Fighting Solitude (On The Ropes #3)(48)

That was going to wait though. No f*cking way I was going to miss the sight of her coming on my cock.

Slowly drawing out, I tugged down the top of her dress until one breast popped free. Stroking her nipple with my thumb, I drove back in, stilling when I bottomed out. Her thighs sawed at my sides, urging me to give her more, but I couldn’t move.

She was so f*cking beautiful.

My cock inside her.

My hand teasing her breast.

Her eyes aimed at me taking her body.

Needy for me.

All f*cking mine.

Liv.

Lowering myself to my elbows, I got my head together and gave her what she wanted.

I worked us both to the brink, backing off before repeating the process.

Our moans intertwined to form a harmony, guided by the melody of our bodies.

I wasn’t rough. I definitely wasn’t gentle.

Her core clenched, gripping me so tight that it almost sent me over the edge.

So close.

Angling my hips, I worked her even deeper.

Harder.

Faster.

Drawing in a deep breath, I pressed up so I could see her face.

My lungs burned for the exhale I refused them. I’d waited my entire life for this moment with Liv. Air could wait.

Finally, her arms flew up and folded over my back. “Quarry. Oh, God, Quarry,” she cried, her nails scoring my back as she pulsed around me—ruining me in the best possible way.

Her body slacked, but she clung to my back. I pistoned in search of my own release.

Moments later, I buried my face in her neck and came on the life-altering exhale of her name.





HE HADN’T EVEN PULLED OUT before the guilt slashed through me. His lips were peppering kisses up my neck—each one so reverent that it felt as though it were being tattooed on my soul.

But hidden in my depths of soul would have to be where they stayed.

I wasn’t giving them back.

But they weren’t mine to keep, either.

My chest quaked with a silent sob.

“I need to get up,” I rushed out so he hopefully couldn’t hear the tremor in my voice.

“Mmmm,” he purred into my neck without moving off me.

“Quarry, please.”

“Do you understand how long I’ve wanted you?”

With a jolt, my entire body solidified.

The three weeks he was about to rattle off was going to hurt like hell. Especially since the time I’d wanted him was a lot closer to, oh….my entire life.

“Let me up.” I shimmied up, and it regrettably caused his softening dick to slide out.

The loss severed our connection—and my heart.

He trailed kisses down my chest. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. For months, I’ve wanted you like this.”

Months?

My breath caught in my throat.

“You.” Kiss. “Naked.” Kiss. “On top of me.” Kiss. “On your knees.” Kiss. “Under me.” His tongue laved over my exposed nipple.

My chest defied my mind and arched into him as he sucked me into his mouth. Sparks rushed to my clit, awakening my sated body all over again.

No way could that happen again.

I gasped as his teeth raked across the sensitive flesh of my breast.

Well. Maybe. Just once more.

He kissed across my chest, scooping into the top of my dress in search of my other breast. “Want to take a shower?”

What the hell was he doing?

And why was I just lying there, letting him do it?

And why couldn’t I breathe?

Or drag my eyes off him?

Or stop my heart from racing?

Or figure out why my hands were shaking?

It had to stop.

“Get off me!” I snapped.

His head popped up, confusion etched in his beautiful face.

“We can’t do this,” rushed from my mouth. The lie burned my throat.

I scrambled out from under him.

“Liv,” he called in warning—one I did not heed.

I jumped to my feet, and he quickly followed, not even pulling up his shorts before grabbing my arm to stop my getaway.

Although I wasn’t really going anywhere. We lived together. We worked together. He was my best friend. Our lives were braided together in every possible way. Where else would I go when the only place I ever wanted to be was with him?

“Talk,” Quarry gritted out.

I snatched my arm from his grip and then righted my dress. “We shouldn’t have done that.”

Straightening his shorts, he barked a laugh. “Bullshit. We should have done that months ago.”

That stung.

Months ago. What a joke.

I kept that to myself.

“Whatever the hell this is…it has to stop.”

He closed in on me, gripping my hips and lighting my betraying body. His lips dipped to mine, where he whispered, “Stop freaking out. We’re not stopping anything. This is the beginning of me and you.”

I wanted to believe him. The idea of a me and Quarry was almost enough to drown out the voice in my head shrieking that it was never going to happen. I wanted to melt into his arms and steal the safety and comfort that only existed when I was with him. I wanted to let him hold me while we talked things out and somehow let him convince me that we were as right as it had felt only minutes before.