He leaned into the truck and kissed her. “I love being with you, too.”
They drove to the beach to watch the sunset, but all it took was one glance for all of their feelings to take over, and they ended up making out like teenagers until the windows fogged and they were both breathless and desperate for more.
“Jules,” he said against her lips, her name dripping with desire. “I’m falling so hard for you, and I don’t want to stop. Stay with me tonight.”
Her eyes met his, warm and wanting. “Okay.”
He was so damn glad she’d agreed, they drove straight home, their heated glances amping up his need to finally be closer, to hold her naked in his arms and love her like she’d never been loved before. He’d thought he’d be more nervous about his leg, but his feelings for Jules, and his desire to make tonight special for her, overshadowed his worries.
He parked the truck, and when he opened the passenger door, she turned in the seat, trepidation hovering in her eyes. He took her beautiful face between his hands. “Babe, we don’t have to do anything tonight. I just want you in my arms. We’ll go as slow and wait as long as you want.”
“I know you’ll wait,” she said softly. “But I don’t want to.”
God, this sexy, trusting woman totally owned him.
He lowered his lips to hers, gathering her close as he deepened the kiss, and as always seemed to happen, their kisses turned ravenous. He lifted her into his arms without breaking their connection and carried her to the porch. He had a momentary thought about ascending those damned porch steps with Jules in his arms, but he was determined to take them no matter how uncomfortable. He held on to the railing with one hand as he climbed the steps and Jules held on to him. Fumbling with the lock on the door with her in his arms wasn’t difficult, but they both ended up laughing as he tried to find the keyhole without breaking their kisses.
He closed the door behind them, and Crash wound around his feet, nearly tripping him up. He cursed and snapped, “Get outta here, roomie,” causing Jules to giggle as he carried her into the bedroom. When he set her down beside the bed, she looked up at him with those big, trusting eyes, and his heart climbed into his throat.
His arms circled her. “You okay, baby?”
She nodded, that nervous smile tugging at him.
“This is new for both of us.” He brushed a kiss over her lips. “We’re in this together. We can slow down or stop at any time, okay?”
She nodded and went up on her toes, meeting him in a slow, sensual kiss. His body thrummed with desire as he peeled her sweater off and dropped it to the floor, holding her gaze as he pulled off his own sweater. He lifted the hem of her shirt, going slowly in case she had second thoughts, and kissed her softly before stripping it off. He trailed kisses along her shoulder as he took off her bra and it sailed to the floor. Their eyes locked as he added his shirt to the pile, and they stood bare from the waist up, lust and other emotions igniting between them. He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her deeply, before tasting his way down her chest, slowing to slick his tongue over her taut nipple and suck it into his mouth. She gasped and grabbed his shoulders, panting as he loved her other breast. Then he sank lower, kissing her stomach and kneeling before her to take off her boots and socks. She held his shoulder as he removed his own shoes and socks, her gaze traveling to his prosthetic foot.
He pushed to his feet, rigidly studying her face for a hint of shock—or worse, repulsion—but when those pretty, passionate eyes met his, there was no room for doubt. He kissed her as he unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and stripped them off, leaving on her lace panties.
“My God, baby. You are gorgeous.”
She reached for the button on his jeans, but he put his hand over hers, stepping closer to the bed, his chest constricting. He’d played out this scene in his head a million times the last few days and decided there was no sexy way to do what needed to be done. He pulled his jeans down his thighs, then sat on the bed in his boxer briefs and worked his jeans off his artificial leg and then off his other leg and set them aside. Her eyes trailed down his body, over the scars marring the thigh of his left leg and the length of his right one.
He gritted his teeth, reaching for her hand. “This is a lot to take in, especially your first time.”
“You’re a lot of man,” she said softly, her eyes moving to his briefs. “You’ll be a lot to take in our hundredth time.”
He couldn’t believe that’s what she was focused on. He didn’t know if she was making it easier for him or truly thinking only about that particular body part, but laughter bubbled out, and he pulled her down on his good leg. “I fucking adore you,” he said with a laugh, and then more seriously, “My leg doesn’t freak you out?”
“Not even a little.”
“I need to take it off, Jules.” They’d done a clean job with the surgery, but it still might be jarring to actually see him without his lower leg.
“I know. We’re in this together, remember?” She moved onto the bed beside him and put her hand on his left thigh.
He fell harder for her right there and then. He was going to lose his mind over this incredible woman. She kept her hand on his thigh as he removed his prosthesis, leaving the liner covering his stump. Their eyes met as he started to take it off, but she put her hand over his and slipped off the bed and onto her knees in front of him. She held his gaze as she moved his hand away and began taking off the liner. The loving look in her eyes and her gentle touch sent his heart sprinting so hard, he thought it might break out of his chest and lunge for her. It was all he could do to sit still and curl his hands around the edge of the mattress.
With the liner off, she lowered her eyes, running both hands down his thigh, over his knee, to the very end of his stump, completely undoing him. Her eyes flicked up to his for only a second before she followed the path of her hands with her lips, putting him back together one kiss at a time. Every touch of her lips pulsed lovingly through him, crawling up his torso and bedding down in his chest, until it felt so full, he could barely breathe. Unable to contain his emotions, he reached for her with both hands, lifting her off her feet from his seated position and tossing her onto her back on the bed. She giggled with surprise, and he came down over her, taking her in a fiercely possessive kiss, turning that surprised sound into needful moans. The feel of her soft curves giving way to his hard frame was fucking paradise. He was aware of everything, how petite she felt beneath him, the feminine scent of her skin, the sweet sounds she made, and their breathing becoming one.
He used his knees for balance, and though he was aware of his missing limb, it was only in the way that one leg felt lighter than the other. Relief uncapped his desires, and they surged forward. He lifted his face with the need to see her, and she smiled up at him. “I’ve seen so much darkness, looking at you is like looking at the brightest, most beautiful star in the sky. I’m crazy about you, baby, and crazy about us.”
“Show me,” she said softly.
He loved his way down her body, making her arch and pant as he teased her breasts the way he’d learned she craved. She writhed beneath him, clawing at his back, her sexy sounds making him ache to be inside her. But he wasn’t about to rush through this. He forced himself to go slow, kissing his way down her body. He licked her through her damp panties, earning more sinful noises as he kissed her inner thighs, and finally pulled those panties off. Drawn in by the scent of her arousal, he slicked his tongue along her wetness.