come up where we can talk in private?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation. "I suppose we don't have to give them any more of a show than we already have."

"Definitely not." She took my hand, tugging me to the elevator and then jabbing the button repeatedly. Her teeth sank into her lower lip while we waited for the doors to open.

When they finally did, she practically yanked me into the elevator with her, and as soon as we were alone, she kissed me again. From that moment, our lips didn't leave one another. I knew we had more talking to do, but she didn't seem interested in doing it right now and neither was I.

Quickly picking her up, I pressed her against the mirror, leaning into her as I devoured her mouth like I'd never get another chance. The low ding sounded to announce our arrival on her floor and she kept kissing me as we stumbled out of it.

I felt her arm moving, assuming that she was rummaging in her purse for her keys. Cool metal pressed into my palm a few seconds later and my fingers closed around it. Still kissing furiously, I unlocked her door, barely getting it open before we were barreling through it.

Once we got inside, I kicked the door shut behind us and then it was like a race to get out of our clothes. Serenity pushed my jacket off my shoulders and I shrugged out of it before reaching around her back and sliding down the zipper of her dress.

Both items fell to the floor as she stepped out of the circle of fabric. We blindly rushed through her apartment, hurrying to the bedroom while she unbuttoned my shirt and I pulled my belt free. Neither of us bothered with any lights, and as soon as we reached her bed, I dropped onto it on my back and pulled her down with me.

She squealed with a giggle as she fell, her warm palms finding my face not a moment later. Sliding her knees in underneath her, she supported some of her weight where she sat in my lap. We were both down to our underwear now and I made quick work of unhooking her bra, taking her breasts in my hands once it was gone.

She moaned as I flicked my thumbs over her hardened nipples. Her back arched as she leaned into my touch. My cock strained against my underwear and my hips started rocking, pleasure darting through me from the friction.

Serenity reached down, lifting her ass to shove my boxer-briefs off. She smiled, finally crawling down until she was sitting between my legs. Her silky hair brushed my skin as she planted hot kisses on my stomach and thighs, and I trembled, my muscles tightening.

She walked her fingers playfully to my dick. A sound I swore I'd never made before tore out of me when she wrapped them firmly around my shaft. My hips came off the bed when she covered my tip in her warm lips. "Fuck, Serenity."

The weird growls didn't stop when she started moving her mouth and her fist in unison. I didn't try holding them back. I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven, and in heaven, no one judged a person for the animalistic sounds they made.

My hands flew into her hair, gripping it tight. She kept moving up and down, her free hand moving between my legs to cup my balls. I'd had blowjobs before. Many. But none like this. I didn't really know what made it so different, but I also couldn't focus on anything except her warm fingers. The flat of her palm. The searing heat of her mouth and her soft tongue. Every so often, there was a gentle scrape of her teeth that drove me insane.

The pleasure mounted, threatening to erupt if I didn't stop her, but it felt so fucking good that I didn't know how. I rode it all the way to the edge before I tapped out.

I picked her up and flipped her over to get comfortable between her legs. Breathing hard and still way too close for comfort, I licked through her soaking folds, pinning her hips to the bed with my palms.

I sucked her clit into my mouth. She cried out, writhing and squirming, and started riding my face, taking what she needed until she came.

I glanced up as she did, nearly losing it with her when I saw the pure ecstasy on her features. Somehow, I managed to hold back. We had all night and I was once again making something up to her.

As I cleaned her up after, I promised myself that I would try harder this time. I would not hurt this girl again. If it was the last thing I did, I would make her happy. For now and for as long as she would have me.