Slade slips his hand under my shirt, his fingers skimming over my skin and making me suck in a breath. It’s only been two weeks without him but there’s something so pure, so new that makes it feels like the first time.
My shirt is pushed up over my head and within moments, he reaches around me to unclasp my bra. I pull it off my arms and the second my breasts are exposed, Slade drops his head, sucking a nipple into his mouth as he lightly pinches the other, rolling it between his fingers.
My back arches up into him. I need more, so much more.
Screw the foreplay, we have the rest of our lives to touch, tease, and torment each other. Right now, I need to feel him inside of me, I need him to take me until I pass out, I need him to destroy me until I can’t even remember my own name.
I need him to take away the pain, the memories, and the bloodshed, and replace it with the love I know he has.
I peel his shirt over his head and make quick work of his sweatpants and before I know it, my legs are wrapped around his hips. Slade’s lips come back to mine. “I love you so goddamn much,” he murmurs as he lines himself up with my entrance.
My lips brush over his as my arms curl around his strong, sculptured back, feeling his muscles roll with every little movement. “I love you too,” I whisper, tightening my legs around him and drawing him in.
Unable to wait a second longer, Slade pushes up into me, both of us groaning as the pleasure is almost too much to handle.
His lips never leave mine and as he finally starts to move, the world dissolves around me and I forget it all. All that exists at this moment is me and Slade and the way he sets my body on fire, the way he loves me, and the way I can’t ever live without him.
He makes love to me, refusing to stop until I’m screaming his name and coming around him, my nails digging into his back with my legs clenched tightly around his hips.
Slade falls back to the bed beside me and instantly pulls me into his chest, his lips pressing against my forehead. We lay in content silence, filled with nothing but love as his fingers trail up and down my back until I’m falling into a deep, and much-needed sleep.
Chapter 21
A loud bang has my head snapping up off Slade’s chest and glancing around in panic as my heart threatens to beat right out of my chest. Apparently, loud noises are going to be my new downfall. Fucking perfect.
Slade’s arm tightens around me, rubbing over my lower back. “It’s just Shay,” he murmurs. “You’re alright.
I collapse back down onto him in relief as I let out a low breath and try to calm my racing heart. I wipe my hand over my eyes, noticing that Slade’s been watching the game with the TV turned down. “How long was I asleep?” I ask, feeling sorry for the poor guy. He must be bored out of his mind.
He shrugs, glancing over at his phone and lighting up the screen to see the time. “Maybe five or six hours,” he tells me. “You were snoring. It was pretty fucking cute.”
I nail him in the chest. “I don’t snore,” I tell him, pushing up onto my hand, trying to catch my bearings. I knew I was tired but I didn’t realize I was that tired, though the thought of being able to race out of my room and wrap my arms around Shay is too good. There’s no way I’ll be sleeping through that.
I clamber off the bed, accidentally kneeing Slade in the junk, and as bad as I feel about it, it does the trick of getting him out of bed too.
“Holy shit, Virago,” he groans through clenched teeth, trying to get to his feet.
I press my lips into a tight line, desperately trying not to laugh at his expense. “I’m sorry,” I say, having to face away as my eyes start filling with tears of laughter.
“Yeah, right,” he grumbles under his breath, breathing heavily and trying to right himself. “I swear, I just lost one of my balls up inside my body.”
I turn, unable to resist him. “I really am sorry,” I tell him. “I promise, I’ll make up for it.”
“You better.”
I wink and turn away, too excited to see Shay. I start running for my bedroom door but don’t get far before Slade’s hand is smacking down on my ass, making the perfect sound while also stinging my backside in the best possible way.
“Virago, put some fucking clothes on.”
I glance down. “Shit.”
Slade’s shirt is the first thing I see and I pull it over my head, grinning as it drops to below my knees. This’ll do.
Grabbing hold of the door, I throw it open and race out of it, my heart pumping wildly in my chest. Excitement creeps up on me and as I run up the hallway, I can barely contain myself.
I break out into the living room to see Shaylee hauling in bags upon bags of groceries in through the open doorway. I laugh, knowing she’d rather bruise her wrists from heavy grocery bags than make two separate trips.
Hearing my laugher, Shay’s head whips in my direction. She comes to a startling stop as her mouth drops open. The grocery bags tumble to the ground, glasses breaking and eggs cracking but she couldn’t give a shit as she hauls herself over the groceries and runs at me.
We collide in the middle, arms thrown around each other as she crushes her face into my neck. “Oh, my sweet girl. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”
“Believe me, I know,” I murmur holding her tight.
My shoulder and neck start getting wet from her tears and I hold back a laugh, absolutely loving this bittersweet moment.
There is nothing better than being home, safe in the comfort of the people I love with my demons now behind me. The only things in my future are going to be bright and exciting. Never again will there be darkness, only light, love, and peace.
Shay eventually pulls back and wipes her eyes on the back of her sleeve. “Come on,” she says, taking my hands and dragging me toward the kitchen. “You must be hungry. Screw making dinner, I’ll order us a pizza.”
Within fifteen minutes, the pizza delivery guy is knocking at the door and Slade gets up to go and get it while Shay has me repeat for the third time exactly how Maria shot her husband. Now, I was relieved when Lucien died, but the look on Shay’s face knowing he can’t fuck with me or Blake anymore is absolute joy. Don’t get me wrong, if this was anyone else who had lost their life, she’d be devastated. She doesn’t like hearing about death and pain, but when it’s Lucien, she welcomes it. She’s moments away from requesting a reenactment.
Slade comes back with the pizza and we drop down onto the couch which I’m sure is exactly where we’ll stay until one of us is falling asleep. Shay tries to tell Slade that he should drop in at home for ten minutes just to let his mom know that he’s alive and that I’m okay, but she’s got to be kidding herself if she thinks Slade is about to walk out this door anytime soon. Shay settles for a phone call and within ten minutes, Daniella is dropping down on the couch beside me with Emma and Rain running around the house, eating all the pizza.
It’s perfect. I couldn’t ask for a better moment.
This is the kind of shit I live for.
It gets past 9 pm and the girls are falling asleep on the couch when Daniella decides it’s time to take them home to bed. They disappear out the door and while Shay gets up to clean up after them, Slade turns to me with a strange hesitation in his eyes.