Wasted Words by Staci Hart

I broke away after a moment, eyes closed, pressing my forehead to hers as we caught our breath.

“I want you, Cam. I want your body, your heart, your soul. I’ll give you mine in exchange. But you have to choose me, right here, right now. Do you trust me?”

“More than anyone,” she said, her voice heavy with decision and emotion.

“Then promise me. Let this be it. Once and for all. You and me. No more uncertainty. No more questions. Just us.”

Her eyes met mine, shining in the low light. “I promise.”

I sighed with relief, pulling her close, leaning down to take her mouth with possession, and she sank into my arms, her body against mine, my hands at her jaw, in her hair, down her neck, the curve of her breast, her waist. I stood, taking her with me, her shoes hitting the ground, legs locking around my waist. My heart pounded, our tongues circling, lips moving together, and my hands slipped up her bare thighs to her ass, pulling her into me.

She moaned softly, her arms squeezing tighter around my neck, and I held her close, moving toward her dim bedroom.

I lay her down in bed, and she broke away, brown eyes big, full of fear and love.

“I’m afraid,” she said softly, and I touched her cheek.

“Then hold on to me. As long as we have each other, we can survive anything,” I whispered, voice faltering. “Hold on to me.”

Her hands cupped my jaw, and as I looked down at her in the soft light, I only hoped she would.

She kissed me and I felt her fear. I felt her worry and sadness. I felt her doubt and knew it was herself that she doubted, not me. And that somehow hurt me worse.

But with every second, I felt those feelings slip away, felt her let herself go, forget the rest. To remember me. To be with me so wholly and fully that nothing else mattered.

It was all that I wanted.

Her hands slipped under my jacket again, this time pushing it over my shoulders, and I shrugged it off, tossing it away. We kissed, hips pressed together, rolling gently, savoring the feeling, the need. Her hands trembled as she untied the knot of my tie and unfastened the buttons of my shirt, and when she laid her palms against my skin, my breath caught and hips flexed, pressing her into the bed.

She sighed against my lips.

“I want you naked,” I said, my fingers trailing down her body, under the hem of her dress hitched up to her hip. Her skin was soft, smooth, hot under my hand, and I gripped her tight, pressing my hips into hers again before backing away.

I took her hand and pulled her off the bed, the two of us standing before each other, breath shaking.

She put her back to me, sweeping her hair off her neck, face turned, eyes down, and my eyes followed the line of her profile as I unbuttoned her dress until that sliver of skin was exposed to me again. My fingers skated down her back, and she shivered under my touch, sending a shock of pleasure through me.

My hands ran across the curve of her shoulder, taking the dress gently with them, down her arms until it fell to the ground.

I couldn’t breathe. She turned, standing before me, skin smooth and soft, the contrast of her black bra and panties sending my pulse ticking up a notch. My eyes moved down her body and back up, coming to rest on her parted lips that whispered my name.

I pulled off my shirt, lips connecting with hers, hands trailing up her thighs, to the swell of her ass as she pressed her body against mine, arms winding around my neck. And I grabbed her by the hips, moving her back onto the bed, sliding in next to her. My thigh lay between her legs, and she twisted them around it, flexing, arching her back, grinding against me, moaning into my mouth.

I deepened the kiss, my tongue slipping farther into her mouth, and she shifted her hips enough to reach for my belt, then my button, then the zipper. Her hands slid down the skin of my stomach, under the band of my underwear and lower until she gripped me.

It was my turn to moan at the shock of pleasure, her warm hand stroking me as she sighed and kissed me.

I’d never wanted anyone so much. I’d never been so afraid to want someone so much.

My hand found her cheek, her hair, cupped the back of her head to hold her close, and she tugged at the waist of my pants.

I backed away, brushed her hair from her face. I sighed and closed my eyes, bending to kiss her once, hard. “Stay right here,” I whispered when I broke away. “I’ll be right back.”

My heart pounded as I rolled off her bed and made my way into my room, digging through my nightstand for the things we’d need. When I came back in, I stopped in the doorway at the sight of her stretched out on the bed, still in her black underwear and bra, watching me with just as much awe as I watched her.

Our eyes locked as I walked toward her, dropping my pants and stepping out of them and my shoes. Even as I climbed onto the bed toward her and she reached for me, I was lost in her eyes, until mine closed, and I kissed her.

She wrapped herself around me, the kiss deep and intense, my hands trailing down her neck to her breast. There was no lining — I could feel her tight nipple under my palm as I squeezed gently, hooking my fingers under the edge to expose her. I broke my lips away to move down her body, pausing when I reached her breast resting in my palm to kiss her pink nipple.

I closed my eyes, circling my tongue, squeezing gently, and her fingers slid into my hair with a soft hum. I hummed back and felt goosebumps peak across her skin as my hand skated down her ribs, down her stomach, to the hem of her panties.

I slipped a hand inside, moving back up to kiss her, feeling the warmth against the pad of my finger as I brushed the tip of her. Her back arched, rolling her hips, searching for my finger with intention as I traced up the wet line, circling the sensitive spot at the top when I reached it. Then back down again, teasing her until I finally slipped my finger inside her.