Page 53 of Tattered and Torn
He’s wearing a pair of black boxer-briefs that lovingly hug his hips and the tops of his muscular thighs. Naturally, my gaze zeroes in on the package straining against his fly. The rather impressive package. My body starts throbbing in the most delicious way.
I’m captivated by the sight of his body—his ridged abs, muscular arms, and broad shoulders. He has striking tattoos that stretch from his pecs to his shoulders, as well as smaller ones on his sides. He’s magnificent. Every inch of him is perfectly formed and hewn through hard physical work.
Now it’s my turn. I reach behind me to unsnap my bra and let the garment slide off me. Of all my physical attributes, I’d have to say my breasts are my best feature. Gravity has been kind to them, and they’re holding up quite well, if I do say so myself. My nipples are a dusky pink, and the mounds are sprinkled with faint freckles.
When he simply stares at me, I smile. “John?”
“What?” His gaze snaps back to mine. “Sorry. It’s just—God, you’re gorgeous.”
I smile. “So are you.”
And then, I swear, he blushes. “Hardly.”
I rise from the bed and walk to him. My fingers slide beneath the waistband of his underwear. Slowly, I shimmy them down, past his hips and thighs, to the floor. I glance down at his erection. Now that he’s finally free, I can appreciate the true length and breadth of him. Oh, my.
I curl my fingers around him, gripping him firmly, and sink to my knees on the soft rug beneath us. I love the male body, and I love pleasuring my partner. I’m only too happy to—
“Oh, no.” John pulls me up onto my feet.
“I want to.”
He shakes his head. “Sweetheart, if your mouth so much as brushes against me, it’ll be over before it even started.” He laughs. “It’s been a long time for me. I’ll be lucky to last five minutes this first time.”
“A rain check, then?”
“Absolutely. Now come here.” He pulls me into his arms and dips his head to trail kisses across my shoulder. “You have freckles everywhere.”
I close my eyes and swallow a moan. His kisses feel amazing. “Don’t remind me.”
“They’re beautiful, Gabrielle.” He peppers my throat with more kisses—making me shiver—then my cheeks, the bridge of my nose, and my forehead. “They remind me of sprinkles.”
“That’s me—a giant pumpkin spice cupcake.”
He smiles down at me. “I love cupcakes.” When he effortlessly sweeps me off my feet, I squeal in surprise. He carries me to the bed and lays me down on the center of the mattress. He tugs my panties off and tosses them aside before climbing onto the bed.
“Condom!” I remind him.
He freezes. “Right.” After retrieving his jeans from the floor, he pulls a strip of three condom packets from the pocket and tosses them onto the nightstand.
“Three? Someone’s feeling awfully confident.”
He smiles as he kneels on the edge of the bed. “I just want to be prepared.” He braces his hands on either side of my head and leans down to kiss me. “You’re sure about this?”
When I feel his arms shaking, I reach up and brush his hair back. “I’m sure.”
Chapter 17 – John
I want to believe her when she says she’s sure. God, I want to believe her. I’m desperate to believe her. And yet, prior experience has taught me to be wary. I’ve been with women who just wanted to taunt the bear, to lie down with the beast so they could tell their friends all about it later. I don’t think my heart will survive another betrayal. I already swore off women once, and right now I’m breaking my own vow to never risk myself again.
But this is Gabrielle. In the short time I’ve known her, I’ve learned to trust her. She says what she thinks. She’s honest. And I don’t believe she’s the type of woman who’s just looking for a thrill.
She gazes up at me with a gentle, almost sad, smile on her face. “Don’t overthink this, John.”
Hearing her call me by my given name makes my chest ache. To the world, I’m Burke. It’s a shield for me. A barrier between the outside world and my inner world. But she sees right through that, and she refuses to call me by my surname.
I decide then and there I’m going to trust her. What choice do I have? I either let down my guard and trust her, or I have to walk away. And I’ve already walked away from her once. I don’t want to do it again.
I gaze down and marvel at her beauty. Her gorgeous hair fans out across the white pillowcase. Her green eyes are like deep mountain pools, so clear I swear I can see into their depths. With my good hand, I cup one side of her face and brush my thumb gently across her cheek. Skin so soft, like warm silk.