Warrior (First to Fight #1)(9)

I can feel the roughness of his fingers as they whisper up and down the length of my leg. They dip around my hip to the source of my wetness, and a mewl catches in my throat.

“Morning,” he murmurs from behind me.

His fingers enter me in a prolonged stroke. “Good morning,” I whisper brokenly.

“I can practically hear your brain working over there and it’s too damn early for that.”

The palm of his hand presses right where I need him as his fingers speed up. “I’m just wondering where I can hide you, so you don’t have to go. I have a closet at home I think you’ll fit in, maybe,” I manage to say around a gasp.

He shifts his weight on top of me and I frown, having lost his fingers. “Hey, now. We’re not going to think about all that, remember?”

The rush of emotion startles me and I cover my face with my hands. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Just give me a second and I’ll be fine.”

Ben kisses my fingers. “You don’t have to apologize. I would miss me, too.”

My responding laugh is watery. I wipe my eyes and peer back up at him. His dirty blonde hair is ringed with the buttery early morning light. I take a mental picture of the moment and pull his lips back down to mine.

His mouth doesn’t leave mine as he slides inside. His thrusts this time are achingly slow and instead of being about quenching a thirst, this time feels like something else…something more. The solemn feeling that gripped my heart as soon as I woke up merges with tenderness, and I drape my arms around his shoulders in an effort to keep him as close to me as possible.

His thrusts deepen along with his kiss in a moment that feels endless. His hands worship my body with gentle caresses and the sounds that he makes in the back of his throat send ripples down my spine.

No matter how many times he tells me that all he can give me is sex—to satisfy a need—his actions say something completely different.

They say he doesn’t want to leave me either.

I reach the realization just as I climax, breaking the kiss with shuddering breaths. His crystal-blue eyes meet mine and he grips my shoulders as his thrusts become more urgent. He lifts my legs over his arms and attains an angle that takes me from the peak and flings me even higher. As I clutch his shoulders he buries his face in my neck and we fly over the edge together.

“Oh f*ck, Liv,” he grunts out as he slams into me one last time. His back, damp with sweat, trembles beneath my touch.

His face stays tucked in the spot on my neck as we both come down, our heavy breaths beginning to relax. He’s there so long I almost think he’s fallen asleep.

“I’m just going to stay here,” he says. “Hope I’m not too heavy.”

“Not at all. You’re pretty much a cuddly teddy bear.”

“Great,” he mumbles. “I’m sure the guys would get a kick out of that.”

I smile. “What are they like?”

“Assholes, every single one of them. And they’re all ugly as shit.”

Laughter bubbles in my throat. “Do they have such nice things to say about you, too?”

I hear his sexy throaty chuckle. “I’m sure whatever shit they say about me is much worse.” He untangles himself from me and leaves to dispose of the condom.

When he climbs back into bed he positions me so that I’m draped over his chest with my head tucked under his chin.

Eager to learn more about him, about the life that takes him away so much, I continue, “Are they good guys?”

His hand trails idly up and down the arm thrown over his stomach. “Some of the best. I’d die for them in a heartbeat.”

My voice catches in my throat and I try to erase that thought from my mind. “How long will you be gone?”

“About nine months.”

God, that feels like such a long time. “That’s not too bad.” I try to sum up some courage to ask my next question. “Will I hear from you?” God, I hope that didn’t sound as pitiful as it did to my own ears.

He squeezes me a little tighter. “I’m gonna be honest, it may be a while before you do. The place we’re going isn’t what you’d call developed, so there may be some kind of rough internet connection, but there may not be.” I feel him drop a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll do what I can though. That’s not a line or a shitty excuse. It’s just the way the job goes…” He trails off, and for a moment, I think he isn’t going to say anything further, but then he continues, “It’s also why I tried to stay away from you for so long.”

“I understand.” It’s devastating, but I do get it. It is worth it to have a part of him that I’ll always be able to keep. No matter how long he’s away.

“You sure? I don’t want to hurt you, Liv. That’s the last thing I want.”

I turn so that I’m facing him. “Trust me, I do.” I reach up to kiss him. “I don’t want you to worry about me while you’re gone. The most important thing is that you stay safe.”

His eyes turn serious as I look down at him. “I’m gonna miss you.”

My heart squeezes painfully in my chest. “You haven’t been here long enough to miss me.”

A ghost of a smile crosses his handsome face. “Last night changed that.”