Redemption Road (Vicious Cycle #2)(74)

“Now, what was it you were so lost in thought about?”

She propped one of her hands on her elbow and stared into my eyes. “I was just wondering if you ever had to conquer sex like I just did.”

“That’s not a silly question at all. All victims of rape and molestation have to go through separating their past from their present, including me.”

“What happened with you?” she questioned softly.

Although I really didn’t want to dredge up painful memories of the past, I was willing to do it for Annabel. “I was always really shy and awkward around girls even before I was raped, so afterward, I kind of retreated into myself. Each time I wanted to ask a girl out, I would worry that I was a less of a man because of what had happened. When I was sixteen, I had yet to kiss a girl, so my father took it upon himself to have one of the club whores teach me about sex.”

Annabel gasped in shock. “Like a prostitute?”

“Well, she didn’t get paid for it, and she certainly wanted to deflower me.” I chuckled when I thought back to being that scared but horny-as-hell sixteen-year-old. “Apparently there were a lot of the girls who wanted to get their hands on me, but she won the luck of the draw.”

“Really?”

I nudged her playfully. “You act so surprised that I had women clamoring to get in my pants, yet you wanted to do me,” I countered with a grin.

She giggled. “I didn’t mean it to come out that way. I can certainly see why you had so many women wanting you.” She leaned forward to bestow a kiss on my lips. When she pulled away, she blushed.

“What is it?”

“I was just wondering how it was.”

“With the club whore?”

“Yes.”

“For a sixteen-year-old kid who practically had calluses from jacking off, it was pretty f*cking amazing.”

“Ew!” Annabel squealed, wrinkling her nose.

“You asked,” I countered.

“I kinda wish now I hadn’t.”

“Looking back, I can call it amazing, but at the time, it was also really awkward. Really the only thing that improved it for me was practice.”

Cocking her head at me, Annabel asked, “Did you try practicing until you were perfect?”

“Hmm, you think I’m perfect, huh? I think my caveman is going to beat my chest in with pride.”

Annabel giggled. “I think I’ve created an ego monster.”

I grinned. “Let’s just say after conquering that first time, I was back in the saddle pretty quickly.” As I stared into her beautiful green eyes, my expression grew serious. “No matter how many times we do this, you don’t ever have to explain if you’re having a hard time with it. I’m a pretty good reader of your body language, but if we need to, we can come up with a safe word or something like that.”

“We don’t need anything like a safe word. You know me inside and out, Rev. I know that you’ll never expect more of me in the bedroom than I can give, even if it means I have to convince you I’m ready to take things to another level. It’s just one of the many reasons why I love you.”

Her words caused my chest to tighten. I had never experienced absolute trust with a woman like I did with Annabel. I knew now why Mama Beth had said it was the most important thing in a relationship. After all that Annabel had been through, her giving me her implicit trust was one of the greatest gifts she could ever give me.

I had her heart, her mind, her body, and her soul, and she, in turn, held me captive in the palm of her hand.

Although sunlight streamed through the hotel curtains, I refused to wake up. I was having the most amazing sex dream of my life. Silky wet lips traveled up and down my hard dick. I groaned, bucking my hips. As I was suctioned into her warm, inviting mouth, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.

And then my eyes flew wide open. This was no dream. This was all wonderfully f*cking real. Gazing down, I watched as Annabel drew me in and out of her mouth. When she looked up at me, I fought not to blow my load right then and there.

I started to ease her off me, but she refused. Instead, she kept right on bobbing up and down, her tongue swirling around me. “I’m about to come, Annabel,” I muttered. That statement only seemed to fuel her to go faster. Gripping the sheets with both my hands, I let myself go, jerking my hips off the bed as I came into her mouth. “Annabel!” I cried.

Once I had finished, she crawled up my body to lie beside me. “Good morning,” she said with an impish grin.

I chuckled. “Good morning to you. That was a hell of a wakeup call.”

“You were so attentive to me last night I wanted to repay the favor.” She brushed her hand up and down my chest, her fingertips raking through my thick hair.

“I will always attend to you first. That’s just the kind of man I am.”

She giggled. “You’ll get no protests from me.”

Ducking my head, I leaned down to kiss her gently. When I pulled away, I stared intently into her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Deliciously sore in all the right places,” she replied.

I cupped her cheek. “Although I’m always concerned with your body, I think you know what I mean.”

She sighed. “Yes, I do. And I’m fine.” When I gave her a skeptical look, she countered, “Do you think I would have blown you this morning if I was emotionally fragile about us having sex?”