Chapter 76: Lost every reason

Caroline’s hand flew to her hair, fingers twisting in the strands as she kept her eyes locked on him. She was already a mess under him—flushed and breathing hard.

Waiting felt impossible while pushing him away felt worse.

Andrew suddenly shifted and stood. The loss of his weight left her blinking up at him in confusion.

"I need to get these off," he said. He shrugged out of his blazer and let it drop to the floor. His fingers worked the buttons of his shirt open one by one, never looking away from the half-exposed stretch of her body and the heat still staining her cheeks.

Her gaze snagged on the ink over the left side of his chest.

"Did you tattoo my name—"

She never finished. He leaned down and took her mouth in a short, hard kiss, then dropped lower and closed his lips around the peak of her breast.

Her back arched sharply. A loud, involuntary moan tore out of her throat.

Andrew switched to the other breast, tongue and teeth working it while his hand closed over the first, squeezing just hard enough to make her hips twitch.

"Andrew—" His name came out broken. The pleasure kept climbing until the ache between her legs turned sharp and restless, like her body no longer knew what to do with the heat building there.

Somewhere behind them a phone rang and rang. Neither of them registered the sound.

Her pheromonal scent filled the room’s air. It hit him hard. His control slipped another notch because of it.

"Hah—!"

The gasp escaped her as he flipped her onto the mattress in one swift motion. Cool sheets met her stomach and cheek. His chest settled against her back, pinning her down while his mouth found the side of her neck.

His hand slid under her, his palm between her legs, fingers already seeking the wet heat he’d left there. "Caroline, how do you feel? I can see you’re drenching down there. I’ve not even touched you, just some kisses," he whispered against her ear. His free hand braced beside her head, caging her in as he pressed closer.

"Andrew, please..." She tilted her head back to meet his eyes. Hers had shifted into golden and red at the edges, which were bright as a halo.

"Please what, mate?" He smirked, tongue dragging slowly across her lower lip. She opened for him at once. The kiss stayed short; he had other places to claim.

He swept her long hair to one side and started down the length of her spine, mouth open, lips and teeth marking a deliberate path. Cool air followed every warm press of his mouth. She moaned with each one, the sound breaking out of her without permission. Her body felt too charged, too simulated as she couldn’t track what was happening to it anymore.

When he reached the small of her back his fingers found the ties of her skirt. He worked the knots loose and pulled the fabric down her hips, leaving her bare except for her panties against the sheets.

"Wait, Andrew." She turned onto her back so she could see his face.

"Yes. I’m waiting to taste you." He was already above her again. His thumb pressed against her lower lip. She opened without thinking and took it into her mouth, and her tongue brushed the pad. His burgundy eyes darkened as he watched her.

When he pulled the thumb free, his voice came out rough. "I’m hard as a rock. I can’t keep control much longer, Caroline. It’s too much. But if you still want to stop... If you’re not ready—"

"No." She pressed her own finger hard against his lips, stopping him. "I don’t want to wait. I’m ready to take the next step with you."

She kept her finger there a moment, then let it drop, eyes locked on his. "I’m terrible at saying what I’ve been feeling. Ever since we got married, actually even before that when I found you saved me. But I need you to hear it. I trust you. When you first told me we should get married, you have no idea what that meant to me. I had nothing left. My ex had already rejected me, ordered me killed once he found out I was pregnant. I lost the pup, and my parents too. I lost every reason to believe anyone would stay. And then you held my hand anyway. You stayed through the days I didn’t even want to get out of bed. Through the grief, through the shame. You made me come out of that grief, making me believe what the true love means. How am I supposed to feel nothing after that?"

Her voice softened as she cupped his cheeks. "I don’t know if it’s normal to fall this fast after being betrayed like that. Maybe it isn’t. But I did. And every single day since, I’ve only fallen harder. I want this. I want you. Don’t make me wait anymore and definitely don’t make yourself wait."

Andrew leaned down and pressed a firm kiss to the center of her forehead.

"That confession sounded beautiful. I know what you’ve undergone isn’t easy to forgot or come out of from. For me, finding you feels like finding an important part of my soul. Ever since you are with me, I feel complete. Call it matebond magic, but I already love you to the point I can do anything for you," he said, smiling.

He reached for the drawer beside the bed, pulled out a condom, and set it within easy reach. Then he shoved the rest of his clothes down and stepped free of them.

Caroline couldn’t look away. Her eyes locked on him. He was thick, hard, bigger than she’d expected. The thought of taking all of that sent a sharp flicker of nerves through her stomach. How was she supposed to fit him? But the heat already between her legs drowned most of it out. She still couldn’t blink.

"What are you thinking?" Andrew asked.

"Ah, that... It’s big," she whispered, finally looking into his eyes.

Andrew smiled. "Don’t worry... You’ll take me well because I will prepare you well," he asserted with a glint in his eyes.