Page 116 of The Time It Takes
“What was that?” I ask, my voice uneven.
He pulls something out of his pocket then sets it on the lid of the piano.
The cassette tape, and the now crinkled post-it note.
He turns to face me, wiping away my tears with his thumbs. He leans over and presses a lingering kiss on my forehead. I close my eyes to the sensation.
“You,” he murmurs against my skin. “It was you.”
I lean back to look up at him, my heart climbing to my throat. “You wrote it?”
His eyes bounce between mine as he dips his chin and I start to cry again. He’s wiping away my tears as I lean forward, putting my lips against his. Our mouths mingle together leisurely as he delicately pushes my hair away from my face. I grip his shoulders in my hands as I lift myself to straddle his lap. His hands find my waist, pulling me closer to him—grinding me into the hardness below his belt.
Our tongues dance in unison, the pace picking up. I pull away for a moment and his mouth reaches for mine again, but I hold my fingers to them. His eyes search mine in question.
“I love you,” I whisper.
He goes still at my words. The only indication that he heard me is the tightening of his grip on my waist. He works on a swallow, and I follow it with my fingers. He grabs my wrist and places my hand against his cheek. I’m witnessing so many emotions skimming across his face until it lands on one—wariness.
“Don’t say those words unless you plan on staying,” he says. I lean down to kiss him again, but he moves his head away. “Willow,” he begs me softly.
I shake my head. “I’m not going anywhere,” I tell him honestly, kissing his cheek. “I love you.” His jaw. “I’m so in love with you.” The lobe of his ear. “I’m never leaving you again.” The soft spot below it. “Never again,” I chant into his skin.
I think about the inevitable moment that sits between us like a heavy weight; the folder with all my hoarded secrets. Goosebumps spread across my skin as I nibble and kiss his body until our breathing grows rapid, our need building. The moment is going to come either way. I just want this one more time—in case he decides he doesn’t want me anymore after this.
My lips find his and hover as I roll my hips against him. “Please.”
I want him—need him. I kiss him then and he doesn’t hesitate to kiss me back. It’s all lips, teeth, and tongue. Our moans blend as our clothes are slung. He picks me up and lays me gently on the floor. It’s cold against my back and when he stands to slide his pants off, I get on my knees. Before he can move his pants any lower than his thighs, my mouth is around him. His head falls back as a groan is ripped from his throat. He grabs my hair and angles my head so that our eyes meet.
His eyes glaze over as he watches me. I take him to the back of my throat, humming and his body jerks violently.
“Willow,” he breathes. “Fuck.”
I pull myself off him and crawl back on my hands. He’s over me in a second, kissing every inch of my body. When his teeth come down on my clit gently, my back bows off the floor. I moan, my hands reaching for his hair, but he pins them to my hips.
“Ollie,” I pant.
He licks and sucks until I feel my body flush. My release builds and I’m begging and pleading for him to keep going. When I burst, I’m rolling my hips against his mouth until the feeling fades away. He rises above me, lining himself up at my entrance.
“Yes,” I moan, lifting my hips. My hands find his hair and trail down his back. I’m so frenzied that I feel like an insane person. I’m addicted to him—to this. He drops his head so that his lips touch mine, but he doesn’t kiss me. Not yet.
“You undo me,” he says and thrusts deep inside me in one motion. He catches my moan with his mouth. He fucks me just as greedily with his tongue. I meet him thrust for thrust desperately. He whispers dirty words in my ear as he sends me to heaven.
A wave of euphoria hits me with urgency and my entire body feels pleasure like static—the orgasm never-ending.
“Fuck.Fuck,” Oliver hisses as I pulse around him. He drops his weight onto me with a loud groan as his hips piston in and out of me. The sound of his deep moans in my ear sends me over the edge again immediately. A cry leaves my lips and I wrap my legs around him to hold him against me as I shudder beneath him.
He presses his face into my neck. “I—”
His words cut off, turning into a deep moan. His entire body stills, and I feel him throb inside of me. His release seems to last as long as mine. We sit there for such a long time that I wonder if he’s afraid to move. The only sound surrounding us is his voice in my ear repeating the words,I love you.
Eventually, he pulls himself out of me and helps me off the floor. He lifts me into his arms and carries me down the hallway to his bedroom. I’m too tired to protest that my legs work fine. Besides, my body loves being in contact with his. He takes me into the bathroom and sets me on the edge of the tub. I watch as he turns on the water and checks the temperature. When he deems it warm enough, he walks over to the closet. He bends over to dig through a basket, and I remember that he’s still naked.
Instinctively, I avert my eyes and feel a blush creep across my cheeks. He comes back with a bottle and pours it into the tub. The smell envelopes the room.
Vanilla and lavender.
“Do you have those scented soaps in every room?” I ask.
