The Trade(96)

“You okay?” I ask, kissing her cheeks, then her eyes, then her nose.

“Perfect,” she mumbles dreamily. She’s not wrong. Fuck, she’s perfect.

“Give me a second,” I say, pulling out of her slowly and cleaning up. When I return, she’s curled up on my pillow, facing away from me. I slip in behind her and wrap my arm around her stomach, eliminating all space between us. “You sure you’re okay? I was kind of rough.”

“I’m perfect, Cory.” She brings my hand to her mouth and presses her lips against my knuckles. “But you exhausted me. Can I sleep over?”

“You don’t even have to fucking ask,” I say. “I want you here, Natalie.”

She doesn’t say anything to that, which to me speaks more. She knows I want her here. She snuggles in closer and I lie there, eyes wide, my mind whirling with what we just did. This girl has changed my life. This connection—this completion—is what I’ve seen in Carson and Milly. And now I have it. Her. Now I have beautiful Natalie.

The road ahead isn’t going to be easy, but I will not derail her trust in me. Her willingness to shelve her fear and give us this chance. To believe I will hold her heart and not mistreat it. I’m going to be the better man. The best man.

The man she deserves.





Chapter Twenty-Two





NATALIE





“Good morning,” Cory says as his hand rubs against my back. The smell of freshly brewed coffee pulls my eyes open as well as the feel of Cory’s wide hands spanning my spine.

I peek my eyes open and can’t quite comprehend the luck I’m feeling, as the first thing I see is a shirtless, wet Cory sitting by my side. He’s wearing sweats, and he’s clearly fresh from the shower.

Sadly, I say, “You took a shower without me.” I reach up and touch his wet hair.

“I thought you would be sore this morning. I didn’t want to push you any further. And I didn’t think I could control myself if you were naked in the shower with me.”

“Such a gentleman,” I tease on a lazy yawn and sit up. The comforter slides down my chest, exposing my breasts. Cory’s eyes immediately fall to my torso and they darken, brows sharpening as he takes me in.

“Shit, Natalie.” He reaches out and rubs his thumb over my skin. Oh, it’s a little sensitive. I glance down to see my chest is fire red, there are bruises spotted all over my breasts, and it looks like I was physically attacked last night. “Fuck, I’m so sorry.” His eyes flit back and forth, taking in the beard burn, the hickeys, everywhere he sucked and bit me last night. He runs a hand through his head, worried and regretful. “What can I do? Do you need ice? Shit, some kind of ointment?” He rubs his hand over his jaw, eyes still trained on chest. “I’m so fucking selfish, I didn’t—”

I press two fingers to his lips, stopping him from babbling. His eyes widen as he watches me slip out from under the covers and straddle his lap. I cup his cheeks and press a light kiss across his lips before taking his hands in mine and bringing them to the marks on my breasts.

Looking him in the eyes, I say, “I’m obsessed with these. I love knowing that when I walk out of this apartment, just below the fabric of my shirt, you’re with me, you claimed me, that no other man matters besides the one who marked up my body the night before.”

He leans back, taking in the little bruises, his thumbs rubbing over them cautiously. “You like this?”

“So much. If anyone is being selfish, it’s me, begging and asking you to mark me last night. I want to be able to look down and see you there. I like knowing I’m yours . . . because I am, right, Cory? I’m yours?”

“You are so fucking mine,” he says, gripping the back of my head with his wide palm and bringing my forehead to his. “I wasn’t expecting last night to happen, but hell, I’m relieved it did. I needed last night more than I think you know.”

“I did too,” I say, shifting on his lap and feeling him harden beneath me. “I’m just sad I never got to take you in my mouth.”

He lightly chuckles. “There’s always time for that.”

“Like now,” I say, slipping from his grasp and dropping to my knees between his legs.

“Natalie, beautiful, you don’t have to . . .”

His words fade away when I take him out of his sweats, marveling at his length and how hard he already is. Last night, when he started to enter me, I wasn’t sure I could relax enough to enjoy it, but with his whispered encouragement and the way he rubbed my clit, I could, and oh my God, with every inch he entered I felt myself spasm around him. It was decadent, the most intoxicating feeling, especially when combined with the intense expression on his face and the way his corded muscles bunched and contracted in his chest and neck. He was holding back so he didn’t hurt me. Hottest thing I have ever seen.

Although, kneeling in front of Cory, the look of wonder in his eyes as I take his length in my hands, this is rivaling the images of last night. Looking up at him, this strong, powerful man, seeing him crumble from a mere touch, it blooms a sense of empowerment deep within me, propelling me forward to drag my hand down his length to the root of his cock where I grip him tightly.

“Shit, Natalie.” He sucks in a sharp breath.