Page 133 of The Offside Rule
“Yes,” I moaned as my head tilted back. He thrust again, hitting the right spot. My fingers dug into his back.
“Yes. There.”
The rhythm changed to something rougher. His mouth moved over mine, my jaw, my neck. He whispered my name like it was the only thing holding him together. My body climbed higher, tighter, closer to the edge with every deep thrust. When his hand slid between us and his thumb found my clit, I nearly came off the bed.
“Hunter.”
“I’ve got you,” he assured. That was what broke me. It was the trust. The terrifying, beautiful trust.
My orgasm hit hard, rolling through me until I clung to him, shaking and gasping his name against his shoulder. Hunter held me through it, then lost his rhythm, his control finally cracking as he followed me over. For a long moment, we stayed tangled together, breathing hard. His weight was careful over me. His mouth brushed my temple.
“I missed you,” he whispered again.
I smiled against his skin. “You said that.”
“I’m saying it again.”
“I missed you too.” I was sure I was grinning from ear to ear.
Later, I must have fallen asleep. One minute Hunter was tracing slow lines down my spine, and the next I woke up in the dark with my heart punching against my ribs. The clock on his nightstand read 1:07 a.m.
“OMG.” I sat up fast. “Hunter.”
He woke immediately. “What? What happened?”
“It’s one in the morning.”
He sat up beside me, hair messy, sheet low on his waist. “Catherine.”
“I can’t keep doing this,” I said.
His face went still. I realized how it sounded and grabbed his hand.
“No. Not you. This.” My throat tightened. “The sneaking. The timing. The panic. I’m a grown woman. If I want to spend the night in your bed, I should be able to spend the night in your bed.”
“I want that too.”
“Then why does it feel impossible?” I was feeling desperate and torn.
“Because I’m worried about your career,” he reminded.
The room went quiet. He pulled me against him, and I went, because I was angry at the situation, not at him.
“I hate this,” he said.
“Me too.”
“I don’t want you leaving at one in the morning like you did something wrong.”
“Then I’m not leaving,” I replied.
His body stilled. “What?”
“I’m staying.”
“Catherine.”
“Isla is with my family. My dad thinks I’m at Taylor’s. Taylor already knows everything. I’ll text her in the morning and go there first for coffee.”
