Beyond These Walls (The Walls Duet #2)(34)

“Wait,” he said breathlessly against my forehead.

I nodded, knowing he’d never let it get past this point without protection. My doctor had given us the okay to go without condoms. I had an IUD. There was no need, but I would never convince Jude. He’d talked about getting a vasectomy, but I’d quickly shut down that idea, telling him it was crazy. What twenty-eight-year-old male does that?

So, condoms were still a part of our lives—even on our wedding night.

After everything was taken care of, he returned to the bed. He kissed me with wild abandon, an attempt to forget the minor mood killer.

It worked as I pushed him back, straddling him once more.

Our bodies meshed and moved. Limbs became entwined, and soon, I couldn’t tell where one of us started and the other ended. In a move that had my shy little temptress jumping up and down, I slid my hand between our bodies, molding my fingers over his rigid cock.

His breath stopped as his eyes met mine.

I stroked him once, twice, and then I eased my body on his. He let out a guttural moan as his hands clasped my waist. I could see it in his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to slam my body up and down onto his, but he held back.

“Do it,” I urged.

His eyebrows furrowed as I circled my hips, causing his eyes to roll back in his sockets. Lifting my body, I nearly came off of him, leaving just the tip, before slamming back down once again.

“Fuck!” he yelled.

“I know you’re holding back, Jude,” I whispered in his ear after bending down.

My nipples grazed his chest each time he took a breath.

“I want you to let go. I want to see you unleashed.”

When I pulled back, his eyes were full of indecision. He searched my features, trying to make sense of what I was asking him.

“I know you need to protect me and keep me safe, and you do. Every day, I’m still here because of you.”

I lost his focus as he tried to look away. I grabbed his chin and pulled him back.

“Listen to me. You are my hero—in every way. But here,” I said, motioning around the room, “I need you to be my husband and my lover. Stop trying to protect me here.” I pointed to the sheets where we lay together. “And love me without inhibition.”

He answered by kissing me. His kiss told me without words just how much passion he had chained behind that ironclad resolve of his. I responded immediately, grinding against his body in a way that had him meeting me halfway.

“Yes!” I cried out.

I pulled him closer, wrapping my legs around his body as he came to a sitting position. His hands molded my backside, bouncing me up until I was riding him relentlessly. Our mouths moved as his tongue found mine, never breaking the punishing rhythm of our lovemaking.

“Mine,” he growled between frantic kisses.

His possessiveness caused my stomach to tighten as he grabbed the back of my thighs and pushed me back on the mattress. His large body loomed above mine, his breath heavy.

“Yours,” I answered.

Braced by his massive arms, he moved, crashing into my body with such passionate force that I senselessly cried out. Adjusting his position, he knelt, pushing my thighs forward toward my head. Suddenly, he was deeper, and I gasped, as he held my knees and drove into me fast and hard.

My body was in overload, feeling everything at once.

His hot breath was against my neck, and his fingers caressed me as they held me. I felt the soft feel of our skin as we slid together, and the fire deep in my belly was begging to consume me. My muscles clenched tightly around him, and I heard his breath falter before he quickened, picking up the pace. My hands tightened around his forearms, feeling his bulging muscles move as he thrust.

God, he was gorgeous.

The first spasm hit me as my body began to shake in the all too familiar way that sent my body into tremors.

“Oh God!” I cried out.

He moaned, grasping my head to pull me into a deep kiss.

We came together, much like everything else in life.

His body shuddered as my legs fell back to the bed like limp spaghetti.

“My wife,” he whispered against my cheek.

“My husband,” I reciprocated.

His protective warm arms pulled me into the one place where I felt at home, the one place I was meant for.

I winced slightly as I stood, and suddenly, Jude was there, taking my hand.

“Are you sore?”

I blushed, smiling shyly. “It’s the good kind of sore, Jude. I’ve been sore before.”

“You have?” he asked, an eyebrow lifting in surprise.

My eyes roamed over his still naked form. “Yes.”

“Why have you never said anything?” He tugged on my hand, pulling me toward the bathroom, where he’d just emerged from.

Condoms, with the immediate cleanup they required, always killed the post-sex bliss a bit.

I followed, not a bit ashamed that I was checking out his butt as we went. His round buttocks bounced. They were so tight that I could throw a quarter at them, and it would come back and hit me square in the eye.

I hadn’t been in the bathroom yet, and I tried not to gape as we entered. My mother’s entire apartment could fit in here—with room to spare.

Okay, maybe not quite, but it would be darn close.

Covered in gray-and-white marble, the shower looked big enough to fit an entire high school football team, and it had enough showerheads to cover each teammate from head to toe. I didn’t know exactly why one person would need all that room or showerheads, but I suddenly wanted to find out.