Page 29 of Finding Peace
Understanding.
I swallow. “From someone who had more power than you and took advantage of it?”
His eyes lift to mine. “Yeah.”
We hold each other’s gaze, the world narrowing to this small, quiet second suspended between the heat of the moment and the coldness of our past.
I don’t pull my hand away.
And neither does he.
Instead, he moves his thumb along my wrist as I move mine along his scar, feeling the beat of his heart beneath my palm. Sitting up straight, I bring my lips to his chest and say softly, “I’m really glad you’re here.”
Beau places a long and gentle kiss on the top of my head. “Me too.”
I look up at him, and his blue eyes dance between mine as the beat of his heart picks up in cadence. It only takes one more second for the heat between us to snap back into place like a live wire.
His mouth finds mine again. Hot and hungry, but somehow still reverent. Our lips move together, and I melt into it as my hands slip up his bare torso.
I trail my fingers over the planes of his chest, down his ribs, feeling the way he tenses under my touch. Beau groans quietly into my mouth as I kiss him back just as fiercely, biting gently at his lower lip before letting my mouth wander.
My mouth traces along his jaw, slow and unhurried, feeling the rough scrape of his stubble against my lips as I move down his neck. Beau sucks in a sharp breath, head tipping back instinctively to give me better access.
“Abigail,” he moans, his voice laced with need.
I kiss beneath his ear, lingering there long enough to feel the way his body reacts—every muscle coiled and ready. Still sitting on the desk, I reach out once more—not tentative this time, but intentional—and let my fingers slide down his stomach, slow enough to make his breath hitch.
His eyes never leave mine. Not even when I reach the waistband of his jeans.
“Still with me?” I ask softly, my thumb hooking beneath the button.
Beau swallows, a crooked smile tugging at his mouth, making me even more desperate to see the rest of him. “Darlin’,” he says hoarsely, placing his hand over mine, silently urging me for more. “I’ve been with you since the second you walked into my life.”
My heart stutters. Then, I push his hand away and undo the button of his jeans.
“Fuck,”he groans when I slip my hand inside.
I grip his cock and pump it once. Next thing I know, Beau’s pulling my hand from his pants and dropping to his knees in front of me.
Effortlessly, he pulls off my boots, socks, pants, and underwear until I’m sitting in front of him in only a bra, and when I look down at him, his eyes are locked on my aching pussy.
“You gonna touch me or just keep staring?” I wink while spreading my legs.
My confidence doesn’t waver as I undo my bra and drop it to the groundnext to the desk.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think that day Beau picked me up at the airport, this is where we’d end up, but I’ve never been more thankful that his beaming smile was the first one I saw when I got off that plane. Because the way he’s looking at me right now makes me feel like I’m precious.
Not broken. Not scared. Not fragile.
Not beautiful despite my scars. Both the ones you can see and the ones you can’t.
But beautifulbecause of. He sees me for everything that I am and everything I have been.
They all do.
Just like I do them.
“Beautiful,” he rasps as he wipes his hand down his face.
