“Late. Everyone already went to bed.”
“They did?”
I nodded, offering her my hand. “Let’s get you into bed.”
Without argument, Caitlin took my hand and I led her down the hall to her room.
“Where will you sleep?” she asked around a yawn.
I pulled back the covers and flicked my head for her to get in the bed. Pulling off her hoodie, Caitlin slipped into the sheets and nestled down.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said.
“Stay.”
The word echoed through my skull. My eyes found hers in the dark, and she smiled. “Matteo, will you please stay with me?”
Without a word, I yanked off my sweater and shucked out of my jeans, climbing in beside her. Caitlin burrowed into my side and laid her hand on my breastbone. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”
I pressed a kiss to her hair, hardly able to wipe the smile off my face. “You’re worth it, Tink. I hope you know that.”
A beat passed, and another, and Cait still didn’t answer.
“Cait?” I gently shook her. Nothing.
She was out for the count, curled into my side like she belonged there.
It was disarming, the deep sense of peace I felt having her close. We didn’t know each other, not really, not beyond the surface. Yet, I felt tethered to her in a way I couldn’t explain.
I wanted to hold her like this every night and wake every morning to her green eyes and blinding smile.
I wanted her—plain and simple.
But as I closed my eyes, and allowed myself to fall into oblivion, I couldn’t help but feel like I was one breath away from losing her.
My eyes flickered open, locking on her face. “Morning,” I whispered, fighting a smile.
“It’s still early, the sun isn’t even up yet,” she said. “What happened last night?”
“You don’t remember?”
“You carried me to bed?”
I nodded. “You were barely conscious.”
“Sorry, I didn’t—”
“Shh.” I pressed my thumb against her lips, unable to smother the groan that worked its way up my throat when the tip of her tongue darted out and tasted my skin.
“Cait?”
“I don’t want to talk, Matt,” she said. “I just want to feel… make me feel, please.” The sheer desperation in her voice reached inside my chest and grabbed my heart in an iron grip.
“You’re sure?”
She nodded, dragging my face down to meet hers. Our lips touched, tentative at first. But the second her tongue found mine, my control dissipated. I rolled onto my back, taking Cait with me so that she straddled my hips. Her hands went to my bare chest as she leaned down and brushed her lips over mine again. A featherlight touch, teasing me. Making my blood heat like lava in my veins.
“Sei bellissima.” I pushed her red curls off her shoulder and stroked her collarbone. Caitlin threw back her head, whimpering softly. When our eyes connected again, she said, “What did you just say?”
“I said, you are very beautiful.”
Slowly, she rocked her hips, dragging her center along my dick. Even with layers of material separating us, her heat felt incredible.
“What do you want, Tink?” I asked her, curling one hand around her hip to guide her over me harder.
“Y-you,” she breathed. “I want you.”
My hand grabbed the nape of her neck, pulling her down to me. “You want me, Tink. You want to feel me pushing inside your hot, slick pussy?”
“God, yes… Show me how good it can be…” Her fingers twisted into my chest, clutching and desperate.
Without warning, I held her to me and rolled us, pinning her beneath me. Grinding in slow torturous circles, I brought Caitlin to the edge.
“More?” I quirked a brow.
Mouth hanging open, breathing labored, she nodded.
I chuckled, working my hand inside her panties. “Fuck, you’re soaked.” Two fingers slid into her with ease.
“No,” she wiggled against me, pulling me closer to her body. “I want you inside me. I want to feel you. All of you.”
Jesus. She was going to be the death of me. Rocking back on my haunches, I climbed off the bed and pushed my briefs over my hips, kicking out of them. Grabbing my wallet, I retrieved a condom and threw it down on the bed before gently easing off her panties.
A shiver worked through her as I rolled on the condom and crawled up her bed.
“If we do this—”
“Don’t,” she rushed out, shaking her head. “I don’t want to talk about what happens after. I just want to live in the now, Matteo. Can you do that? Can you give me that?”
Jesus, with her staring up at me like that, I would have given her the whole goddamn world.
She had to know that I wouldn’t give her up so easily, that I couldn’t. Our lives were entwined now, shackled by forces outside of our control.
Caitlin raked her fingers through the hair at the back of my neck, and pulled me down, her lips ghosting mine. “I really need to feel you inside me, Matt.”
I filled her with one smooth stroke. Her breath caught as I stilled, just reveling in how tight she felt, how fucking perfect.
Mine.
The word echoed through my skull.
She felt like she was mine.
“I need you to move,” she breathed. “Fuck me, Matt. Please…”
I. Lost. Control.
Hitching Caitlin’s leg around my waist, I drove her into the mattress with hard, unrelenting thrusts. And she took it. She took everything I gave her, rolling her hips to meet mine, clenching my dick like a fist. It was enough to make me grit my teeth, she felt that damn good.
“Fuck… fuck,” I panted, straightening my arms to go harder, faster. It wasn’t how I wanted to do this; I’d wanted to take my time and go slow. But suddenly, it was like we were on borrowed time. And an urgency to claim her, to take her and make her mine slammed into me. If I marked her, imprinted myself on her, she had to say yes… didn’t she?
“Oh God, Matt, yes… yes,” she choked out, moaning my name into the dark as our bodies rocked in perfect synchrony.
“Shh,” I murmured against her lips, kissing her. “You need to be quiet.”
“It just feels so… good…”
“I know, baby, I know.” Pressing my head to hers, I hooked my forearm under one of her thighs and lifted her leg, allowing me to go deeper. Caitlin buried her face in the crook of my shoulder, clinging to my body as I took us higher and higher.
Nothing, nothing would ever feel as good as this. Her skin was soft and warm, and her pussy fit me like a glove. Her curves were a map I wanted to take my time exploring, until I’d learned every hidden treasure.
Whether she knew it or not, Caitlin was made for me. At least, that’s all I could think as I raced toward the edge.
“I need you to come for me, Tink,” I whispered against her ear, nipping her lobe. She shuddered, clenching around me hard enough that I groaned.
I slowed the pace, circling my hips a couple of times, grinding my pelvis against her clit. Caitlin held her breath, her body coiling tightly until she snapped apart.
“Yes… Yes…”