Page 108 of Now and Then

Whatever restraint he had left shatters. His kiss steals my breath, his touch brands me. My body tightens around him, the pressure building faster than I can keep up with, every moment pushing me closer to the edge.

Every whispered I love you, every touch, every breathless moan folds into the rhythm of us, until there’s nothing left between us but forever.

And then . . . a single, shattering wave of release, of letting go, of finally, washes over me. Hunter lets go, and I feel him with me, around me, everywhere.

We collapse into each other, breathless and sticky with warmth and sweat. His arms hold me like he’s never letting go, and I rest my head against his chest, listening to the steady drum of his heartbeat.

“Are you okay?” His low voice breaks the silent cocoon of our bedroom. He kisses the top of my head, pulling me even closer.

“Better than okay.” I smile, trying to calm my racing breath. I place a kiss on the space between his pectoral muscles, my fingers trailing through his chest hair. “I feel like I’ve finally found home.”

He presses a soft kiss to the crown of my head. “You’ve always been my home,” he says, voice steady.

I lift my head to meet his gaze.

“And I’m never letting you go.”

I grin. “I know.”

We stay tangled up in one another for a long moment—breathing each other in, watching the gray sky turn to night outside. Silence surrounds us, broken only by the steady rhythm of our breathing and rumble of thunder.

I close my eyes and let the reality of the moment settle in.

I’ve been so afraid to let Hunter in and show him how I truly feel, to lose control. But all the waiting, the longing, has led us right here.

And the world didn’t collapse.

My heart didn’t break.

For the first time, it feels like everything has fallen into place.

We’ve crossed from what if to always.

22

Hunter

Sunlight spills across the bed, warming my chest as I lazily open my eyes. Sutton is draped over me, hair fanned across the pillow. The sheets are lost somewhere between us, the pale skin of her back too tempting to resist. I run my fingers down her spine, and the way she melts even more into me makes my chest tighten.

“Move over,” she murmurs, nudging me with her elbow.

“If I move over any more, I’m going to be on the floor.” I chuckle, tightening my hold on her.

She grunts and burrows further into my body, throwing her leg over my hips, effectively trapping me in place. “I’m freezing,” she whines.

“Yeah, well, if you didn’t sleep like a wild animal, maybe we’d still have covers,” I tease.

Her sleepy grin tilts into a playful smirk. “Oh please, don’t act like you don’t like my wild side.”

Images from last night hit me instantly, us wrapped in each other, her mouth on me, her body writhing beneath mine, the way it felt to . . .

“Excuse me, sir.” She pokes me in the stomach.

I grunt. “What was that for?”

She presses her thigh on my hardening length. “I require coffee first.”

I laugh, gripping her thigh. “Yeah, and after coffee?”